What are some of the benefits of microneedling and why should you consider it as part of your skincare regiment? Well, once you reach the age of 30, the levels of collagen and elastin in your skin can begin to decline. Collagen and elastin are essential for giving your skin a plump, healthy appearance.
Your skin might start to look saggy, thin or wrinkled. Sun not only accelerates this process but can also leave behind hyperpigmented areas or sun spots called lentigines. All of these age-related changes can also slow down cell turnover, so your skin might start looking dull, dry or uneven, too. Microneedling can help you turn back the hands of time.
Microneedling is a fast, effective procedure that can rejuvenate and renew your skin. By creating micro-traumas in the skin, it triggers your skin’s natural healing mechanisms. Not only can it make your skin look younger by smoothing over fine lines and wrinkles, but it can also even your tone, improve scars, and minimize pore size. In other words, if you’ve got a skin problem, microneedling might just be the solution you’ve been seeking.
Here are the top four benefits of microneedling.
1. Look Younger
One of the most popular benefits of microneedling is its ability to restore your skin’s youth. The hundreds of tiny holes created during the procedure stimulate the release of growth factors, which lead to collagen and elastin production. Your skin will become softer and more supple as well as smoother, giving you a healthy glow. The process might sound complex, but the results are simple and beautiful. You’ll have fewer wrinkles, fewer fine lines and tighter skin. You’ll look younger, fresher and brighter.
2. Say Goodbye to Scars and Stretch Marks
Acne scars are notoriously stubborn, and they can make your skin look uneven, rough and prematurely aged. One of the benefits of microneedling is how it goes straight to the source of the scars and stretch marks to heal and renew your skin. Scars form when fibrotic tissue knits together wounds, but fibrosis can also create pockmarks and other noticeable scars.
It doesn’t matter whether you have deep ice pick scars or mild rolling acne scars: Microneedling starts the healing process over in a controlled way so that your skin can heal with a softer, smoother texture.
3. Erase Hyperpigmentation and Age Spots
Uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation and age spots are common problems that can leave your skin looking blotchy and uneven. These issues can typically be traced to excess sun exposure, inflammation, hormonal fluctuations and the aging process. If you’ve got blotchy skin, microneedling can help.
When it comes to hyperpigmentation, microneedling is most effective when combined with a vitamin C serum or other medication designed to address hyperpigmentation.
4. Treating Acne and Rosacea
While primarily associated with teenagers, acne just as often continues into adulthood and can plague women and men of all ages. Rosacea, which can look similar to acne, tends to affect women in midlife and beyond. Small bumps and widespread inflammation characterize rosacea. Microneedling is a great option for both conditions.
While it is generally not advised to microneedle over active acne or rosacea, once controlled with prescriptions or other procedures with your dermatologist, microneedling can help address common skin concerns of patients with acne and roscaea that are left. One of the biggest concerns that we hear from our acne and rosacea patients is large pores. When microneedling stimulates collagen production, this acts as a cuff surrounding each pore, holding it tightly closed.
What to Expect
During a microneedling procedure, an instrument with many tiny microneedles is passed over the skin numerous times. The microneedles, which can reach up to 3 mm, create hundreds of tiny needle pricks. After a treatment, your dermatologist may recommend a special serum containing vitamin C, hyaluronic acid or other ingredients to soothe, heal, hydrate and protect your skin, as well as add to the results of the procedure.
The process is safe and highly effective. A numbing cream may be applied before the procedure to ensure your comfort, but for most, microneedling is not particularly painful. It can take up to half an hour depending on the treatment site and your individual needs.
Down Time
There is minimal downtime after microneedling. Though it’s not in our list, minimal recovery definitely adds to the benefits of microneedling.
However, you may have slight redness or swelling similar to a sunburn for the first day or two after treatment. And some people may bruise as well. You’ll need to wear a zinc-based sunblock to protect your skin from sun damage.
Results
You should be able to see results within one to two weeks as your skin becomes smoother and more luminous. You will continue to see your skin improve for up to six months after finishing your treatment as collagen building is a gradual process. However, some people may need multiple treatments to achieve their best results.
Are You Ready to Try Microneedling?
Microneedling can transform the look of your skin by reducing the visible signs of aging, erasing acne and acne scars, and creating a soft, smooth, even-toned appearance. As your skin is penetrated, the top layer is effectively exfoliated, giving you a rejuvenated look almost instantly. If you’ve got sun-damaged skin, acne scars, wrinkles, or sun spots, microneedling might be right for you. Give us a call to learn more or to schedule an appointment.