Microneedling is all the rage right now, and for good reason. Not only does it create collagen and elastin to smooth fine lines and wrinkles, but it also gives your skin a beautiful glow, and I’m here to tell you how and why it’s a great addition to your in office skin maintenance routine.
Microneedling causes millions of tiny microchannels in the skin. These microchannels are then flooded with your body’s best defense, white blood cells. There is actually quite a bit of beauty in white blood cell. These white blood cells protect your body from infection by creating controlled inflammation, which in return releases growth factors (PDGF, we’ll get into this later). The growth factors send your collagen and elastin production into overdrive, and continue working even months down the road.
Cell turnover is the name of the game when it comes to anti-aging. Clearing out cells that have been exposed to free radicals, damage, and degradation is important for skin health. You’ll notice your skin start to glow when it doesn’t have layers of dead skin, giving you that youthful appearance. Replacing old cells with fresh new ones, is like giving your car an oil change. It’s going to help everything run smoother, and last longer.. aka making your skin glow and slow down the aging process.
A happy side effect of microneedling is a reduction in hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation can be the result of sun exposure, age, and hormonal changes. Pigment lies in the basal layer of your skin, which is easily accessed during a treatment. When you break up that pigment, and force your skin to heal, you will notice a reduction of pigment, giving your skin that glass look.
Earlier I mentioned PDGF. Platelet Derived Growth Factor, to be exact. This superhero is found in either the plasma in your blood, or macrophages (first responder cells that are released during trauma). PDGF is naturally released during microneedling as a result of injury, and a way to protect the body from infection by healing your skin as quick as possible. You can increase your PDGF count by pairing your microneedling with PRP. PRP addition is quick blood draw while numbing, the sample is then spun down, and the plasma (liquid gold) is used during the treatment.
Microneedling also pairs beautifully with a light chemical peel. The benefits of the chemical peel, is that it can go deeper due to the microchannels. This will increase your cell turnover by clearing out more epidermal cells, and target hyperpigmentation at the source. It is a more advanced treatment, yet has no more downtime. The outcome? Visibly healthier, supple skin.
The amount of treatments you need depends on your goals, but we recommend starting with 3-6 treatments 4 weeks apart. It is important to note that there are things you can do as the client to ensure that your skin is ready for the treatment, and that you heal well.
Before your treatment, it’s imperative that you are not in the sun 7-14 days before your treatment. Even more so that you have not had a sunburn in the treatment area.
You will also want to stop any active skincare ingredients 5 days before your appointment, this includes: Retinols, acids (lactic acid, glycolic, mandelic, salicylic).
The takeaway: Microneedling addresses skin laxity, uneven skin tone, and helps improve texture. The treatment takes about an hour, and we take it from the forehead to the collar bone. You will be properly numbed and discomfort level is next to nothing. If you’d like to give microneedling a try, you can book HERE.
