As a skincare treatment, microneedling has gained acclaim for its ability to transform the skin’s appearance. It is particularly effective for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and scarring.
The procedure triggers your body’s natural healing response to stimulate collagen production and promote firm, youthful skin. It also improves skin texture and enhances the absorption of skincare products.
What is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure for improving the appearance of scars, wrinkles, skin tightening, and pore size reduction. It is safe for almost all patients and requires little downtime compared to more invasive treatments like laser resurfacing or chemical peels.
The process of microneedling involves pricking the top layer of your skin with needles, causing minor injuries that trigger your body’s natural healing response. The wounds created by the needles encourage your cells to produce collagen and elastin, proteins that firm your skin and reduce wrinkles. This collagen stimulation also promotes a healthy glow, even tone, and texture.
When you visit a dermatologist for this treatment, the doctor will use a tool with fine needles that are designed to penetrate the top layer of your skin without damaging it. During the treatment, you will feel slight discomfort and tightness in the area, but this typically subsides within a few days to a week. Depending on the severity of your acne scarring or other skin condition, the dermatologist may recommend that you undergo several microneedling sessions to achieve your desired results.
Dermatologists are trained in using the tools to ensure that the process is safe and effective. They can help you determine the best skin treatment plan for your specific needs and guide you through each session to ensure that you get the results you want. Unlike laser resurfacing and chemical peels, microneedling is less expensive and more accessible for many people.
In addition to being a great option for improving acne scarring, it is also effective in treating facial wrinkles and skin discoloration caused by sun damage or aging. It is a non-invasive way to improve the look of your skin and boost your confidence.
Before getting microneedling, it’s important to discuss your skin and health history with a board-certified dermatologist. For example, you should not receive the treatment if you have active breakouts or open cuts in the area because it can worsen the situation. You should also avoid retinoids and exfoliating creams for at least one day before your appointment.
How Does Microneedling Work?
The microneedling procedure creates tiny channels surrounded by healthy skin cells, triggering the body to respond with a flood of healing and growth factors. The resulting neocollagenesis and neoelastogenesis promote younger-looking skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and even out your skin tone and texture. It also minimizes stretch marks and hyperpigmentation, as well as treats rosacea and other skin conditions caused by inflammation or sun damage.
Depending on your skin concerns and goals, microneedling may be used alone or in combination with other treatments. For example, combining it with PRP enhances its ability to smooth wrinkles and boost collagen production. For those looking to improve skin texture and reduce fine lines, Radio Frequency Microneedling is a highly effective treatment that promotes collagen production. It also allows for deep penetration of skin-enhancing serums and treatments, bringing more brightness and improving skin texture.
Before a treatment, your dermatologist will smooth numbing cream on your face to minimize pain from the needle pricks. Then they will roll a roller or an electric tool with a set of needles around your face. These needles puncture the skin, but not enough to cause bleeding. They may also change the needle length to target different areas of your skin, such as acne scars or deeper wrinkles.
After the treatment, your dermatologist will apply a light, calming moisturizer to your face. You should avoid soaping your face and using facial brushes until 24 hours have passed, as this can reopen the micro injuries. You will also need to avoid sun exposure while your skin heals.
Some people experience redness or other mild symptoms after a microneedling session, which can last up to a week or more. But the effects typically fade over time.
While you can do microneedling yourself at home, Green and Palep warn that it’s a better option to have the procedure done by a board-certified dermatologist. “If the person doing it is not a licensed physician, you are risking infection,” Green says.
A board-certified dermatologist has completed medical school and an additional three years of training in a dermatology-specific residency program. A qualified dermatologist can assess your skin and determine whether or not microneedling is right for you, and how many sessions you will need to see results. For example, treating fine lines and wrinkles might require two to five sessions a year, while treating scars or hyperpigmentation may require more frequent sessions, depending on your skin type and needs.
What Are the Benefits of Microneedling?
Microneedling works with your body’s natural healing processes to produce collagen and rejuvenate the skin. It can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as scarring from acne or surgery. It also improves uneven skin tone and texture, and helps reduce dark spots from sun damage. Microneedling can even help improve the appearance of stretch marks and scars on the breasts, abdomen, buttocks, and back.
This minimally invasive procedure can be performed by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, cosmetic surgeon, or licensed aesthetician. It is safer than more invasive procedures and does not require significant downtime. Unlike fillers or injectables, it produces gradual and natural-looking results without giving you that “overdone” look.
The tiny injuries caused by the needles stimulate elastin and collagen production. This boost in these vital proteins is what makes the skin firmer, tighter, and more youthful looking. It is also what reduces the appearance of fine lines and crow’s feet, as well as jowls and neck bands.
In addition, the stimulation of collagen by microneedling can shrink pores and remove clogged blackheads. It can also make it easier for your skin to absorb your favorite skincare products, as they will be able to get into the micro-holes more easily than they could before.
For those with more severe scarring, such as deep boxcar scars or linear scars, the micro-injuries created by the needles can trigger the production of collagen and elastin, which will result in thicker and more uniform skin. Microneedling is also often used in conjunction with surgical scar removal treatments to improve their results.
Another benefit of microneedling is its ability to treat hyperpigmentation and redness caused by sun damage or hormonal changes. The injury to the skin caused by the microneedling also stimulates the production of new, younger cells that can reduce the appearance of redness and discoloration. Combined with PRP, which contains growth factors and activating proteins that stimulate multipotent stem cells to develop into new tissue, this treatment can be extremely effective at improving the appearance of these issues.
What Are the Risks of Microneedling?
For individuals seeking a transformative skin-care treatment, microneedling has proven to be a highly effective and affordable option. However, microneedling is not without its risks. The good news is that, with proper education and a knowledgeable practitioner, microneedling can be safely administered to help restore healthy and youthful skin.
To begin with, it is important to understand that microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure. During the treatment, your dermatologist or aesthetician will use a pen-shaped device to create controlled micro-injuries in your skin. The needles penetrate the outer layer of your skin, triggering the body’s natural healing response to produce collagen and elastin. Over time, this process reduces fine lines and wrinkles and improves skin tone and texture.
Additionally, the microchannels created during a microneedling treatment can enhance the absorption of skincare products, allowing them to penetrate deeper and work more effectively. In addition, the process can be customized and adjusted to target specific concerns, such as acne scars or delicate areas, making it an extremely versatile and safe method of rejuvenation.
The biggest risk of microneedling is infection. This is particularly a concern when the procedure is performed at home with unsterilized tools, which can be prone to bacterial contamination. Professional dermatological and aesthetic settings, such as Jupiter Dermatology, utilize rigorous cleaning and sterilization techniques to ensure the safety of patients.
Another risk of microneedling is redness and swelling after the treatment. These side effects typically resolve within a few days. However, if these symptoms persist or become more severe, it is recommended that you contact your practitioner immediately.
For the vast majority of patients, microneedling is a very safe and effective treatment. However, it is important to discuss your medical history with your practitioner and communicate any pre-existing conditions or medications that may interfere with the treatment. This will help ensure that the results of your microneedling treatments are as optimal as possible. It is also important to have realistic expectations and recognize that you may need multiple sessions for noticeable results. Ultimately, with its minimally invasive nature and impressive outcomes, microneedling is a great alternative to more invasive procedures that can produce comparable or even superior results.
