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Microneedling

Microneedling, also called collagen induction therapy, percutaneous collagen induction, involves the use of many small needles to puncture the skin. This creates a micro-injury and the body’s natural healing properties then begin to repair this injury with increase collagen and elastin production resulting in improvements in skin texture and resiliency.

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Microneedling Overview - Everything You Need to Know

The Skinny

Microneedling
avg. recovery
5 days
permanence
Temporary
Type
Mechanical Abrasion
pain factor
3/10
surgical
No
cost
$100 - $700

About the Procedure

Last Updated: 04.17.2021

After cleansing the skin surface and applying topical anesthetic, the microneedling device of choice (often a rolling or pen-like system) is then utilized to create the injuries. The nondominant hand is used to smooth and stabilize the skin while the opposite hand treats all desired areas of the skin over the course of approximately 20-45 minutes. The endpoint is pinpoint bleeding. Although it can be on its own, it is now often to use this technique to aid with transdermal delivery of other therapeutic medications. The devices may vary, but the size of the needle is typically 0.1-0.25mm in diameter. The mechanism of action involved with microneedling creates micro-injuries which leads to a release of growth factors and triggers the wound healing cascade. The needles also aid in mechanically breaking down the scar tissue. Neovascularization and neocollagenesis is triggered. The end result is aesthetically pleasing, yet without a significant recovery time because the epidermis is not destroyed.

The goal of a microneedling procedure is to target imperfections of the skin with micro-injuries which cause the release of growth factors and triggers the wound healing process which produces collagen, creating younger looking skin.

Concerns

Microneedling addresses concerns such as:

What's it like to get a microneedling treatment, a patient journey

John has been struggling with getting rid of old chickenpox scars. After learning about a microneedling treatment offered at Dr. Rapaport's practice John decided to try it out. The smoothed out the scarring on John's skin, allowing for a fresh new layer of skin to grow in its place.

Transcript

I am really excited to see my results from my treatment because I've been struggling for a long time with these older kind of chicken pox scars.And I also have some active acne break outs like what's going on here in my forehead.
And...I've heard really great things about the treatment and hoping I could see some results that way. In terms of preparation for the treatmentI didn't really change my routine at all.Just doing my basic day least and care topical products like cleanser and a moisturizer at night and in the daytime and also sunscreen.
So John, do you have anything on your skin at the moment, or is it a really clean?Okay, great.So I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take some topical numbing, and I'm gonna numb your skin.
Wouldn't let it on there for about 30 minutes.Let it sit for about 30 minutes.Feels okay?All right.Perfect.How's that feel?So what this is doing is creating micro injuries into the Skin around all those micro Angelina injuries.
It's stimulating the collagen, but it's also helping to introduce the collegen into the skin.I'm really excited to try out this treatment because I'm a huge skincare fan, so I'm always open to trying out a new and exciting treatments.
And I've heard really good things about this, not only from my doctor dermatologist, but also my friends who have tried it in the past.I would recommend for somebody who maybe is doing it for the first time and isn't sure how their skin would respond to try and do it on a day where you don't have to have any commitments than next day early.
That way, if there's any chance of reaction or anything unusual for someone with sensitive skin, they have a little bit of buffer time.For about three days, it felt kind of like sandpaper while it was healing
And then all of that skin kind of exfoliated off.And then I had a fresh layer of new skin that felt a little bit more luminous and smooth, and I definitely noticed a difference.
After even just one treatment, the technician who performed treatment recommended about one treatment every four weeks in a series of three, so I plan to have won again any day now.
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What to Expect

Microneedling, also called collagen induction therapy, uses many small needles to puncture the skin and create micro-injuries that increase natural collagen and elastin production Here is a quick guide for what to expect before, during, and after microneedling.

Before Treatment

  • Avoidance of Accutane for 6 months
  • Discontinue use of Retin A and other topic medications for 3-5 days
  • Avoid skin resurfacing and hair removal treatments for 5-7 days
  • An antiviral medication may be prescribed
  • Reschedule if a rash or blemish develops

During Treatment

  • Skin is cleansed
  • Topical numbing agent applied
  • Microneedling device is rolled over the area to be treated

Recovery Notes

Most patients experience minor redness after the procedure as well as skin dryness and shedding which are all expected. There is no downtime with microneedling.

Ideal Candidate

Microneedling is ideal for someone that wishes to improve the appearance of acne scars, burn scars, or other post-traumatic scars. This technique is also very safe for darker skin tones in contrast to many other skin rejuvenation techniques.

Not Recommended For

Microneedling is not recommended for those who have used Accutane within six months, have open wounds or a skin infection in the area, have had radiation treatment within the last year, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a history of keloid scars.

Side Effects

Microneedling is generally well tolerated but erythema may be seen after treatment, lasting for 2-3 days. Skin may also feel warm, tight and itchy for a short while, this normally resolves in 12 – 48 hours. Photoprotection is advised for a week and local antibiotic creams may be prescribed.

Pros

  • short recovery time
  • low risk of side effects
  • long lasting

Cons

  • limited results
  • multiple treatments needed

From the AEDITION

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