How to Get the Best Results from Microneedling

Before

Microneedling is a popular aesthetic treatment that has been around for over 100 years. As the treatment has evolved and improved, we’ve been able to provide better, longer-lasting results to our patients with minimal side effects. If you’re interested in receiving microneedling treatments to improve the appearance of your skin, here are some things you should know that can help to improve your overall results.

Know What It’s For

First, it’s best that you understand what microneedling is used for, and the types of skin issues that it is best at treating. This will help you to manage your expectations and ensure that you’re getting the right treatment, the correct number of treatments, and any supplementary treatments you need to achieve optimal results. Microneedling is best used for the following types of skin issues and imperfections:

Before

• Acne or acne scars
• Other small scars
•  Hyperpigmentation
• Age spots
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Stretch marks

Microneedling is most commonly used as an anti-aging skin treatment, and to correct other unwanted skin damage or imperfections. If you’re uncertain whether or not microneedle therapy is the best treatment for your skin, feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

How It Works

So how does microneedling work to correct the above issues? The answer lies in the proteins that your body naturally creates to correct skin damage and prevent wrinkles: collagen and elastin. Unfortunately, as we get older, our skin doesn’t produce as much of these proteins as it used to. That’s where microneedling comes in.

We use a Dermapen to inject small needles up to 2mm in the skin. This is called a microtrauma—a tiny injury to the lower layers of your skin. This causes inflammation and stimulates certain growth factors to repair the injuries. Those growth factors lead to cell multiplication and, eventually collagen and elastin synthesis. The new, collagen-rich skin cells your body produces in response to those microtraumas helps to fill out lines, wrinkles, and pockmarks, and smooth over color imperfections.

Your body does all of this quite quickly, repairing the microtrauma and leaving you with smoother, brighter skin in just a few weeks.

Proper Post-Op Care

After

Now that you understand how microneedling works and what it’s best used for, let’s talk about how you can ensure you get the most from this procedure. One of the most important things for our patients is to ensure that they’re properly caring for their skin after the procedure. Gently rinse the treated area for the first 24 hours with tepid water only; then, you can use a gentle cleanser and carefully dry the skin.

Though your skin will be inflamed, it’s best not to take anti-inflammatory medications. As described above, that inflammation is an important part of your body’s response to the microtrauma, and treating the inflammation with medication can diminish your results.

Avoid putting on any makeup or sunscreen for the first 24 hours. However, keep in mind that your skin will be more sensitive to the sun for a couple of weeks; so, avoid the sun for those first 24 hours, then apply a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30. Failure to protect the new, sensitive skin your body is producing can result in sun damage.

Follow-Up Treatments

It’s also important to understand that the best results are impossible to achieve with a single treatment. Rather, we typically recommend a package of six treatments for most skin conditions; however, your skin may require more or fewer treatments, so be sure to consult with us on how to get the best results. We usually space these treatments out with approximately 2 months between each treatment.

Additionally, you may benefit from combining your microneedle therapy with other treatments. One complementary treatment that we frequently recommend alongside microneedling is PRP facials (also known as vampire facials). PRP stands for platelet rich plasma, and they can help with natural rejuvenation of your skin. We take a small amount of blood from you, separate the PRP, and reinject it into your skin. PRP is rich in growth factors and stem cells, so it’s a perfect way to jumpstart that healing and growth your skin needs to recover from the microinjuries incurred during microneedling.

If you’re looking for a treatment to provide you with smoother, more youthful skin, microneedle therapy may be exactly what you’re looking for. Contact us at Le Bella Med Spa today to schedule an assessment. We’ll discuss your skin’s needs with you to determine the best combination of treatments and number of treatments to give you the best results possible.