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Microneedling

What is skin needling and how does it work?

Skin needling is also called micro-needling therapy or collagen induction therapy. It is a minimally-invasive non-surgical and nonablative procedure for skin rejuvenation that involves the use of a micro-needling device to create controlled skin injury.

As each fine needle punctures the skin, it creates a channel or micro-wound. The controlled injury triggers the body to fill these micro-wounds by producing new collagen and elastin in the papillary dermis. In addition, new capillaries are formed. This neovascularisation and neocollagenesis following treatment leads to reduction of scars and skin rejuvenation, i.e., improved skin texture, firmness and hydration.

There are various skin needling devices including Dermaroller® (Dermaroller GmbH); Dermapen™ (Equipmed Pty Ltd; Australia) Derma-Stamps™ (Dermaroller USA) and radial discs incorporating fine microneedles of various diameter and length, fabricated from a wide range of materials such as silicon, glass, metals, and polymers. The needles are up to 3 mm in length.

Professional skin needling is considered to be one of the safest skin treatment procedures. Unlike chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser treatments, skin needling causes minimal damage to the skin.

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What is skin needling used for?

Skin needling is effectively used for:

 

Benefits of skin needling

  • Reduced risk of hyperpigmentation and scarring therefore safe on ethnic or dark skin.

  • Suitable for thin and sensitive skin

  • The treatment can be performed in an office setting and does not need any extensive special training or expensive instruments.

  • The procedure is well tolerated and well accepted by the patients,

  • It is cost-effective, and can be done on areas of skin not suitable for peeling or laser resurfacing, such as near eyes.

  • As opposed to ablative laser resurfacing, the epidermis remains intact and is not damaged. For this reason, the operation can be safely repeated if needed.

  • Treatment does not result in a line of demarcation between treated and untreated skin, as usually occurs with other resurfacing procedures. This allows for specific areas of scarring to be treated without the need to “blend” or “feather” at the treatment edges.

  • The patient can resume regular activities soon after the treatment, depending on the depth of penetration of the needles. Treatment options like laser resurfacing or dermabrasion are often associated with considerable morbidity and downtime from daily activities of the patient in the post-treatment period.

 

What is the skin needling procedure like?

The procedure is well tolerated. It takes a few minutes up to an hour to complete, depending on the area to be treated and the severity of the problem.

  • No lotions, makeup or other topical products are applied on the treatment area on the day of the procedure.

  • The medical professional then applies a numbing cream (topical) on the treatment area or injects local anaesthetic.

  • The skin is punctured in a specific pattern using a skin needling device. The device is rolled over the skin multiple times for best results.

  • As each fine needle punctures the skin, it creates a channel or micro-wound stimulating skin cell regeneration.

  • Depending on the condition treated it may take 5-60 minutes to complete the procedure.

  • A minimum of four to six weeks is recommended between two treatments as it takes that long for new natural collagen to form.

 

Post procedural care

  • Skin needling is well tolerated by patients but dryness, scaling, redness and swelling may be seen after treatment, lasting for several days or longer, depending on the depth of penetration of the needles.

  • Sun protection for several weeks is recommended.

  • In the case of acne scars, after the skin needling procedure, the face should be cleaned with a gentle cleanser before bed. The next day, the face may be cleansed and makeup, lotions and other topical products applied as usual.

  • As the microholes close quickly, postoperative wound infection is rare.

  • Emollients or antibiotic creams may be prescribed, if considered necessary.

  • Rejuvenation of skin may be seen as soon as 2 weeks and as long as 6-8 months after the medical procedure.

  • Burn scars are slow to respond. It can take up to 6 months to 1 year to see the final results from a single treatment.

  • Generally there is no downtime and most people are able to return to normal daily activities immediately after the treatment.

 

Practical tips

  • Good quality instruments should be used; there are many instruments from different companies. Using poor instruments may lead to breakage of needles in the skin. At LDS cosmetic medicine we use the latest technology and considered the best instrument currently available in the market, the Dermapen 4.

  • Multiple sessions may be needed for optimal results.

  • Application of local anaesthetic cream can prevent procedure pain and help in performing the procedure properly.

 

How many skin needling procedures does one need?

The number of needling procedures depends on the individual skin condition.

In general guide the number of recommended treatments are:

  • Rejuvenation*: 3-6 treatments 6-8 weeks apart

  • Acne scarring: 4-6 treatments 6-8 weeks apart

  • Stretch marks: 4-8 treatments 6-8 weeks apart

  • Pigmentation: 4-6 treatments 2-4 weeks apart

 

Specially designed home skin needling models with short fine needles (0.2 mm depth) may be used 2-3 times per week. We recommend its use to optimize treatment. Its benefits include:

  • reduce pore size

  • reduce oil levels in the skin (seborrhoea)

  • help to reduce wrinkles and fine lines

  • enhance delivery and effectiveness of medical grade skincare creams

  • minimise acne outbreaks.

 

Are there any side effects from skin needling?

Generally the treated areas recover rapidly from skin needling. However there are occasional side effects, which include:

  • Oozing and swelling during the recovery phase.

  • Skin infection with bacteria (rare) or herpes simplex virus (cold sores).

  • Milia, which can be easily removed.

  • Acne flare, which is usually mild.

 

Dermapen 4

 

At LDS cosmetics we only use the latest technology and we are proud to offer microneedling treatment with the what is considered by experts the best instrument available in the market, the Dermapen 4.

With the introduction of Dermapen’s predecessor’s in 2011, Microneedling was revolutionised with the first automated technology.

 The launch of Dermapen 4 sets a new standard and benchmark that delivers the ultimate in advanced and innovative microneedling with unsurpassed confidence, service and outstanding patient results. 

Dermapen 4™ is the breakthrough of the decade utilising the most advanced needle cartridge innovation to vertically pierce the skin. Dermapen 4™ glides over the skin creating millions of fine fractional channels up to 104% faster than other microneedling devices. These channels can carry up to 80% more topical nutrients deeper into the skin. In turn our body’s natural response triggers a natural process of repair. The result is an increased production of collagen and elastin, resurfacing, retexturizing and overall skin renewal anywhere on the body, from hard to reach areas such as around the eyes, eyelids, earlobes, neck, lips, nose or larger areas of neck and décolleté, stomach and legs for stretch mark treatments. Dermapen 4™ is the most advanced microneedling device available. Dermapen 4™ treatments are faster, safer, and produce optimal results.

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