Microneedling
What is Microneedling?
Derma Rolling
The procedure uses very thin needles to puncture the skin with a medical device and create micro-injuries. This procedure helps promote rejuvenation by inducing collagen production and delivering serum directly (.25 mm deep) to the epidermal-dermal junction of the skin. The result is better-looking skin texture and overall appearance, which is often seen right after treatment. I use your personally assigned device on the skin. This device is then sanitized and has your name on its box, stored for only your use here at Naturopunc. Derma rolling is an add-on treatment to the one hour combination manual therapy-acupuncture session or can simply be integrated into your hour or 75 minute session at no additional charge.
The cosmetic industry has long focused on the induction, or application of collagen to the skin to achieve impressive results. To achieve these results, the skin has been chemically peeled, burnt, cut, injected, and scraped. The advent of microneedling has allowed clinicians to induce large quantities of the body’s own natural collagen without having to apply any of these more aggressive techniques. This has led to more affordable treatments, with lower side effects, shorter recovery times and happier clients.
Microneedling uses your body’s own natural resources to produce collagen.
Microneedling (derma rolling) can reach the deeper level, the epidermal/dermal junction of the skin, by creating channels which heal completely within hours. The ability of microneedling to work with the body in this way, with very few side effects, makes it an obvious candidate for a genuinely natural, holistic cosmetic treatment.
Microneedling increases collagen induction and elastin. It forms a new collagen matrix, which helps smooth uneven skin, the most obvious example of which is wrinkles. The increase of elastin and collagen tightens skin to prevent sagging. Microneedling has also repeatedly been shown to thicken the skin, so reducing the thinning of skin associated with aging.
Aftercare Instructions
1. No makeup, sunscreen or face wash should be used until the morning following treatment. Avoid using hot water on your face and neck.
2. Stay out of direct sunlight for a minimum of 12 hours following treatment.
3. Do not strongly exercise / sweat for about 12 hours following treatment.
4. Drink plenty of pure filtered water over the next few days.
5. Your skin may feel like you have a mild sunburn following microneedling. You can apply a cool compress / ice pack (do not use other topical creams / medications).
6. With shorter needle lengths (0.25mm, 0.5mm) the skin may remain unchanged or exhibit a red glow that will likely be gone by the following morning. With longer needle lengths (1.0mm) the skin might look sunburned for a day or two with potential pinprick scabbing (red dots) and should return to normal by day two or three.
7. It’s important to keep your skin hydrated following microneedling. Serums containing hyaluronic acid should be applied twice daily at home to enhance results in-between your microneedling treatments. Here at Naturopunc Acupuncture, P.C., I recommend using ReDermaVive Red Rescue and Renew serum. Avoid using serums or creams with high amounts of Vitamin C or A, and products containing strong, synthetic ingredients for 24 hours following treatment.
8. Discontinue other cosmetic interventions, such as home-use dermarollers with needles longer than .3mm, chemical peels, injections and laser skin resurfacing during your microneedling series. Exceptions are microdermabrasion and dermaplaning, which can be beneficial if performed approximately two weeks before a microneedling treatment. Give your skin time to heal and regenerate.
9. Return for a follow up microneedling treatment in four-six weeks until your series is through, and for maintenance treatments thereafter.
FAQs
Who would benefit from Microneedling treatments?
The treatments are extremely popular with the Millenial and Generation Z demographic who value natural more holistic beauty treatments. The treatments prevent declines in health and beauty rather than waiting for the signs of aging to appear, so everyone benefits, male and female clients, baby boomers and beyond.
How does microneedling create more collagen and elastin?
The micro-trauma initiates the wound healing cascade. A wide variety of different cells are mobilized to the area in order to repair the wound. During this process, new collagen is produced, and old misaligned collagen is broken down. Over a period of months, an entire new collagen and elastin matrix is laid down. The new matrix thickens the skin and improves the texture of the skin, removing or reducing a variety of wrinkles, scars, and other cosmetic conditions.
How does Microneedling differ from other forms of collagen induction treatments?
Microneedling is not the only treatment that uses the wound healing cascade to produce new collagen. Ablative treatments such as microdermabrasion and chemical peels also use this method. The difference is that microneedling can produce this new collagen and elastin matrix without removing the epidermis. This results in far less trauma and does not damage the keratinocytes in the epidermis, which play a role in the wound healing process.
Can Microneedling treat my scars?
The treatment of non-keloid scars is one of the most well-documented uses of microneedling and has been partly responsible for its rapid growth in popularity. Microneedling can benefit both hypertrophic (raised scars) and atrophic (sunken scars) from a wide variety of causes, including wounds, biopsies, acne, and surgery.
In healthy skin, the collagen forms a basket weave pattern leaving the skin smooth. When scarring occurs, the collagen fibers cross link and align principally in one direction. Under a microscope the fibers appear to run parallel to one another. Microneedling can break up old collagen bundles and help form a new collagen matrix in the form of the original basket weave of healthy skin.
Can individuals with darker South Indian or African skin benefit by microneedling?
Yes, it is a safe treatment for these skin pigmentations. Unlike treatments such as microdermabrasion it has not been linked to any loss of pigmentation with repeated treatments.