By Laura Cook, Esthetician
Most of us have heard about microneedling at some point while reading about anti-aging procedures. It became incredibly popular several years ago, after Kim Kardashian posted a photo on Instagram of her “vampire facial.” There are several terms that are tossed around when it comes to this topic, but here’s what you really need to know about microneedling.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a method that some medical offices use to treat various skin conditions. The technique involves using multiple tiny, sterile needles to puncture the skin. The trauma prompts the derma, a deeper layer of skin, to rebuild. Microneedling can improve many of the skin-related complaints my clients bring to my attention, including fine lines and wrinkles, scarring, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, alopecia, light stretch marks, and redness in the skin.
The overall idea is that microneedling helps rejuvenate the skin by increasing the production of collagen and other healing factors by causing trauma to the skin. This trauma alerts your collagen to increase production in order to heal what has happened. Collagen is an essential protein that helps our skin look youthful, with a firm, smooth texture. As we age, we lose more and more collagen each year, causing all women to experience unwanted wrinkles and other signs of aging.
You’ve probably also seen the “at home” dermal rollers that claim to dramatically change the skin. But how easy do think it will be to cause trauma to your own skin by rolling a device with tiny needles on it? You may be tough, but you won’t be getting deep enough to really see any results. That’s why you come to us!
When you come to a medical office, a topical anesthetic will be applied to your skin for twenty to thirty minutes before the microneedling procedure. This will make your experience basically pain-free! Some of my clients have even told me it tickles because of the topical anesthetic applied beforehand. It may cause you to sneeze, too, but the important thing is that you will not be in pain!
The procedure lasts around thirty minutes, and clients’ skin ranges from slightly pink to fairly red after the microneedling is complete. Some clients will have very minimal downtime, while some may have a little peeling for a couple days after. This is considered a weekend treatment! Eight out of ten clients have no signs of redness after 48 hours.
Could Microneedling Be Right for You?
Is your skin looking dull? Are you ready to take the next step in your skin care journey? Ready to add something extra to your monthly facials? Let’s start boosting your collagen with this easy and painless procedure! Contact us today to book an appointment or find out more about microneedling.