If you’re looking for a non-surgical way to rejuvenate your skin, you’ve probably come across microneedling in your research. This technique offers a way to stimulate your body’s natural collagen and elastin production to make your skin healthier and healthier looking. When you get this treatment through Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK, you may see results from microneedling immediately after your session, but some clients take a little longer to get the results they want.
How Long Does It Take To See Results From Microneedling?
Since the process of microneedling involves creating “micro wounds” in your skin using tiny needles, your body responds to those “injuries” right away. One of these responses is an increase in blood flow as healing properties are rushed to the wounded area. This makes your skin look fresher immediately following your treatment. However, you’ll continue to see your skin improve in condition as collagen and elastin are produced and sent to the treated areas.
Most clients see full results at between four and six weeks following treatment. This gives your body enough time to produce collagen and elastin and to send it to your micro wounds. At this point, you’ll notice your skin looking both younger and healthier. Of course, your individual results may vary depending on what your goals are for getting the treatment. For instance, if you’re treating burn scars, it will take longer for you to see your final results.
What Is Microneedling?
This treatment, which is also known as collagen induction treatment, is a non-invasive technique designed to rejuvenate skin by activating the body’s own collagen and elastin production. It also aids in cellular turnover, allowing for new, fresh cells to take the place of older ones through your body’s wound healing processes. The treatment involves using microneedles to create tiny channels in your skin to trigger your body’s healing response, which includes stimulating collagen and elastin production.
During treatment, we use an FDA-approved device called a SkinPen to rapidly puncture your skin, which is how the micro wounds are created. We roll the SkinPen over the treatment area in a circular motion, as the tiny needles move in and out of your skin. This may sound intimidating, but the needles are so small that the treatment is painless. You won’t even be able to see the holes in your skin when your treatment is finished.
Treatment Duration
Microneedling is a very quick treatment, which makes it convenient for many of our patients. Most appointments take about 30 minutes total, but others take less than that depending on how large of an area is treated. Most people have this treatment on their face, but other areas of the body can also be successfully treated. The area of the body you want to be treated will have an impact on the duration of each session as well.
Conditions
While most clients use this treatment to rejuvenate their facial skin, there are several other conditions that can be treated through collagen induction, including the following conditions.
- Hair loss (alopecia)
- Hyperpigmentation (dark spots on your skin)
- Scars
- Acne
- Stretch marks
- Large pores
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Sun damage
Each of these conditions will require a different number of sessions to achieve full results. Scars usually require more sessions, while fine lines and wrinkles typically need fewer sessions. You can expect to need between four and six treatments to meet your results expectations. However, some conditions may require additional sessions to radically improve your skin. We’ll discuss how long your treatment is expected to take at your consultation after we conduct an examination of the treatment areas.
Recovery
One of the reasons this treatment is so popular is that you have no downtime after a session. You should take care to stay out of the sun for a few days following treatment, but it’s a good idea to do that anyway so that your skin does not soak up damaging UV rays. You won’t even have any special care instructions, in most cases, except to apply sunscreen whenever the area is going to be exposed to the sun.
During the time when your body is healing itself from the micro wounds, you’ll want to stay away from swimming pools and natural bodies of water, as your skin is prone to infection when it has open wounds, no matter how small they are. Additionally, refrain from using soaps or lotions that irritate your skin, which could interfere with the natural healing process. Other than that, you will have no restrictions after treatment.
This is really one of the easiest skin treatments you can have. It’s virtually painless, has no recovery period, and uses your body’s own substances to heal and rejuvenate your skin. It is an excellent option if you don’t want to undergo more extensive procedures like a facelift, or if your skin tone is not a good match for laser treatment. If you haven’t had cosmetic treatments before, microneedling is a gentle way to introduce yourself to the possibilities.
Treatment Process
During treatment, we’ll use the SkinPen, with its 12 microneedles, to puncture your skin at the correct depth and speed for your individual needs. The needles are customizable, so they will be adjusted for your skin’s thickness to ensure they penetrate your skin to a depth of two millimeters. These micro wounds not only stimulate your body’s healing processes, but also make skincare product absorption more effective, so using hyaluronic acid or vitamin C serum will enhance your results.
A topical anesthesia will be applied to the treatment area and left to sit for about 10 minutes to take full effect. This makes the treatment feel like someone is running an electric toothbrush over your skin. Once the anesthesia is removed, you’ll feel its effects for up to two hours after your treatment. This anesthesia doesn’t prevent you from returning to your daily activities, though you should avoid places where bacterial infections could be prevalent, such as the gym.
Treatment Intervals
Once we determine how many sessions you’ll need, we’ll schedule your appointments at four-to-six-week intervals. This means that your total treatment time, including appointments and the time between appointments, could be up to six months. As stated before, you’ll see maximum results from each session at between four and six weeks, but to get full results, the time frame expands to between four and six months. You want to give your body a chance to heal between treatments.
If you choose to combine your microneedle treatment with a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, you will likely need three PRP treatments spaced about a month apart. So, you may have several microneedle sessions that do not involve PRP, since after the third session you’ll most likely be done with PRP treatments for at least a year. However, we will determine the number of PRP treatments you actually need during your consultation.
Benefits
Other than the primary benefits of rejuvenating your skin and smoothing out wrinkles, there are other advantages to microneedling that you’ll get along with these. First, the treatment increases the efficacy of sink care treatment products by allowing the skin to absorb them better. This includes moisturizers, anti-aging ointments, and prescription acne creams. As such, your skin will continue to look great long after your sessions are over since your skincare products will work better than ever.
Beyond the actual benefits you’ll see on your skin, this treatment is significantly less expensive than a facelift or other invasive procedures. If you’re not ready to commit to that type of expense, this treatment can achieve similar results. Although microneedling results are not permanent, they are long-lasting and usually only require annual maintenance sessions once you’re through your initial treatment plan. Plus, you won’t have all the downtime, pain, and potential complications of a surgical procedure, either.
Adding a Platelet Rich Plasma Application
In many cases, patients combine microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which can make both treatments more effective. PRP uses your own body’s platelets to heal injuries and wounds. We will draw blood from your arm and as you undergo the treatment with microneedles, we will spin your blood to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of your blood. This PRP is then applied to the treatment areas following your microneedle treatment.
The micro wounds created by the microneedles provide an ideal environment for the PRP, which will be absorbed immediately into your skin. PRP is known to accelerate the body’s healing process, so collagen and elastin will be produced even faster when you combine the two treatments. The microneedle treatment will create the wounds to naturally stimulate your healing process, and the PRP accelerates the healing process so you’ll see results even faster.
A PRP treatment is also known as a “vampire facial” because your own blood is applied to your face to encourage healing. While nearly everyone is a good candidate for this treatment, people with bleeding or clotting disorders should not undergo PRP treatment. You should plan to add an additional 30 minutes to your microneedling appointment if you include PRP, making an average session appointment last about an hour. Results can last up to 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does This Treatment Help With Hair Loss?
Yes. The micro wounds in your skin stimulate dormant hair follicles, which then encourages new growth. In a recent research study, 82% of people who underwent this treatment reported an improvement of 50% in their hair growth, compared to just 4.5% who were treated with a minoxidil lotion alone. If you suffer from alopecia, this treatment may benefit you in more ways than one, since your skin will improve as well.
Can This Treatment Help With Cellulite?
Yes. Cellulite causes damage to the collagen layer of the skin, so when the treatment stimulates the production of collagen, it will also be sent to areas damaged by cellulite. You may not see as much improvement in cellulite unless it is contained in the area we treat, but you should see some improvement overall.
Is This treatment Effective on All Skin Colors and Types?
Yes. In fact, people with darker skin often choose this treatment over other types of minimally-invasive treatments that use laser technology. This is because dark skin will absorb the laser’s light more than light skin, which not only causes the treatment to be less effective, but also can lighten dark skin in spots. The treatment is entirely safe for all skin types and colors and will not result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Will This Treatment Really Help Fade My Scars?
Yes. Your scars are simply deep damage to your skin, which means that damage can be repaired by stimulating collagen and elastin production. You’re likely to see a 60-70% improvement in the appearance of your scars after about six treatments. While there are surgical solutions to removing scars, microneedling treatment is a much less invasive way to fade your scars in a relatively short amount of time. Keep in mind, that all scars are different and will require different plans.
Is There Anything That Will Make the Results Last Longer?
The results of the treatment are already long-lasting once you complete your full treatment plan. However, you will need to have maintenance sessions once or twice a year afterward. To increase the longevity of your results, you will want to follow an effective skincare routine, stay hydrated, stay out of the sun, and eat a balanced diet. We can help you select skincare products to include in your daily routine.
What Parts of the Body Can Be Treated?
Most of our patients have this treatment on their faces, but it’s perfectly safe for other parts of the body as well. The scalp is a common treatment area for people who suffer from hair loss, and the hands are often targeted as well. The nice thing about this treatment is that we are able to treat the sensitive areas around your eyes, which is not possible with laser treatment, since lasers can damage eyesight.
People who have scars can get this treatment on any part of the body that’s scarred, and people with stretch marks get it on their abdomen, hips, and thighs. There really is no restriction on where this treatment can be performed, but remember that larger areas will take longer, so you’ll need to plan for a longer appointment. Additionally, you ought to wear comfortable, loose clothing for treatment areas that are normally covered with a shirt or pants.
Can Patients Do Microneedling Treatments Themselves?
There are microneedle dermarollers that are commercially available for at-home use; however, we do not recommend this treatment be performed by people who are not trained to do it properly. Additionally, you won’t see the results from an at-home treatment that you will from a professional treatment because the grade of tools we use is only available to medical clinics. The at-home devices will not go as deep into your skin as ours will, which is critical for efficacy.
Will a Treatment Work If a Patient Has Dermal Fillers?
Yes. As long as you don’t have a treatment immediately following a filler session, you are a candidate for this treatment. We recommend at least three weeks pass after you get filler injections before getting a microneedling treatment. This will ensure the filler has settled and that your injection sites have fully healed.
Is Makeup Allowed Immediately After Treatment?
We do not recommend you wear makeup immediately after treatment, but if you must wear it, you should only use mineral-based foundation, which will not allow bacteria to accumulate. We suggest waiting at least four days after treatment before applying your regular makeup to the treatment area. We can suggest makeup brands that are best to use to maintain your skin’s new youthful appearance after treatment.
Is This Treatment Safe?
Yes. In fact, the SkinPen that we use for treatments is the only one approved by the FDA for this specific treatment. There are other devices on the market, but we only use equipment that has been deemed safe by the FDA. Additionally, there are very few side effects of this treatment and the recovery time is extremely minimal. You’ll be able to return to daily activities immediately following your sessions.
Where Is the Treatment Performed?
You’ll get your microneedle treatment right in our clinic, as there’s no need to go to the hospital or other medical facility. You don’t receive local or general anesthesia, as you would with a surgical solution. You will receive topical anesthesia, but it does not need to be monitored in a hospital setting. As such, appointments are easy to make and convenient to keep.
When Should This Treatment Be Considered?
You may want to look into microneedling if you notice your skin starting to sag or that you’ve developed fine lines or wrinkles around your eyes and mouth. It’s also a good treatment for hair loss, scars, acne, brown spots, stretch marks, and pigmentation problems. During your consultation, we’ll ask you what your concerns are and recommend treatment options that we believe will provide the best results. Microneedle treatment may be one of those options, along with possible others.
Preparation for Treatment
To ensure you get the results you want from this treatment, there are certain preparations to make prior to coming in for your appointment. Heed the following advice so that you can enjoy the treatment and your results.
- Do not use Accutane in the six months prior to treatment
- Do not use products that contain retinoids, topical antibiotics, exfoliants, or benzoyl peroxide in the three days prior to treatment
- Precondition your skin with quality skincare products for six months prior to treatment
- Do not get any laser treatments within seven days of your appointment.
- Do not wax, pluck, or use electrolysis to remove hair within seven days of your treatment
- Do not shave on the day of your treatment
- Ensure your skin is clean and free from lotions, oils, makeup, powder, sunscreen, perfume, or deodorant on the day of your treatment
- Reschedule appointment if you experience a rash, sunburn, rosacea outbreak, or excessive dryness before treatment
- Take an antiviral two days before treatment if you have a history of cold sores
- Reschedule if you have active cold sores, open wounds, or warts in the treatment areas
Overall, we just need your skin to be clean and clear from any medical conditions for the treatment to be as effective as possible. It also works better if the skin has not been exposed to other treatments in the week leading up to your appointment. Always tell us if you’ve had a change in your medical history or in the medications you are currently taking.
Ideal Candidate
Almost everyone can benefit from this treatment, but there are some conditions that it is not effective at treating. These include the following conditions.
- Scleroderma
- Keloid scars
- Compromised immune system
- Pregnancy (or nursing)
- Severe eczema
- Psoriasis
- Collagen vascular diseases
- Fungal infections
- Active acne
- Skin tags
There are also some conditions that can lead to complications with this treatment, but if we know about them in advance, we can manage them during the treatment. These conditions are as follows.
- History of cold sores (herpes simplex)
- Diabetes
- Presence of moles in the treatment area
During your consultation, we’ll be taking a medical history to ensure you’re healthy enough to undergo this treatment. Most people will qualify, but there may be times when we will recommend a different treatment based on certain conditions. Please let us know all medications you are currently taking and for how long you’ve been taking them. This will also help us determine whether you are a candidate or not, and when to schedule your appointments.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to try microneedling, the next step is simple. You’ll call us up and schedule a consultation. At that point, we’ll examine your skin in your desired treatment areas and take a medical history. We’ll develop a personalized treatment plan that is designed to meet your goals in as few sessions as possible. So, contact our experts at Advanced Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK today to book your consultation to get the skin you want.