If you are struggling to find a skin treatment that is right for your skin tone and can treat multiple skin concerns, you should consider microneedling treatment.
From its ability to treat acne scars and stretch marks to helping to reduce ageing skin, microneedling is fast becoming one of the most popular cosmetic treatments. It even works on darker skin tones where other treatments don’t.
But what is microneedling? And how does it work? Our skin experts break down everything you need to know about microneedling treatments.
Microneedling FAQs
Microneedling – what is it and what does it do?
When you first hear the words skin needling, you probably think that this treatment will require downtime and leave you with marks or scars. But in fact, microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that works to increase healing in the deeper layers of the skin.
Microneedling treatments use tiny needles to create micro-channels in the skin. It does not leave holes in your skin like it might sound. Instead, creating these channels helps stimulate your body’s natural healing response. As a result, your body starts to produce new and healthy skin cells.
Microneedling is also known as percutaneous collagen induction therapy. This is because it helps your skin to stimulate collagen production by itself. As we get older, we start to lose natural collagen levels in our skin, which causes it to sag and look thin.
Because microneedling helps the skin to produce new collagen, it works to firm your skin and make it look more plump and healthy. This is why many patients use this treatment to reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles, and loose or sagging skin.
What is microneedling good for?
Microneedling is one of the top skin treatments that many skin experts and dermatologists swear by. Why? Not only does it work on all skin tones, including darker skin types, but it also treats many different skin conditions.
Beyond minimising lines and wrinkles and ageing skin, microneedling also helps:
- Correct and uneven skin tone and skin texture
- Reduce surgical scars, mild scars, stretch marks and other scars such as acne scarring
- Minimises the look of enlarged pores
- Improves skin laxity
- Brightens dull skin
- Reduces skin pigmentation issues such as sun spots or age spots
Microneedling can also be an effective treatment for scalp hair loss and can be combined with or used in place of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment.
You can also combine microneedling with other treatments such as chemical peels. This is because the tiny holes that the needles make in the skin help the active ingredients from chemical peels absorb easier and work better within the deep layers of the skin.
Which microneedling device is best?
At Time Clinic we provide the SkinPen microneedling treatment and SecretRF. Both of these microneedling devices come with their benefits. We break them down below:
SkinPen microneedling
What: An FDA-approved device that uses tiny needles to create micro-injuries in the skin. This helps to stimulate collagen and elastin production.
Why: Can help to minimise fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, stretch marks, pigmentation issues and improve skin tone and texture.
SecretRF
What: Combines the microneedling technique of SkinPen with radiofrequency energy (RF). The needles help to deliver RF energy to different levels within the skin.
Why: SecretRF also reduces lines, wrinkles and acne scarring, but the RF energy also helps to lift and tighten the skin.
Which one should you choose?
Both of the microneedling devices provide amazing results. Which one is right for you will come down to what your skin concerns are. When you sit down with one of our practitioners at your consultation, they will assess your skin type and skin issues to help you determine which treatment is right for you.
If your skin goals are to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin texture and minimise acne scars, the SkinPen device may be suitable for you. If you have deeper surgical or acne scars and skin laxity issues, SecretRF might be the better option.
Why choose microneedling for acne scars treatment?
While many people think laser treatment is the best option for acne scars (and sometimes it is), microneedling is also an excellent option. This is especially true if you have a dark skin type and are not suitable for laser treatments.
We often recommend patients have microneedling for acne scar treatment as the micro-injuries from the tiny needles help to stimulate new collagen in the skin. This can help to fill pitted acne scars, give you a more even skin texture and minimise the looks of your scars over time.
Does microneedling hurt?
Most patients describe microneedling as a comfortable treatment. However, to help reduce discomfort, we apply a topical numbing cream to the skin first.
You may feel a slight pressure from the tiny needles entering your skin. If you have SecretRF, you may feel a slight pressure and a warming sensation from the device.
Can I use an at-home microneedling device?
If you want a microneedling procedure, we advise against doing it at home. This is because the treatment requires a professional who is trained to ensure that the needles are sterile and go to the right depths in your skin.
At-home microneedling devices can come with a number of problems, too. Most of the time, the needles these devices use are not as sharp and are more blunt than those we use in our clinic. This can result in more damage to your skin and it can increase the risk of infection.
Using the right device and with a trained professional will make the difference in the type of results you achieve and how healthy your skin looks afterwards.
How many treatments will I need?
This will depend on the health of your skin and what skin conditions you are looking to treat. For example, surgical scars, acne scars and any other type of scars will need more treatments to reduce their appearance.
We usually recommend a course of 3-4 treatments of microneedling. These will be spaced about 4-6 weeks apart so that your skin can heal and it gives your body a chance to start producing the new collagen.
Book a non-obligation consultation
If you think that microneedling treatment might be right for you, and you want to hear more about it, start by booking a consultation at our skin clinic.
During your consultation, you will meet with one of our medical professionals, who will walk you through our microneedling devices and how they work. They will also assess your skin condition and look at your medical history.
We will also provide you with a bespoke treatment plan and all the information you need so that you can make a decision on what course of treatment is right for you.
