What a patient looked like immediately following a session. Minimal redness is seen and other than not being allowed to wear makeup you’re ready to face the day.
microneedling
Microneedling, often called collagen induction therapy or CIT or percutaneous collagen induction (PCI) is a procedure that uses a mechanical needling device to puncture the skin multiple times causing small controlled micro injuries to create aesthetic benefits.
Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure with zero down time and when done correctly, has minimal side effects. As a health care professional, I am able to formulate a treatment plan based upon each patients’ specific skincare goals. Using a professional microneedling pen, as an acupuncturist I can set the appropriate needle depth for patients’ skin care concerns.
Microneedling treatment plans range anywhere from 3-6 treatments spread 4-6 weeks apart with the duration of the treatment being 45-60 minutes. The reason the treatments are monthly is it requires a full skin cycle to see the benefits of the treatment.
After the controlled microneedling device pierces the skin a series of things happen to the body. The first is slight erythema, or redness, and the healing response is prompted. In this healing response, a natural activation of growth factors are triggered causing fibroblast activation. Within a week after the microneedling treatment the skin creates a network among the cell surface where collagen organizes. The micro-trauma of the microneedle followed by the skin healing response is what causes the all over skin tightening and rejuvenating effect (Rohrich, 2020).
The effect of the needling is to induce regeneration through the body’s natural response, the wound healing cascade. This response allows the body to produce collagen and elastin. It promotes the regeneration of tissue through new skin cells which improves the appearance of aging skin and scars. Microneedling is also done with a serum to allow the device to glide easily on skin. The microchannels created also allow for deeper product penetration, research shows that this can be increased as much as up to 3,0000%.
Before
After
Microneedling can be performed on a wide variety of skin types, has minimal down time, minimal risks and few side effects in comparison to other treatments that can create the same outcomes.
- Encourages collagen production
- Minimize fine lines & wrinkles
- Reduce hyperpigmentation (including melasma, age spots & sun damage)
- Smooth scar tissue (including acne scars, pitted scars, box scars & stretch marks)
- Improve overall tone & texture of skin while reducing redness
- Tighten & firm skin laxity
- Minimize appearance of pores