MICRONEEDLING SAN DIEGO is considered an aesthetic procedure and is not usually covered by insurance. It can improve skin tone and texture and increase elastic skin fibers.
Before the treatment, a numbing cream is applied to reduce the discomfort. After the treatment, a milk-based serum containing hyaluronic acid, epidermal growth factors,, and peptides hydrate and nourish the skin.
Microneedling is a minimally invasive, chemical-free treatment for scars and wrinkles that a trained medical expert, like a licensed esthetician or physician, delivers. It involves a handheld technology with needles placed into the skin at specific depths to encourage collagen production.
During the procedure, you may feel discomfort from the needles piercing the skin; however, this is minimal, depending on how deep your dermatologist pierces the skin. Typically, a numbing cream is applied before the treatment to minimize pain.
The tiny pricks caused by the needles create an inflammatory response in your body to repair these minor injuries, stimulating collagen. Over time, the new collagen will help fade acne scars and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help even out your skin tone and reduce hyperpigmentation, particularly in darker skin tones.
Depending on how deep your dermatologist penetrates the skin, your skin will naturally heal the micro-wounds created by the needles, which takes a few days to a few weeks. During this process, you can expect redness, tightness, itching, and peeling of the treated area.
It is important to avoid using makeup on the area until it completely heals. You should also avoid certain skin care products that are high in acidity or retinol, which can trigger a breakout. Your doctor should also give you directions on how to best care for your skin during this time.
If you do experience a breakout, it’s best to wait until it has cleared up before having microneedling done again. You should also be careful not to touch the areas that have been treated, as it can cause infection. Lastly, you should not get this treatment if you have a bleeding or clotting disorder or take blood thinners.
Most people need multiple microneedling treatments to see significant results. Talk to your Yale Medicine dermatologist to learn more about the benefits and risks of this minimally invasive treatment. They will be able to recommend the best treatment for you and your specific needs.
How Does Microneedling Work?
As we get older, our bodies naturally decrease collagen levels which causes fine lines and wrinkles. Microneedling is a skin-rejuvenation procedure that stimulates your body to produce new collagen, resulting in smoother, tighter and more youthful looking skin.
Microneedling works by creating small punctures in the outer layer of your skin, called the epidermis. A medical professional uses a specially designed tool, usually electric powered and with a cylinder shaped needle that moves across your skin and creates these tiny pinpricks. At-home devices use short and dull needles that only affect the top part of the skin, reaching no more than 0.25 mm deep.
Before a microneedling treatment, your doctor will recommend that you apply a numbing cream to the area that you would like treated. The numbing cream will take about 20-30 minutes to work so that you can have the procedure done without feeling pain from the needle pricks. Once the numbing cream is working, your dermatologist will move the needle tool around your face.
The needles in the device make tiny punctures in your skin, causing a bit of bleeding and irritation. The blood from the punctures triggers your body to send healing chemicals to these spots and to heal them. These healing chemicals help to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and they also improve the look of acne scars and stretch marks.
During this process, the tiny holes in your skin will fill with new collagen. This will result in firmer, tighter and more youthful looking skin that is also less prone to wrinkling. If you have a few scars from old acne or just from getting a few too many pimples last month, this will also help to fade them out and make your skin look smooth and refreshed.
This treatment is ideal for almost anyone who wants to have younger and more beautiful skin. It is recommended to have a series of treatments, rather than just one-off sessions because your skin will need time to recover from the trauma caused by the needles. Typically, three to five monthly or biweekly treatments are needed to achieve your desired results.
What Are the Benefits of Microneedling?
Microneedling is quickly becoming a very popular treatment for skin resurfacing. It’s often referred to as collagen induction therapy because it helps to stimulate your body to produce more of the elastic fibers that keep your skin tight, smooth and firm. The procedure is effective in reducing fine lines, acne scars and improving the overall appearance of your skin. It also works well in combination with other treatments like chemical peels, lasers and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
One of the best things about this treatment is that it’s safe for all skin types, including darker complexions. It is not recommended for those who have active infections, a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinners though. Your dermatologist will perform a medical history and physical exam to ensure that it is safe for you to undergo the treatment.
If you’re looking for a more dramatic change, your dermatologist can also add PRP to the mix. This will involve drawing some of your own blood and putting it into a centrifuge that separates the different parts of your blood. Once the blood has been separated, it will then be injected into the areas that were treated with the microneedling device.
This is an amazing way to treat melasma, acne scars and hyperpigmentation. The injections help to reduce the redness caused by these conditions and can also lighten dark spots over time.
As a bonus, it can also improve the texture of your skin. This is because the needles penetrate deep into the skin and can cause new tissue to form in the area that has been treated. This results in your skin looking smoother and younger-looking.
Microneedling can also improve the appearance of your wrinkles, fine lines and crow’s feet. This is because the needles create tiny injuries to your skin that trigger your body’s natural healing process and increase the production of collagen, which is the protein that keeps your skin supple.
The treatment is also a good option for those who are dealing with sun damage. It can help reduce the wrinkling and discoloration that occurs because of constant exposure to UV rays. By stimulating the growth of new collagen, the procedure can also help to firm up and tighten existing skin, which makes your face look more youthful.
What Are the Side Effects of Microneedling?
In the age of show-and-tell skin care, microneedling has become a common treatment for diminishing fine lines and fading acne scars. And while the idea of pricking your face with needles may sound intimidating, experts say the pain and recovery aren’t so bad.
Before the procedure starts, your doctor will smooth a numbing cream onto your face so you can’t feel the needle pricks. Then, they’ll move a pen-shaped tool or a roller with tiny needles across your skin to make small wounds. They’ll typically go over each area 3-4 times to cover all areas that need attention.
After the microneedling, your skin might feel tight or flaky for a few days. Bruising may also occur depending on how deep the needles go.
The micro-trauma caused by the needles kickstarts your body’s healing process, which sends collagen and elastin to patch up the little injuries—and this helps plump up and smooth out wrinkles. It also stimulates new blood vessels that bring blood, oxygen and nutrients to the skin’s surface—this helps heal scars and stretch marks and improve skin tone.
Your doctor will probably recommend using a serum with growth-stimulating ingredients like vitamin C, peptides or antioxidants after microneedling to get the most out of your treatment. And they’ll likely tell you not to use products containing exfoliants or retinol for 7 days after your appointment because those can be irritating. You should also avoid shaving the area, and you shouldn’t exercise, sauna or take a steam bath for 30 days after the procedure, as sweating can cause the needles to enter the deeper layers of your skin where they could lead to infection.
It’s important to talk to your dermatologist before getting microneedling, especially if you have any bleeding disorders or are taking medication that thins the blood. Bleeding is rare, but it can happen if the doctor does a deep microneedling treatment.
The good news is that, once your skin recovers from a deep treatment, you can keep it looking younger with regular monthly sessions of microneedling. And with the addition of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to the mix, you’ll get even better results.