SKIN/MICRO NEEDLING

What is skin needling?

Skin needling is also called micro-needling therapy or collagen induction therapy. It is a minimally-invasive non-surgical and nonablative procedure for facial rejuvenation that involves the use of a micro-needling device to create a controlled skin injury.

There are various skin needling devices including Dermaroller® (Dermaroller GmbH); Dermapen™ (Equipmed Pty Ltd; Australia) Derma-Stamps™ (Dermaroller USA) and radial discs incorporating fine microneedles of various diameter and length, fabricated from a wide range of materials such as silicon, glass, metals, and polymers. The needles are up to 3 mm in length but typically 0.5 mm length is used to minimise bleeding and enable rapid recovery.

Professional skin needling is considered to be one of the safest skin treatment procedures. Unlike chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser treatments, skin needling causes minimal damage to the skin.

How does skin needling work?

As each fine needle punctures the skin, it creates a channel or micro-wound. The microchannels created spontaneously close after 10 minutes so that epidermal barrier integrity remains intact.

The needles injure superficial dermal collagen strands and small blood vessels triggering a controlled cascade of inflammation including the release of platelet-derived growth factors transforming growth factor-alpha and beta (TGF β-3), connective tissue activating protein, connective tissue growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor. These lead to the production of new collagen, elastin, and capillaries.

Neovascularisation and neocollagenesis lead to thickened skin and a reduction of scars, with improved skin texture, firmness, and structural integrity. 

What is skin needling used for?

Skin needling is effectively used for:

•  Reducing scars (including hypertrophic scars) caused by acne, surgery, or thermal burns
•  Fading stretch marks
•  Reducing fine lines and deep wrinkles
•  Dyspigmentation and melasma
•  Tightening sagging skin.

Microneedle technology also offers a minimally invasive and painless route of transdermal drug administration such as vaccines. This technology is currently being investigated by several research groups and companies. To enhance transdermal drug transport, microneedles can be inserted into the skin to increase its permeability, after which the drug is applied (poke with patch). Drugs could also be coated onto the microneedles and then inserted into the skin (coat and poke).

Hollow microneedles are also used to inject drug solutions into the skin ( mesotherapy) 

Benefits of skin needling

Skin needling's benefits are listed below.

•  It is used to minimise the appearance of scars from acne, surgery, thermal burns, chickenpox, or trauma.
•  Skin needling is used for facial rejuvenation and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin tone, texture, and pigmentation.
•  There is a reduced risk of hyperpigmentation and scarring with skin needling compared to more invasive procedures, and as such, it is safer on ethnic or dark skin.
•  It is suitable for thin and sensitive skin.
•  The treatment can be performed in an office setting and does not need any extensive special training or expensive instruments.
•  The procedure is well tolerated and well accepted by patients.
•  It is cost-effective and can be done on areas of skin that are not suitable for peeling or laser resurfacing, such as near eyes.
•  As opposed to ablative laser resurfacing, the epidermis remains intact and is not damaged. For this reason, the operation can be safely repeated if needed.
•  Treatment does not result in a line of demarcation between treated and untreated skin, as usually occurs with other resurfacing procedures. This allows for specific areas of scarring to be treated without the need to 'blend' or 'feather' at the treatment edges.
•  The patient can resume regular activities within a few days, depending on the depth of penetration of the needles. Treatment options like laser resurfacing or dermabrasion are often associated with considerable morbidity and downtime from daily activities of the patient in the post-treatment care .
  

What is the skin needling procedure like?

The procedure is well tolerated. It takes a few minutes up to an hour to complete, depending on the area to be treated and the severity of the problem.

•  No lotions, makeup or other topical products are applied to the treatment area on the day of the procedure.
•  The medical professional then applies a numbing cream (topical) on the treatment area or injects a local anaesthetic.
•  The skin is punctured in a specific pattern using a skin needling device. The device is rolled over the skin multiple times for best results.
•  As each fine needle punctures the skin, it creates a channel or micro-wound stimulating skin cell regeneration.
•  Depending on the condition treated it may take 5–60 minutes to complete the procedure.
•  A minimum of 6 weeks is recommended between two treatments as it takes that long for new natural collagen to form.

Avoid Accutane for the past 6 months.

Do not use topical agents that may increase sensitivity of skin: retinoids, topical antibiotics, exfoliants, acids that may be drying or irritating to the skin (such as alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) beta hydroxyl acids (BHA), exfoliating masks, salicylic acids, hydroquinone, and benzoyl peroxide acne products) 5-7 days prior

Do not take any anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen, Motrin or Advil for 3 days prior to treatment. These agents will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is critical and responsible for your skin rejuvenation.

Avoidance of IPL/Laser procedures, unprotected sun exposure or sunburn for 2 weeks prior

No waxing, depilatory creams or electrolysis to area being treated 5-7 days prior

No shaving the day of the procedure to avoid skin irritation. If there is dense hair present in the treatment area, closely shave the area the day before you arrive to your appointment. Moles, warts or actinic (solar) keratosis cannot be treated.
If you are prone to cold sores, take antiviral agent for 2 days prior to and day of treatment. Call office for prescription.

Bruising is a common risk especially with PRP injections. Avoid blood thinning agents (aspirin, fish oil, Omega-3, Vitamin E) for 1 week prior. May resume day after treatment.

*Please see anti-bruising protocol for full description 

Preparing the skin for this procedure will ensure optimum results. Healthy skin will respond better and results will last longer. Skin cells need nutrients for best function.

Skin care for pre-conditioning 4-6 weeks prior. Provider will make recommendations if pre-conditioning needed.

• Dietary recommendations for optimal healing and result. We recommend Collagen tissue support support supplements .

You can not have Skin Needling if you are pregnant, actively infected or actively inflamed skin, skin irritation, cystic acne to area being treated, keloid scars, allergies to topical lidocaine and sunbur

• Skin is clean without lotion, oil, makeup, powder, perfume or sunscreen. Patient may wash face in office upon arrival.
• Inform provider of any relevant changes in your medical history and of all medications you are taking.
• Notify provider of any cosmetic tattoos to areas being treated.
• Topical Lidocaine will be applied in office for 30-45 min prior to treatment.

If combining Micro-Needling with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), your blood will be drawn in office while you are numbing.

Immediately after your Medical Micro-Needling procedure, your health care provider will apply a hyaluronic mask for 5-10 min and moisturizer.

Do not take any anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen Motrin or Advil for 1 week. DO NOT ice face or use arnica or bromelain. These agents may interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is critical and responsible for your skin rejuvenation.

Avoid sun tanning and prolonged exposure to direct sunlight for 2 weeks. After 24 hours, always use a full spectrum sun screen SPF30 or above. When exposed to sun, wear a hat and apply sunscreen every 2 hours.

• Use Tylenol only as needed for any soreness
• Optional dietary recommendations: Eat fresh pineapple, tart cherry juice (no sugar), salmon (omega-3 fish oil), bone broth based soups, continue taking collagen supplements for 2 weeks to optimize healing. Avoid dairy, wheat and sugar!

A sunburn -like effect is normal. The skin will feel tight, dry, sensitive to touch. Treat skin gently washing with a gentle cleanser, cool water, using hands only and pat dry no earlier than 4 hours after treatment. Redness or sensitivity might well be present. Some small bruising is common with PRP injections and may last up to 5-7 days and swelling can last 2-4 days depending on how aggressive of a treatment you received.

Plan your social calendar accordingly!

• Avoid strenuous exercises that cause sweating, jacuzzi, sauna or steam baths for 24 hours due to open pores, or up to 48 hours if inflammation exists.
• May only use Oxygenetix Make-up post procedure or Mineral makeup after 24 hours
• Sleep on your back with head of bed elevated to minimize swelling or pain as needed

• Peeling may start 3-5 days after treatment. You will notice skin dryness and flaking. This is due to an increased turnover of skin cells. Do not pick, scratch or scrub at treated skin! Allow old skin to flake off naturally and keep moisturized AT ALL TIMES with Hyaluronic serum .

DAY 5-7

You may restart your regular skin care products and Retin-A once your skin is no longer irritated.

Many patients have noticed continued skin improvement for months following the last treatment.

• For best results, we recommend follow up and repeat treatments in 4-6 weeks and a series of 3-5 treatments depending on your personalized care plan.
• *For further information or to book an appointment, please call our clinic.