Microneedling and Skin Tightening

What is microneedling?

Microneedling is a cosmetic procedure with minimal downtime that involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilized needles which creates thousands of microchannels to induce the formation of collagen and elastin. This produces smoother, tighter, and firmer skin, so it's an effective treatment for many different skin concerns all over the body. This procedure can be done alone or combined with PRP and other topical solutions. It is typically done as a series of 3 to 6 treatments to treat fine lines, acne scars, surgical scars, stretch marks, and pigmentation.

SkinPen

SkinPen is the first FDA approved microneedling device, and it’s made in the USA! SkinPen is FDA approved to improve wrinkles and acne scars, improvement can be seen in as few as 3 treatments spaced 30 days apart. SkinPen is safe on all skin types and has minimal downtime for our patients with busy schedules. See one of our aestheticians to see if Skin Pen is right for you.

What skin problems does microneedling treat?

Microneedling is a popular face and body treatment for skin issues such as:

• Acne
• Surgical and acne scars
• Stretch marks
• Sun damage
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Large pores
• Age spots or other hyperpigmentation

Microneedling can precisely treat any size skin concern, from a single scar to widespread age spots. It treats many of the same skin concerns as lasers and photofacials but for smaller areas, so microneedling may be more cost-effective. 

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How does microneedling work?

Before treatment, your aesthetician applies a numbing cream to maintain your comfort during the microneedling procedure. They then use a specialized handheld treatment tool with a group of very small needles, lightly applying the tool to your problem areas. 

These tiny pinpricks travel just deep enough to access the dermal layer of your skin. Creating these carefully controlled tiny punctures elicits your body's injury response. This healing response includes growing healthy new skin cells to replace old and damaged skin.

Microneedling also encourages your body to make large amounts of natural collagen and elastin. That lends structure, firmness, and tightness to your skin. 

What can I expect after microneedling treatments?

You may notice that your skin feels tighter almost right away. An increase in skin redness is normal, but this fades over the next few days. You can usually apply makeup lightly the next day if desired.

Your body needs time to make enough collagen and elastin to smooth lines, fill in scars, and make other major changes, but those results may start to appear around 4-6 weeks after your treatment. 

Most people enjoy ideal results with a series of treatments, scheduled around a month apart. Your beauty aesthetician can discuss your specific treatment goals with you so they can design the best microneedling plan. 

What is skin tightening?

Skin tightening at Thomas Dermatology is done with state-of-the-art radiofrequency devices. These devices use radiofrequency energy (RF) energy to heat the deep layers of the skin to induce the production of collagen. RF is a form of energy that is measured in frequency or wavelength per second. UV light, gamma rays, microwaves, and radio waves are all part of the electromagnetic spectrum and have electromagnetic waves with frequencies measured in hertz according to their wavelengths. 

The RF we use for skin tightening is around 450 kilohertz, which is very slow and has a very long wavelength, it’s about 1 billion times slower than an X-ray. Radiofrequency in skin tightening has been used since 2001 to heat the deep layers of the skin called the dermis without damaging the more superficial layers of the skin. This heat increases the temperature of your skin to over 115 degrees F (40 C) which causes your body to stimulate new collagen and elastin. The great thing about RF treatments is that they require no downtime and your results continue to improve for up to 3 months! For best results, 3-5 monthly treatments are recommended and followed by a maintenance treatment every 6 months. 

Pelleve

Pelleve RF System by Cynosure is a radiofrequency device that safely and effectively treats wrinkles and saggy skin on the face and neck. It can be used on all skin types and requires no downtime. It’s the perfect lunchtime procedure. Three to five monthly treatments are needed for optimal results.

Medi Raf

Medi Raf by Medicreations is a state-of-the-art device that combines Microneedling with RF. This combination allows us to deliver RF up to 4 mm into the skin using 25 to 49 tiny sterile needles. A topical numbing cream is applied for 30 minutes prior to the procedure to improve comfort. Following the procedure your skin will be pink for about 24 hours, you may see some slight pinpoint bleeding and swelling, but downtime is minimal. Typically 2-4 treatments are recommended for optimal results. Results improve for 3-6 months after the first treatment.

Are you ready to schedule your microneedling or skin tightening consultation? Click on the online appointment link or call the Thomas Dermatology office nearest you.