I’ve always been fascinated by skin care and aging. In 2021 there are a plethora of skincare products and procedures to keep your skin as youthful-looking as it can be. More important than any expensive creams or makeup that you can buy, investing in improving the quality of your skin with procedures like microneedling can help you keep a youthful appearance. Ultimately, if your skin looks great you really don’t need to worry about makeup! I’ve had two microneedling procedures in the last several years. Over time I’ve gotten so many questions about my experience with microneedling. Today I’m answering the most commonly asked questions.
:: What Is Microneedling? Microneedling has been around for twenty years but it has gotten a lot of recognition in the last 5-10 years as a skin resurfacing treatment. Microneedling can alleviate acne scars, sun spots (also known as hyperpigmentation), smooth out fine lines, and improve the texture of your skin by boosting collagen production.
:: Why Would You Do Microneedling? Everyone wants to know what microneedling will do for your skin. The overall purpose of microneedling is to stimulate the body to begin its natural wound healing process and remodel the skin tissue. As we age our cell turnover rate (the process of creating new skin and shedding old skin) slows down. As a result our skin begins to look stagnant and dull. Microneedling can speed up cell turnover rate by inducing the creation of new skin tissue when your skin care professional creates a controlled injury to your skin.
:: How Does Microneedling Work? Microneedling creates a wound response and stimulates the growth of new skin tissue — the process is known as collagen induction therapy. Basically, microneedling works in phases: the first phase is creating an inflammatory response in the skin to trigger your immune system to increase blood flow and create new tissue where the controlled injuries occurred. In the second phase, the “wound” at the controlled injury site is rebuilt with new skin cells and new networks of blood cells are also created.
:: How Does Microneedling Address Aging And Brown Spots? Collagen is what keeps our skin from sagging and gives it that full, plump appearance. Our collagen production decreases by one percent every year after age 20. Brown spots are typically caused by sun damage. Most of our sun damage occurs before the age of 18. Between our 30s and 40s the loss of collagen (essentially thinning of the skin fibers) allows our sun damage to show through. Microneedling stimulates skin cell growth which addresses the loss of elastin with aging skin. If we nourish our skin with vitamin c and retinol in the 60-90 day window after microneedling, the sun-damaged skin cells (also known as melanocytes) can repair themselves. I like to use an over-the-counter derma roller after the procedure to create micro-passageways for the vitamin c and retinol products to absorb into my skin and be optimally effective.
:: Is It Painful? This is everyone’s number one question! Microneedling is not scary or painful at all. Your entire face is numbed with a topical numbing cream. Once your face is fully numbed, a skin pen using a range of needle sizes is applied all over your face to create controlled superficial micro-injuries to the skin. You barely feel it. You can watch my my procedure right here in this Microneedling Video.
:: How Do You Care For Your Skin Afterward? In my experience, the home care following microneedling is the most important part. The procedure can be invasive and if your skin is dry like mine is — your skin will lose moisture from the procedure. Keeping your skin hydrated is so important to having a smooth recovery. In addition, a retinoid and vitamin C serum are essential for keeping skin cell turnover high, addressing sun damage spots, and properly nourishing the skin.
:: When To Get Microneedling. You can get microneedling at any age as an adult. I began investing in my skin initially in my 30s and then more regularly in my 40s. I had my first microneedling treatment in my 40s by my esthetician, Murissa Wallace, at Honey Skincare Studio. I usually have a treatment every year or every two years to continuously stimulate collagen production. It is a good idea to do regular maintenance so you don’t need to do major repair later. Seasonally, winter is the best time to have a microneedling procedure because the sun’s rays aren’t as strong as it is in the summer months. You should always wear sunscreen and a hat to protect from the sun’s damaging rays but it is even more important after microneedling as your skin is healing and is super-sensitive to the sun. Treat it like a baby’s skin!
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