The building blocks of smooth, elastic, youthful skin are collagen and elastin. These vital proteins break down as we age, causing fine lines, wrinkles, and textural irregularities. Pair this with outside factors such as sun damage, acne scarring, and stretch marks, and it might be time to find a treatment that helps these issues.
Microneedling does just that: by creating microchannels in the surface of the skin, microneedling prompts the production of collagen and elastin to repair the skin from the inside out, improving textural irregularities and brightening the skin for a glowing, youthful complexion.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment for various aging and textural concerns. During this procedure, your provider will use a device with tiny needles to make puncture marks throughout the treatment area, stimulating collagen and elastin production. These punctures, or microinjuries, prompt your body’s healing responses, which helps induce the healing of scars, stretch marks, or wrinkles and improves overall skin elasticity and texture.
What Are the Benefits of Microneedling?
Microneedling is an effective treatment that can be performed alone or in conjunction with other non-surgical treatments. By inducing collagen and elastin production, microneedling improves the appearance of a variety of skin concerns, including:
- Acne scars
- Uneven skin texture
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Sun damage
- Stretch marks
- Dull skin
- Large pores
Unlike other treatments with the same benefits, microneedling does not use a laser or heating element. This lack of heat reduces the risk of post-treatment hyperpigmentation, meaning this treatment can be used safely in all skin types, including darker skin tones with a higher melanin content.
How Long Is Microneedling Recovery?
There is no downtime after microneedling, and you can return to normal activities immediately after your procedure.
Immediately following your treatment, your skin may be red or swollen, but this should dissipate within a few hours. You may see tiny reddish-brown dots on your skin, which are the microchannels. These may appear like scabs and can feel itchy as your skin heals, but they will quickly shed.
Recovery takes about one week as your skin heals from the procedure. You may wear makeup the day after the procedure, and a good moisturizer can help with discomfort and dryness. Avoid sun exposure after microneedling, and always use a strong SPF.
How Much Do Microneedling Treatments Cost?
The cost of microneedling will vary from patient to patient, as each treatment is tailored to your needs. Your microneedling treatment’s cost will be determined by the number of necessary treatments and if you have combined your treatment with any other procedures, such as PRP.
During your consultation, your microneedling provider can provide you with an accurate cost estimate.
When Will I See the Results of Microneedling Treatments?
Results will vary depending on the number of treatments needed and the severity of concerns. Most patients will need multiple treatments about 3–5 weeks apart. Microneedling works by prompting your body’s healing response and stimulating collagen production. This will take time to build up and heal your skin from the inside out. Most patients see results within a month of their microneedling treatments.
Am I a Candidate for Microneedling?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive, gentle treatment that provides lasting results without lasers or heat. It is a viable treatment for patients of all ages and skin types. Candidates for microneedling have textural and skin tone concerns that they would like to correct without invasive or painful procedures.
Additionally, candidates should be healthy, with no active acne, blood disorders, or skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis. During your comprehensive consultation, your microneedling provider will discuss your options to determine if this procedure is correct for you.
How Are Microneedling Treatments Performed?
After your consultation, you will be ready for your microneedling procedure. Your provider may apply a topical anesthetic to numb the treatment area first. Our microneedling providers use a handheld device with fine, medical grade needles. This handpiece allows us to control the needles’ depth and tailor the treatment to your skin’s needs.
Your provider will pass the device across the treatment area, gently creating microinjuries in the skin anywhere from 0.5–2 mm in depth. If needed, the treatment will be customized to focus on areas of higher concern, such as acne scarring or wrinkles.
Depending on if you have combined procedures, your microneedling treatment can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour.
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