What Is Microneedling?
Skincare is all about nourishing the skin’s delicate chemistry and physical makeup. The effects of aging take a toll on the chemical processes that keep skin looking smooth and supple, making it that much harder to maintain healthy skin. Microneedling, a noninvasive cosmetic procedure, reinvigorates the skin’s natural restorative processes to create a fresh, vibrant look. If you’ve tried anti-aging creams and exfoliators and seen little to no improvement, microneedling may well be the boost your skin needs.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a comfortable, minimally-invasive procedure designed to rejuvenate the skin’s appearance and overall health. The device uses a wand fitted with tiny needles. Microscopic punctures are made in your skin that trigger the body’s healing response. This natural process produces new cells that leave the skin looking fresh and supple. Our Secret RF Microneedling device adds radio frequency (RF) technology into the microneedling procedure, delivering precise amounts of heat to the underside of the epidermis, and further stimulating the production of collagen from the inside out.
Microneedling can be used on any area of the dermis in need of repair or remodeling. The ultra-small needles are gentle on the skin, which makes this procedure work well on most skin types, even those that have issues with hypersensitivity. The gentleness of the process also produces minimal side effects and no downtime.
Microneedling offers a wide range of potential benefits:
- Remove fine lines and wrinkles
- Reduce acne and acne scarring
- Tighten up areas of loose skin
- Repair sun-damaged skin
- Shrink skin pores
Microneedling Is Collagen Induction Therapy – What’s That?
Collagen induction involves stimulating specific skin cells, known as fibroblasts, to produce collagen. Collagen, a fibrous protein material, makes up one-third of the body’s protein. This substance inherently supports the underlying dermal structure and makes skin healthy and supple. In effect, microneedling activates the skin’s collagen-producing processes.
The hundreds of tiny punctures created by microneedling set off a series of chemical activities that release growth factors and activating proteins. These activities work to build new skin cells. In the process, many existing concerns, such as discoloration, dryness and blemishes on the skin are significantly reduced for a noticeable improvement to the skin.
The addition of targeted RF technology in this treatment means that the positive results of microneedling are boosted even further. And if platelet-rich plasma is added on as part of your treatment, the combination of primed skin and growth factors can truly result in an amazing skin transformation, allowing us to help our patients in Ohio address even pitted acne scars, deeper wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.
Microneedling Is an Anti-Aging Treatment
Ample levels of collagen play a central role in slowing the effects of aging. In turn, microneedling’s ability to stimulate collagen production jump-starts the skin’s natural healing mechanisms. These properties make for an effective anti-aging treatment. Microneedling can slow and even reverse the effects of aging When procedures are done on a regular basis, you can expect to see dramatic results including:
Fine Lines and Wrinkles Fade
The formation of new skin cells that results from microneedling allows the outermost dermal layer to convert into dead cells that go away with washing or exfoliation. With just a few sessions, fine lines and wrinkles gradually fade. Lines treated by microneedling include crow’s feet, wrinkles on the forehead and lines around the nose and mouth. With a regular schedule of microneedling, you can stave off the effects of aging since it also delays the formation of new lines and wrinkles with its ability to refresh and rejuvenate the dermis.
Loose Skin Becomes Taunt and Supple
The older skin gets, the less collagen it produces. As collagen levels dwindle, skin loses its structure and firmness. Loose skin also tends to be drier, which further contributes to an aged appearance. Since microneedling helps the skin cells increase collagen production rates, the skin becomes tighter, smoother and suppler. Fresh new skin cells also have a healthy chemical balance, maintaining moist, soft skin for extended periods.
Sun Damaged Areas Disappear
Sun damaged areas of the skin typically take the form of age spots, freckles and sunspots that appear in varying shades of brown. The effects of sun damage also tend to cause changes in the skin’s texture, making lines and wrinkles more visible. Microneedling can reverse these effects, lightening discolored areas and making them less noticeable.
Individuals with melasma can also benefit from microneedling. Melasma causes diffuse areas of discoloration on the face that result from overactive melanocytes, which are the cells that give skin color. Microneedling’s ability to restore a natural chemical balance and increase collagen levels in the skin can help lighten melasma spots, creating a brighter complexion.
The Microneedling Procedure
Before the microneedling process begins, a topical anesthetic cream is applied to the skin to minimize any discomfort. Your clinician may also moisten the area slightly, so the microneedling wand glides more smoothly. The device is then rolled over the surface of the target areas to stimulate the body’s healing mechanism. The entire treatment session takes less than 30 minutes to complete in most cases.
Some redness may develop immediately following treatment, but this usually goes away within 48 hours. You will likely see preliminary improvements in your skin at this time. Since collagen growth takes a little time, you can expect to see optimal results within three to four weeks. For most patients, microneedling is gentle enough to repeat every four to six weeks to maintain the positive effects of the procedure.
Combine Microneedling With Other Cosmetic Treatments
While microneedling is significantly beneficial for the skin on its own, combining it with other treatment procedures can deliver even more dramatic results. As everyone’s skin care needs are different, it’s essential to choose combination treatments that best address your specific skincare needs. Here are just a few options to consider.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma therapy or PRP uses high concentrations of growth factors and proteins from your blood to boost the body’s natural healing and rebuilding processes. As a combination treatment, PRP is applied at the same time as microneedling. In effect, PRP “turbocharges” the rebuilding process producing more noticeable results within the same time frame.
Find Out If Microneedling Is Right for You
The Vein Care Center offers Cutera Secret RF microneedling, which utilizes radiofrequency energy to maximize the benefits of the microneedling process for our patients. Schedule a consultation to find out more about this treatment to see if it’s right for you. The Vein Care Center can tailor your treatment experience to your specific needs and goals. Contact us today at 419-227-4472.