When your skin has an uneven texture or tone, it can be embarrassing – especially when it doesn’t seem like make-up or over-the-counter skincare products are doing much to help. Luckily for you, there are plenty of aesthetic treatments to improve skin texture and appearance. At Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR we think many patients can benefit from microneedling, a simple non-invasive skin treatment.
The science behind microneedling has been recognized since 1995, but it’s only recently that this treatment has grown especially popular. Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, works by piercing the surface of your skin with several small, thin needles, which stimulates your body’s regenerative abilities. Over time, this treatment can restore the tone, texture, and overall appearance of your skin.
How Does Microneedling Work?
Your skin is capable of incredible self-healing. In fact, part of what makes humans so special from an evolutionary standpoint is our high level of regeneration after injury – and this applies to the health of your skin, as well. When the skin is wounded, your body creates more collagen, elastin, and fibrin to close the wound and restore the strength of your skin. This is the basic theory behind microneedling treatments.
During your treatment, a handheld device will create small micro-injuries on the surface of your skin. These small injuries will kickstart your body’s natural regenerative properties, which will then repair the structure and health of the skin. The boost in proteins like collagen will help your skin feel firmer and look younger.
What Can You Expect From Treatment?
Your treatment will take about 30 to 60 minutes to complete based on how many areas of the face or body we are treating. The first few steps of your treatment will involve cleansing and numbing the skin to prepare for your treatment; once your skin is prepared, one of our skin experts will apply the treatment device to your skin, focusing on areas where there are wrinkles or other skin concerns.
The number of treatments you will need to achieve your optimal results tends to vary from patient to patient. Most people will need three to six treatments spaced about a month apart to see their desired results. For example, for collagen growth and anti-aging concerns, you may only need three treatments; for scar reduction, you may need up to six. We will help you determine a treatment schedule that will work for your appearance-related goals.
Where Can This Treatment Be Used?
One of the great advantages of this aesthetic treatment is the versatility patients can enjoy. Because collagen production naturally decreases as we age over the entire body and because scars can also form on any area of the body, this treatment can be used virtually anywhere.
This treatment is most commonly used to correct fine lines and wrinkles on the forehead, nose, and mouth area, and around the eyes, as well as the chin, jawline, and neck. On the body, this treatment can be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks on the chest, thighs, abdomen, legs, and buttocks.
What Are the Main Benefits of Microneedling?
The biggest benefit of this treatment is the fact that it isn’t a surgery, which means you will not have any downtime or extensive, painful recovery. After your treatment, you can go back to work or your regular daily routine without many, if any, restrictions. Similarly, you will not need to take many extra steps to prepare for your treatment. Other benefits of this treatment include:
Correct Skin Discoloration
This treatment is frequently used to correct discoloration or pigmentation concerns on the skin surface. Issues like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, blemishes, and general uneven tone or dry texture. This is because the process for this treatment will encourage skin cells to shed more rapidly to heal the micro-injuries, which means you will benefit from faster cellular turnover that will correct pigmentation concerns.
Acne Prevention
While microneedling is commonly used to smooth the appearance of acne scars, including shallow scarring, it can also be used to reduce or manage your acne breakouts. For one thing, over time, this treatment may be able to correct enlarged pores, which will reduce comedones and blackheads from forming. This treatment will also create micro-channels that will help acne medications penetrate the skin more deeply and produce more effective results.
That said, this treatment should not be used when you are having an active acne breakout. Please wait until your breakout has mostly healed before scheduling an appointment.
Preventative Anti-Aging
How does that old idiom go? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? Well, when it comes to anti-aging treatments, this is undoubtedly true. Instead of waiting for fine lines and wrinkles to appear, you can get a jump on your anti-aging efforts by keeping your collagen production high with microneedling treatments.
Because our skin begins to produce less collagen during the late 20s and early 30s, you can prevent visible aging by starting this treatment and extending the life of the collagen in your skin. In fact, because younger people will produce more collagen in response to this treatment, you will likely have even better results when you use this treatment.
Safer and Less Expensive
There are countless aesthetic and surgical treatments that are used to correct the tone, texture, and appearance of the skin. While those treatments can be incredibly effective, they also come with higher risks of scarring, allergic reactions, or results that aren’t up to your desired standards – not to mention, those other treatments can be very expensive. Collagen induction, on the other hand, is more affordable than other treatments and is considerably less risky, since it can be used safely on all skin tones and types.
How Effective Is This Treatment?
It’s understandable for patients to be a little skeptical about the efficacy of such a simple treatment, particularly because the results of this treatment will appear gradually since it will take several weeks for collagen to mature and restructure the skin. However, most patients will notice an initial 45 to 55% improvement to their skin within as little as two to three months after treatment. Even more impressively, these results tend to translate into long-term results.
Can You Combine This Treatment?
Another major advantage of this treatment is the fact that it can be so easily combined with other aesthetic treatments to enhance results or to treat different issues. In general, microneedling is ideal for mild to moderate signs of aging, so if you are trying to correct severe wrinkles, you may want to combine this treatment with a dermal filler or a neurotoxin. You can also easily combine this treatment with other aesthetic facials, including chemical peels and microdermabrasion, and even specialized skincare products.
Why Professional Treatment Is Better Than At-Home Treatment
Recently, there have been many brands coming out with at-home microneedling devices called derma-rollers, which are small tools that roll over the surface of the skin to create small, very shallow wounds. If you’ve heard about these at-home tools, then you may be wondering if seeking professional treatment is worth it. But the fact of the matter is that there are some things that you shouldn’t DIY, for the reasons given below.
Better Results
At-home derma rollers typically have needles that measure between .25mm and 1mm long, which aren’t actually significant lengths that can make a huge difference in the overall appearance of your skin. Shorter needles simply don’t penetrate the skin deeply enough to generate the anti-aging or scar reduction results you are looking for.
Safer For Your Skin
Although this treatment relies on your body’s ability to self-heal, it’s possible that at-home derma rolling will actually do more harm than good to your skin. That’s right – with at-home tools, you can incorrectly grow collagen, which will result in your skin appearing more textured than before, not less. And because collagen will stay in your skin for several months, using an at-home tool may mean that you are living with unwanted results until the collagen depletes.
Many people who use at-home derma rollers don’t realize how sterile the tool needs to be each time it’s used – and because bacteria and blood may linger on an at-home tool, you are at constant risk of a potential skin infection. Needless to say, using a derma roller on acne-prone skin can make acne worse. Professional microneedling, on the other hand, always uses fresh, sterile needles, which means no risk of potential infection.
Is This Treatment Right For You?
Because this treatment is so versatile and safe for use, collagen induction is likely a good option for your skincare and your appearance-related goals. If you have scarring or visible signs of aging that you would like to correct on the face or body, then you should seriously consider this treatment. Attending a consultation appointment will give us a better idea of whether or not this treatment is appropriate for your skin needs. The vast majority of patients interested in this treatment will be qualified.
How Soon Will You See Results?
Depending on the severity of your skin concerns, it may take several weeks or months for you to notice any significant results. Patients with severe acne scarring, for example, may not see drastic results for almost six months. How quickly you will see your results may also depend on factors like your skin type and how well you take care of your skin after each treatment.
How Can You Maintain Your Results?
After you achieve your optimal results, you will want to be mindful of your skincare so you can enjoy your results for as long as possible. Wearing SPF during the daytime, even when you aren’t outside, is one of the best ways to prevent skin aging and the development of wrinkles and dark spots. Similarly, you should also do your best to prevent future breakouts to minimize the risk of developing new acne scars. Some patients like to attend annual appointments to keep collagen production high. Most patients have touch-up appointments once or twice a year for this purpose.
Perfect Your Skin Appearance With Microneedling
You don’t have to have surgery or use expensive skincare products to get the skin you want. Simple treatments like microneedling work with the natural self-healing abilities of your body to improve your appearance so you can feel confident about your appearance. Please call Chetco Medical & Aesthetics in Brookings, OR to schedule your first appointment today.