Micro-needling is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that involves the use of a device with microneedles to penetrate the skin.
Don’t let the word “needles” scare you – this is a very safe and effective treatment that can give you some amazing results. Here are the main benefits of micro-needling that you may not have known about.
What is Micro-Needling?
Microneedling is a cosmetic procedure. It involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilized needles. The small wounds cause your body to make more collagen and elastin, which heal your skin and help you look younger. You might also hear it called collagen induction therapy.
What Happens When You Get Microneedling
Dermatologists can do micro-needling. Aestheticians also do it. If you try it somewhere other than a doctor’s office, first check on the person’s experience and credentials, and make sure that all of the equipment is sterilized. There are do-it-yourself versions of micro-needling devices. But dermatologists warn against using those because you might accidentally hurt your skin, and you may not have a good way to sterilize the needles.
The procedure usually takes 10-20 minutes, depending on how big the area is. Most people need 4-6 treatments to see a difference.
First, you’ll get a numbing cream smoothed onto your face so you can’t feel the needle pricks. Then the person doing the micro-needling will move a pen-shaped or rolling tool with tiny needles around your face. The needles make small cuts in your skin, which causes a bit of bleeding. Your doctor may spread cream or serum on your face after that.
The goal of the procedure is to start your body’s healing process by sending collagen and elastin to patch up the tiny injuries. Collagen helps fill in and smooth out wrinkles.
Most people get micro-needling on the face, but it can also be done on other parts of the body, such as your stomach or thighs.
Benefits of Micro-Needling
Microneedling has gained popularity for its growing list of benefits. It is said to rejuvenate and plump the skin with minimal discomfort and very little downtime, and it can be adjusted to fit each person’s needs.
Benefits of micro-needling can include:
reducing the appearance of scars, including acne scars
reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
reducing enlarged pores
reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation, or dark spots
smoothing uneven skin tone
improving skin elasticity
reducing the appearance of stretch marks
reducing the appearance of scars
promoting hair growth in people with alopecia
Micro-needling is considerably less expensive than laser therapy and may work better for some people. Laser treatments involve the use of heat, which can affect your skin’s pigmentation.