Is your face or body pockmarked by acne scars? Do you suffer from loose skin? Are you afflicted by hyperpigmentation? At Elements Rejuvenating Med Spa in Davenport, FL, we believe everyone should be comfortable and confident in their own skin. That is why we are proud to offer microneedling. Today, we answer a few of our most frequently asked questions about this treatment.
17 Common Microneedling Questions Answered
1. Does Microneedling Really Work?
When performed by a professional dermatologist with the SkinPen device, microneedling absolutely works. The SkinPen device has been tested rigorously in many double-blind, third-party clinical trials. The results of the SkinPen have definitively been determined to be safe and effective.
2. How Does Microneedling Work?
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, works by kick-starting your skin’s collagen production process. When the fine needles penetrate your skin, your skin immediately identifies “micro-injuries.” In response, your skin starts to generate new tissue rich in strong, healthy collagen.
This new skin is more even in texture and tone. Scars become smoother and lighter. Dully, ruddy skin looks bright and beautiful. Loose skin becomes firm. Old-looking skin appears young and fresh. All of this, and more, is thanks to the incredible power of collagen.
3. How Should I Prepare for Treatment?
During your initial consultation, we will give you a comprehensive list of everything you need to do in preparation for your treatment. For instance, you must stop using certain prescription acne medications and NSAIDs before your session. Similarly, you must stop using topical retinoids for several weeks ahead of your treatment.
We strongly recommend that you come in without wearing makeup. While you are free to wear makeup immediately after treatment, we will cleanse and sanitize the treatment area before we start. If you feel comfortable doing so, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and come in with a bare face.
4. What Can I Expect During Collagen Induction Therapy?
Before your treatment session, your esthetician will apply a topical anesthetic to numb the treatment site and ensure your total comfort. While the needles used are so fine they do not cause pain, some people are averse to needles. A topical anesthetic eliminates this problem.
Once the treatment site is numbed, the dermal roller will be passed over your skin evenly. Your dermatologist may need to pass over your skin several times to get the desired effect. While it takes between 15 and 60 minutes for the anesthetic to take effect, the collagen induction therapy process only takes half an hour. Afterward, you may receive a protective serum to hydrate your skin.
5. What Can I Expect After Collagen Induction Therapy?
Because collagen induction therapy is not invasive, there is no downtime required. After spending a couple of hours in our office, you are free to return to work. There is also no pain, and you do not need to worry about side effects.
Remember, new skin replaces old skin after collagen induction therapy. Therefore, your new skin will be particularly sensitive to the sun’s harmful rays for a while. Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen liberally and often. Try to avoid direct sunlight between 10 AM and 2 PM during the first 72 hours following your treatment.
6. How Soon Will I See Results?
While microneedling gets to work immediately, it can be a couple of weeks before you see the final results of treatment. First, it takes time for your body to produce new collagen. Then, it takes time for your skin to tighten in response to the healthier, more robust collagen.
In the case of smoothing out fine lines, wrinkles, or folds, it will take a couple of weeks to see the localized increase in volume. Regarding the size reduction of your pores, the results are immediate.
7. Can I Do This at Home?
Unfortunately, you cannot safely or effectively perform this treatment at home. While it may seem like a good way to save a couple of bucks, the needles do not penetrate the skin deeply enough to produce your desired results. Even worse, the length of the needles is not customizable, and the needles are larger in diameter, meaning they will be uncomfortable.
If you try to perform collagen induction therapy at home, you must do it without a topical numbing cream. Moreover, there is a chance that you will not sanitize the treatment site effectively. If the treatment is not performed in a sterile environment, you run a significant risk of infection. Don’t risk pain, discomfort, no results, and infection. Leave collagen induction therapy to the professionals.
8. Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
One of the most compelling benefits of this treatment is that nearly everyone is a good candidate. It is safe for all skin types, tones, and textures. During your initial consultation, we will review your aesthetic goals, medical history, and current health to determine if this is the ideal aesthetic service for you.
This treatment may not be right for you if you are pregnant, have an open wound at the treatment site, have recently undergone radiation therapy, have a history of keloid scars, or suffer from certain skin diseases, like atopic dermatitis or chronic plaque psoriasis.
9. What Conditions Can Be Treated With Collagen Induction Therapy?
People often think that microneedling is only used to treat signs of aging and other imperfections of the face. It’s true that collagen induction therapy can treat several facial concerns, including:
- Uneven skin tone
- Trauma/burn scars
- Acne scars
- Age spots
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Loose skin
- Large pores
However, collagen induction therapy can also safely and effectively be used to treat other skin concerns. For instance, particularly combined with fillers, collagen induction therapy can reduce the appearance of stretch marks on the thighs and lower abdomen.
10. How Many Treatment Sessions Will I Need?
Depending on the type of scar you are trying to treat, it can take between three and six sessions spaced four to six weeks apart to achieve scar reduction. For significant anti-aging, you may need three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart. For pore reduction, you should only need one session.
11. How Long Do the Results Last?
The results of collagen induction therapy for scar reduction are permanent. For line and wrinkle reduction, you can expect to enjoy results for six months or more. Pore reduction can also be enjoyed for a long time.
Regarding loose skin, you should not need another treatment for at least half a year. However, the new collagen produced will eventually age. Moreover, your body produces less collagen naturally, the older you get. Therefore, if you are older, you may need more frequent treatment sessions.
12. Can This Be Performed With Other Aesthetic Services?
Collagen induction therapy provides many anti-aging benefits, along with other cosmetic benefits. However, increased collagen production alone is not enough to address all cosmetic concerns. For instance, sometimes wrinkles are caused by muscle hyperactivity rather than volume loss. In such a case, neuromodulators are necessary to enhance your aesthetic and can easily be paired with this treatment.
13. Are Vampire Facials Effective?
Vampire facials, also known as vampire facelifts, are absolutely effective. There are a couple of ways to perform this type of treatment. However, it always incorporates PRP into your collagen induction therapy session. PRP, also known as platelet-rich plasma, is derived from your own blood. One of the primary benefits of this is that there is no risk of an allergic reaction.
Another significant benefit is that platelets are rich in human growth hormones and other growth factors. When combined with collagen induction therapy, PRP speeds the results of treatment and makes them even more dramatic. Even better, platelet-rich plasma can make the results of collagen induction therapy last for up to two years.
14. Am I a Good Candidate for a Vampire Facial?
During your initial consultation, we will review your aesthetic goals to help you determine if this aesthetic treatment is right for you. Generally, the best candidates for this treatment are looking to treat:
- Forehead lines
- Gaunt cheeks
- Crow’s feet
- Vertical lip wrinkles
- Marionette lines
- Loose skin around the jawline
- Frown lines
- Deep nasolabial folds
15. Can This Treatment Be Combined With Chemical Peels?
Chemical peels are the perfect complement to collagen induction therapy. Collagen induction therapy is often used to reduce the size of pores. However, chemical peels are often used to remove impurities, such as debris, allergens, irritants, pollutants, and dead skin cells, from the skin’s surface. When pores are opened, they are more receptive to other treatments, like acne medications.
The great thing about chemical peels is that they can be customized for your skin type, skin tone, and skin texture. Some clients only want a gentle peel. We can accommodate that. We can also accommodate clients who need deeper penetration and more dramatic improvement. You may be a good candidate for this treatment if you would like to correct:
- A dull, ruddy complexion
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Age spots
- Extensive sun damage
- Acne and acne scarring
- Uneven skin tone
- Uneven skin texture
16. Could I Benefit From Collagen Induction Therapy With Radiofrequency?
If you show significant signs of aging, there is an excellent chance you could benefit from collagen induction therapy. This treatment combines two of the most effective anti-aging treatments into an incredibly powerful treatment session.
This treatment is ideal for people with extensive signs of aging because collagen induction therapy encourages your skin’s surface to produce collagen. Radiofrequency encourages the deeper layers of your skin to produce collagen. Benefits of this treatment include:
- Long-lasting results
- Quick, effective treatment
- Eliminated fine lines and wrinkles
- Drastically or completely reduced scarring
- Dramatic skin tightening around the upper neck, chin and face
17. Does Collagen Induction Therapy Complement a HydraFacial Well?
Collagen induction therapy and HydraFacial treatments are a match made in heaven. The HydraFacial device harnesses the power of 4-in-1 Vortex technology to provide you with four aesthetic treatments at once.
In one session, your face is cleansed. Impurities are suctioned gently from your face rather than being blasted or sanded away. A chemical peel of your choice is applied to take the fresh, bright, youthful look of your face to the next level. Then, anti-aging, healing, or hydrating serums are applied to protect your enhanced aesthetic.
Learn More About Collagen Induction Therapy Today
With the FDA’s approval of microneedling, there can be no doubt this esthetic service works. But this is only true for the SkinPen device. DIY dermal rollers do not penetrate the skin deeply enough to cause the desired effect and are not safe or comfortable.
To learn more about the incredible benefits of microneedling, contact us today at Elements Rejuvenating Med Spa in Davenport, FL, to schedule your initial consultation. We can’t wait to meet you and help you achieve your ideal aesthetic. Each of our aesthetic services provides a luxurious, fully immersive experience.
