Microneedling
What Conditions are Treated with Microneedling?
Am I a Good Candidate for Microneedling?
You may need to stop taking certain medications before undergoing microneedling. Non-smokers typically enjoy better results.
Tell your aesthetician if you have a history of keloid scarring – a keloid is a thick, raised scar. If you have had a keloid scar in the past, you are more prone to developing them in other areas of skin. Be sure to tell your dermatologist if you have blood clotting conditions, immunosuppression, active bacterial or fungal infections, or if you are pregnant.
You can optimize the results of the microneedling treatment by avoiding sun exposure and tanning beds for 24 hours before and after your treatment – avoiding sun and tanning for a week before and after treatment is even better. Treatment within 24 hours of prolonged sun exposure may cause patches of light or dark colored skin (hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation) that may last for several months or even a lifetime.
Avoid chemical peels and waxing of the treatment area for two weeks before and after your microneedling treatment. Do not use retinoids or bleaching creams for 24 hours prior to and for 1 weekfollowing microneedling. Patients undergoing microneedling treatment must wait 24 hours after the treatment to wash the areas and to apply products, including sunscreen. Sun avoidance during that time is critical.
Microneedling Treatment Process
The first step in the microneedling treatment process is to apply a topical numbing cream to the treatment area(s). You’ll then relax comfortably for 10 to 20 minutes while the numbing cream takes effect. Next, your aesthetician will apply serums that contain peptides and hyaluronic acid to stimulate collagen production. Your aesthetician then passes a handheld microneedling device over the surface of your skin.
Microneedling causes tiny injuries in the surface of your skin; these injuries stimulate the production of collagen. You can expect your skin to appear slightly red, somewhat like a mild sunburn, for 12 to 24 hours; some patients experience redness for as long as 4 days. Applying cream morning and night can boost collagen production.
At Georgia Skin Specialists, we use SkinPen, which is the very first FDA-cleared microneedling device that rejuvenates your skin from the inside out. SkinPen’s microneedles penetrate the surface of your skin to trigger your body’s immune response. With SkinPen, the entire process takes as little as 30 minutes to target facial acne scars and neck wrinkles.
What Can I Expect from Microneedling?
You will be able to see the result of microneedling in as little as a week after your procedure, and the results will continue to visibly improve over the following weeks and months. You can achieve optimal results by undergoing a series of microneedling treatments. Your aesthetician can suggest a treatment plan and schedule you for follow-up treatments as necessary.
