Guest Post by Dr Mariah Mosley
Acne scars? Fine lines/wrinkles? Uneven skin tone? Wanting a brighter complexion?
At Nature Cure Family Health, we are now offering a cosmetic medical procedure that may be for you!
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a minimally invasive treatment that helps rejuvenate the skin. This technique has actually been around for almost 100 years1, and has become more popular in the last 20 years. We perform micro-needling in our office by using an FDA-approved device2 that uses fine needles which create tiny micro traumas on the top layer of the skin. This triggers the body (like it does with any small wound) to to induce the wound healing cascade, and create new collagen and elastin in the area treated, usually the face. This new collagen and skin remodeling can lead to improved firmness of skin and diminished appearance of fine lines, as well as a reduction in scars, pore size, and even stretch marks.
The tiny injuries made during micro-needling treatments allow for release of growth factors and cytokines (second messengers of the immune system). When combined with the topical use of the patient’s own PRP (platelet rich plasma, aka the blood’s concentrated source of collagen-stimulating growth factors, etc), micro-needing is taken to another level. In this way, we stimulate your body to heal itself from inside, AND we are adding even more growth factors topically into these micro-channels! Some clinics use topical hyaluronic acid and other serums needled into the skin, however this can cause hypersensitivity reactions or facial granulomas3. PRP from your own body does not carry this risk. PRP is also rich in vitamins and minerals for skin healing4.
Why do we have wrinkles?
Collagen is a very important protein, especially for aesthetic medicine. Collagen is our main structural protein in the ECM (extra-cellular matrix) that provides our skin, connective tissues and bones with their structure and elasticity. Our normal aging process causes thinning of the epidermis (our outer layer of skin) and collagen loss from the dermis (our inner layer of skin). This is why the skin starts to wrinkle, have fine lines, or look less firm or elastic than it did when we were in our teenage years. Using collagen-induction therapy (ie microneedling) we are able to ‘reverse’ this by stimulating more collagen in the area.
Procedure: What should I expect?
The microneedling treatments last about 60 minutes. The process starts with a numbing cream on face or area of treatment. While we wait the 15-20 minutes until fully numb, we draw the blood and extract the PRP serum that will be used. Then we cleanse the area of treatment, and begin micro-needling, applying PRP topically as we go.
Make sure to schedule a treatment at a time when you will be comfortable not wearing makeup for 3 days afterwards. The day of the treatment you may feel that your skin is tighter than usual or perhaps a bit sore, and you will look as though you have a mild sunburn. In the two days following, you may experience some redness and peeling. This is normal, and the serum and cream we will send home with you will help minimize redness and/or discomfort. Although many patients return to work the day after treatment, all patients should avoid direct sun exposure for 48-72 hours afterwards.
Aftercare
Post-procedure is very important for microneedling. Some believe it is as important as the procedure itself! From reducing inflammation the first couple days, to supporting your body for the next 4-6 weeks after treatment while skin is remodeling, we give all our a patients a pre- and post-care procedure so they can get the most out of their treatments. We also supply a topical product to decrease inflammation for the first 48 hours, reseal the barrier defense on skin, moisturize, and resupply nutrients after needling. What you put ON and IN your body can improve treatment results significantly.
Like all medical procedures, certain conditions do not warrant microneedling or are contraindicated. Contact our office for more information and to see if your are a candidate for micro-needling today.
References:
1. A Brief History of the Derma Roller, http://dermarollerqmd.com/history-of-dermaroller/
2. Skin Pen, https://skinpen.com
3. Facial Allergic Granulomatous Reaction and Systemic Hypersensitivity Associated With Microneedle Therapy for Skin Rejuvenation, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/1783057
4. Vitamin Distribution in Red Blood Cells, Plasma, and Other Body Fluids, https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article-abstract/22/11/1469/4732993
