Micro needling
Skin needling, also called microneedling therapy, collagen induction therapy (CIT), is a minimally invasive skin-rejuvenation procedure that involves the use of a device that contains fine needles. The needles are used to puncture the skin to create a controlled skin injury. Each puncture creates a channel that triggers the body to fill these microscopic wounds by producing new collagen and elastin. Through the process of neovascularization and neocollagenesis, there is improvement in skin texture and firmness, as well as reduction in scars, pore size, and stretch marks.
Microneedling has proved to be a simple and fast method for safely treating wrinkles and scars. Because the epidermis remains intact, the procedure can be repeated safely and is also suited to regions where laser treatments and deep peels are not typically performed. Microneedling is now becoming widely used as a treatment for photoaged skin to improve the skin’s appearance and quality, and to improve or even prevent scarring.
The procedure
Topical anesthetic cream is used to keep the patient comfortable during the procedure. Patients should be advised that multiple treatments will be necessary. The number of needling sessions depends on the individual skin condition. Three or four treatments may be recommended for mild to moderate acne scarring, whereas deeper scars and stretch marks may require upward of five treatments. An interval of 4 to 6 weeks between treatments is typically recommended. Many practitioners are also doing maintenance treatments at intervals of 6 to 12 months. When utilized for generalized skin resurfacing, products such as topical growth factors and antiaging serums are better absorbed in the skin as an adjunct to treatment.
The procedure is performed with the Dermapen. It is a device with a patented high-speed motor for fast penetration of the needles. The adjustable needle depth allows users to customize the treatment. In most cases, a topical hyaluronic acid (HA) peptide gel is applied to clean skin to help the tip glide across the skin while delivering topical HA deep into the skin. As the tip is applied to the skin, thousands of superficial micro-channels are created every second.