Micro-needling, Frequently Asked Questions
What is Micro-needling?
Micro-needling or Collagen induction therapy is an excellent treatment for acne scar repair, fine lines and wrinkle reduction. It is a treatment which resurfaces the skin without laser or surgery with a minimal downtime. Micro-needling means the use of needles or ‘micro-needles’ to achieve a therapeutic effect on skin. Micro-needling is relatively new minimally invasive procedure which involves superficial and controlled puncturing of the skin by miniature fine needles. Micro-needling, originally was known as collagen induction therapy but now it is a well-known treatment option in atrophic acne scars and skin rejuvenation, Hair loss (Alopecia) treatment, transdermal drug delivery and treatment of stretch marks.
What is mechanism of action of Microneedling?
Micro-punctures are created using micro-needles which produce a controlled skin injury without actually damaging the epidermis. The penetration of micro needles makes a micro injury with pinpoint bleeding in superficial layer of the skin. This results in induction of wound healing cascade by making new collagen and
neovascularization as a result of the release of growth factors following penetration of needle into stratum corneum which is outer layer of skin.
Therefore, this procedure stimulates the body's own physiologic wound healing and maintain natural functions in the skin, ultimately skin tightening and improvement of atrophic scars with an overall better aesthetic appearance. Your body treats a small wound the exact same way as a large wound, and sends fibroblasts to create more collagen in the affected area. We are basically tricking your skin into thinking it has been wounded, but as a result, we're thickening the skin and improving the texture with this procedure.
What does the procedure of Microneedling look like?
Microneedling is a simple office-based procedure lasting 10 to 20 minutes depending on the area and reason of treatment. The patients must be counseled prior to the procedure explaining the expected outcomes, delayed response, and need for multiple sessions. Microneedling is usually performed under topical numbing cream. The cream is applied for a 30- 45 minutes before the procedure is started.
After achieving adequate anesthesia, the area to be treated is washed with saline and then ethanol solution to obtain an aseptic field. name of the instrument is Dermaroller or Dermapen or Rejuvapen, which has many super-tiny needles in the very tip to penetrate the stratum cornea, or the superficial layer of skin .The length of the needles can be adjusted by your practitioner between 0.5 to 2.5 millimeters.
The treatment creates micro-punctures from the needles in your skin. Uniform formation of small pinpoint bleeding on the area, mark the treatment endpoint. The pinpoint bleeding may simply be washed off with saline solution. The procedure is well-tolerated by the patients and there are usually no post-treatment sequel except slight erythema and edema lasting for 2–3 days. Sun avoidance and regular sunscreen use is crucial in the post-treatment period. The small pinpoint injuries on the treated skin heal within 2–3 days with no post-treatment sequel.
Depending on your problem, your practitioner decides what kind of serum is appropriate for you to be applied during the procedure. Usually the Microneedling procedure is being completed by applying Hyaluronic acid mask which acts as a deep moisturizer for the skin. It soothes and helps with repair of skin right after the job.
What are the indications of Microneedling?
Acne scar improvement
Burn scar improvement
Non-burn scar; post-traumatic scar, hypertrophic scars, varicella scar
stretch marks
Anti aging
Skin rejuvenation
Pore size reduction
Sun damaged skin and hyperpigmentation
Wrinkle reduction
Transdermal drug delivery
Hair disorders
What are the benefits of Microneedling?
Microneedling is a great option for anyone who wants to rejuvenate the skin, improve skin imperfections such as fine lines and wrinkles, and maintain a youthful appearance. There are many advantages of using microneedling.
It can be performed as an office-based procedure,
microneedling is safe for acne scars on all skin types.
It is cost effective compare to other procedures
Minimal downtime compare to ablative or even non-ablative laser resurfacing techniques.
Microneedling can be used on areas that are not suitable for peeling or laser resurfacing, such as near the eyes.
No demarcation line is formed between treated and untreated skin following microneedling, as is commonly seen after all other resurfacing procedures. This means that specific areas of scarring can be treated without the need to treat the entire face.
There is no risk of photosensitivity or any post-inflammatory dyschromia because the epidermis is never removed.
Post-procedure infection is not seen because the microholes created during the procedure close immediately.
How many sessions do you need?
Number of Microneedling procedures depends on the purpose of the treatment. As a rule Microneedling treatments are performed at 4–8 week intervals and multiple sessions are needed to achieve the desired effect on the skin. The final results cannot be viewed immediately because new collagen continues to be accumulated for approximately 3–6 months after treatment.
Which body part can be treated by Microneedling?
Microneedling procedure is not limited to face and can be done on any area of your skin that needs some repair. Areas that usually develop stretch marks like legs, abdomen and buttock are well responsive and as few as four to six sessions, could make a difference in these problem areas. Other areas which commonly are treated are neck, chest and back of the hands.
What are the after- care recommendations?
You need to avoid putting on makeup for the rest of the day, but in case of need, it's totally safe to wear later in the night.
We advise people not to use Retinol or anything too active for a few days,
and we recommend them to continue using the growth factor serum to put on before bed, and then again in the morning. and the vials of growth factor serum should be used every night until you run out.
Avoid sun exposure and apply sunscreen frequently
Is there any contraindication for Microneedling?
Yes. There are few relative contraindication for Microneedling and some absolute contraindications.
Relative contraindications :
Microneedling is not recommended for individuals who have taken Accutane (isotretinoin) in the past 6 months,
Those who have a prior history of poor wound healing or keloids or raised scarring.
Individuals who have open cuts or wounds in the process of healing. These clients are recommended to undergo Microneedling once the skin wound is fully healed.
Those who have history of eczema, psoriasis and other chronic conditions
Those who have history of actinic (solar) keratosis
Those with history of Herpes Simplex infections and/or presence of Herpes simplex
History of diabetes
presence of raised moles, warts or any raised lesions on targeted area.
Absolute contraindications
scleroderma, collagen vascular diseases, blood clotting problems, active bacterial or fungal infection and immunosuppression.
