What is Microneedling, Know its Benefits & Side Effects

There are several skin concerns in different people; and accordingly there are also a lot of skin treatments available these days. One of the popular cosmetic procedures is Microneedling. In this article we will know about the microneedling procedure, the benefits as well as the side effects of the procedure.

Microneedling is a cosmetic treatment that is a very less invasive procedure used for treating skin problems, through collage production. It is also known as collagen induction therapy and it may help those persons who are looking to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and acne scars. Microneedling is also used in some anti-aging procedures, such as sun spots and eyelid surgery.

This procedure works by encouraging the skin for producing more collagen. Here the doctors make small pricks under your skin with the help of a pen-like tool. So, there are pinpricks from the microneedling procedure that cause slight skin injury and that the skin in turn responds by making new tissues rich in collagen. This new collagen-rich skin tissue is, in turn, more even in tone and in its texture.

Before beginning the microneedling procedure, the doctor will make use of a topical anesthetic so as to reduce the chances of pain due to the treatment. This anesthetic treatment is done one hour prior to the procedure. There may be an application of a serum or calming treatment, while the procedure.

Microneedling treatment is mainly used on your face to target age spots or the sun spots, acne scars, large pores, wrinkles or fine lines, uneven skin tone and also for reduced elasticity of the skin. Apart from this, this cosmetic treatment is also sometimes used for treating stretch marks in other areas of your body.

It must be mentioned that the Microneedling cosmetic procedure may costs somewhere from $100 – $700 per each session.

Before we talk about the benefits and the side effects of microneedling treatment, we would definitely mention about some of the important instructions that has to be followed after the treatment, so as to avoid unwanted side effects.

• You should make sure that for the first 24 hours you should not use any skin products that are not non-comedogenic or that are not specifically designed for using with microneedling, such as sun screen,, makeup, sun block, facial peel, tanning lotion, or any other skin products containing toxic and irritating ingredients. This is very much essential as the microneedling procedure enhances the absorption of any product that is placed on the skin up to 24 hours of the treatment. So, it is advisable to avoid using topical products containing toxic ingredients, at least for 24 hours after the cosmetic treatment.
• You should also restrict the use of alcohol-based products after microneedling procedure, as they will make your skin feel too much dry.
• In addition, you must also avoid direct exposure to sunlight after the treatment.

Now, let us talk about some of the benefits of microneedling.

You can notice an instant improvement in the quality and texture of the skin after the treatment. Now, how exactly this happens? Well, the pinprick needles stimulate the remodeling of your existing collagen and also enhance the formation of new collagens in your skin and also in the revascularization in your skin.

Collagen along with elastin; are two primary components in the skin that gives the skin the normal “Plum” look that almost every women dream of. At around 30 years of age, these collagens begin to naturally degrade, and this is when women begin noticing small changes and sagging in their skin.

The great news is that this process of healing after the microneedling procedure begins immediately. This you start noticing immediately a soft texture to your skin just after the treatment.

Another excellent benefit of microneedling is that it reduces black heads. The controlled trauma along with lots of needle pokes, liberate and remove black heads during the entire procedure. Immediately after the treatment, you can notice that there is a tremendous reduction in the total volume of black heads on your face or in the treated area.

However, the black heads reduction does not last forever. It generally lasts only around 4 weeks or about a month, which is the perfect time for when you must require undergoing the procedure once again.

You can also reduce black heads by proper aftercare treatments and by using the vitamin C serum.

Microneedling also has some other wonderful benefits. This procedure helps in treating acne and cystic acne. However, it is still unknown how exactly the procedure helps in treating acne. But it seems to be because of the fact that the procedure causes a reduction in the production of sebum and results in making the skin less oily that result in a reduced number of acnes on the skin.

One more benefit of microneedling is that the procedure exfoliates the skin. It is obvious that any kind of treatment that disrupts the epidermis mechanically, results in some exfoliation.

Exfoliation refers to the removal of the upper surface of the epidermis, especially the stratum corneum or the upper most layer of the skin.

Exfoliation is important as the dead skin cells survive on this layer and by removing this uppermost layer of the epidermis, you can help your skin look smoother and fresh instantly.

A younger looking skin is what every women dream about. Microneedling is one of the best procedures that helps you in reducing fine lines, wrinkles and makes you look really younger. Now, how is it possible?

It has been shown that the thousands of needles that caused the small pin holes during this cosmetic procedure and they actually break into the upper levels of your skin and releases the growth factors. These growth factors help in the “repair” and assists in the process of “healing” from the microdamage that has been caused. The growth factors that has been released, increases the levels of collagen and elastin. Moreover, the stimulation of collagen the microtrauma even leads to the formation of lots of little blood vessels which helps in supplying the blood, nutrients and oxygen straight into the dermis. Thus, these changes lead to a reduction of fine line, wrinkles and tightening of the existing skin; and altogether make you look really younger.

Another great benefit of the microneedling procedure is that it helps in reducing acne scars and also the pock marks. So, how does the procedure helps in reducing or treating scarring?

Your body naturally undergoes fibrosis, when you have any kind of scarring on your face or skin or any of the area of your body. This is a good thing when healing, as it makes everything stick together, but under the skin there is such strong glue that it can literally pull the skin down and cause pock marks or scarring on the skin surface.

Microneedling helps to “break up” all of the glue and fibrosis beneath the skin, which in turn allows the skin to “let go” of the tenting and release the skin surface. Naturally, you get a smoother surface to your skin.

It must be noted that the microneedling procedure tends to work at its best on scars that are small, result in tenting of the skin or in the pocking of the skin. However, it does not properly work for large lacerations, such as the kind of scars that requires stitches.

Microneedling also assist with the skin tone and it can also reduce hyperpigmentation.

Hyperpigmentation is the slight changes occurring in the skin due to inflammation, black heads, pimples, or white heads. Basically any kind of skin problem can lead to changes in the color of the underlying skin, which actually does not match the color of the surrounding skin. This in turn gives an uneven skin tone. Microneedling actually help in giving you an even skin tone. How is it possible? It is felt that the microneedling procedure boosts the expression of matrix mealloproteinases, which reduces hyperpigmentation. In addition, the cosmetic treatment can also be combined with Vitamin C serum that helps in the healing process. Vitamin C serum is known to balance the levels of melanin pigment.

The most known side effect of microneedling is skin irritation. There occurs an irritation in the skin soon after the procedure. This is a natural response to the small “Injuries” that are made by the micro needles in your skin, used while the microneedling procedure.

Redness of the skin is one of the most common side effects of microneedling. From a distance this side effect of this cosmetic treatment looks like sunburn. However, you need to have to worry as this is absolutely normal to have skin redness after treatment and your skin will get back its normal tone within a few hours of the treatment. If you want to hide the redness after the treatment you can cover it up with some mineral makeup or some moisturizers.

Another side effect of microneedling is that you may experience soreness or tightness in the treated areas of the skin after the treatment. You must be made aware that the longer the needles are used in the treatment, the longer would be the skin irritation in the treated area of the skin.

In order to reduce the soreness or tightness of the skin caused due to this cosmetic procedure, you must always make use of a serum with the micro needling roller and also make sure to be moisturized well on a regular basis after the skin treatment.

You may also experience some other side effects after the microneedling procedure and they may include, bleeding, bruising, peeling, and infections. Make sure to call or visit your doctor in case you notice any of these severe side effects after the treatment.

NOTE: Pregnant women, people with skin diseases like eczema or psoriasis, those having open wounds, having a history of skin scars, or those individuals who have had radiation therapy recently, are not ideal candidate for the procedure of microneedling.

We must be clear by now that microneedling is not an invasive procedure like plastic surgery. Thus one can recover from it in a minimum amount of time after the treatment. You can return back to your normal work, school or activities after the procedure in case you find it comfortable. You can make use of camouflaging makeup during the first few days after the treatment. Also be known that your skin would become more sensitive to the sun after procedure, and thus you should use a fair sunscreen whenever you are working outside.

We would also mention that after the treatment, your skin works pretty quickly to rejuvenate new tissue and you should surely see the results within 14 days after the treatment. Keep it noted that in order to maintain the good results of the treatment, you will require multiple sessions and maybe also require other complementing treatments. Seek best advises from your doctor and plan for the treatment accordingly.