Microneedling

What is Microneedling?

Microneedling is a very safe, effective, simple and minimally invasive technique which is now very popular in skin care therapies. It is used for skin rejuvenation, acne, acne scar, burn scar, stretch marks, and many more. This technique can be combined with other facial techniques to provide better results. In particular, it is a very safe technique for dark skin types, where risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation is very high with other techniques like lasers.

This treatment is commonly used for skin concerns caused or enhanced by a loss of collagen.

The procedure can help you battle everything including:

enlarged pores
acne scars
fine lines and wrinkles
stretch marks
sunspots (also called age spots)
uneven skin texture
Lost elasticity

Collagen Induction Therapy

During the microneedling procedure, different products can be inducted into skin. These products can enhance the process of treatments. Some of these products include:

Vitamin C serum- can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, lines, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. The serum is often used to even out your complexion and reduce inconsistencies in color caused by sun damage and reduction in collagen production. Antioxidants like vitamin C are beneficial for your skin regardless of your age or specific skin issues. Although many skincare products with vitamin C are marketed for their anti-aging benefits, vitamin C can help keep your skin healthy, strong and clear at any age!

Vitamin A– Retinol and retinoids are vitamin A derivatives and are among the most studied ingredients in skincare. There are numerous benefits with using vitamin A. it is the most important step that you can take for overall skin health and anti-aging, after sun protection factor. Retinols help regulate cell turnover, promote effective exfoliation, prevent acne, even out discoloration, control oil, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, unclog pores, and so much more.in vitamin A.

Glycolic Acid– Acne prone, oily skin responds well to treatment with glycolic acid since it breaks the bonds between skin cells. This increases exfoliation and makes skin smoother and more even. It reduces dryness and irritation of the skin.

Hyaluronic acid – is great for keeping your skin hydrated and plump. It is a substance that retains moisture. Hyaluronic acid is capable of binding over one thousand times its weight in water. This substance is naturally found in many areas of the human body, including the skin, eyes, and synovial fluid of the joints. It can help increase skin moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Microneedling / Before treatment

Stop taking Vitamin E, fish oil, turmeric and ginger three days before the treatment session. They cause the blood to become thinner and may cause bruises during or after microneedling. You should also stop using any other blood thinners for 3 days before coming to microneedling sessions. (Please consult with your family doctor before you stop using blood thinner.)
Avoid using any kind of Herbs- St. Johns specifically.
Avoid having spicy food at least one day before microneedling.
On the day of your treatment, do not apply any makeup, lotion or sunscreen to the treatment area. If you’re targeting your face, wash your face with a gentle facial cleanser before you come in for your appointment. If you are targeting your body, wash with a gentle soap that will not irritate your skin.
The day of your treatment is not the appropriate time to experiment with a new soap with chemicals you may be allergic or sensitive to.
Avoid using ACCUTANE and other medications for acne treatment, such as most other topical acne medications that include retinoid. If you currently take this medication, ask your primary care physician if you can stop taking it and ask about an alternative that will not affect your collagen induction therapy treatment. You should not take Accutane within six months of starting treatment.
Shaving the treatment area in the week before your scheduled session is fine. However, you should not use alternative hair removal methods, such as electrolysis, hair removal creams, laser hair removal or waxing. Such hair removal methods increase skin sensitivity. Plan to not use such hair removal methods until eight days after your session.
You should avoid shaving the treatment area on the day of your session. Whether you shave the night before your session is up to you, however shaving on the day of your treatment may cause skin irritation. If you choose to shave the treatment area the night before your session, make sure the blades of your razor are sharp, you use shaving cream and you moisturize your skin afterward. You don’t want skin irritation the day of your session.
For two weeks leading up to your treatment session, avoid receiving cosmetic treatments that will irritate your skin. Treatments that increase skin sensitivity include IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy and laser treatments.
Other cosmetic treatments you should avoid include physical exfoliation, which may irritate your skin prior to treatment, and chemical peels. You should avoid chemical peels in the two weeks leading up to your treatment because chemical peels irritate your skin and often include vitamin A derivatives.
Do your best to avoid UV damage in the week leading up to your session. You should also take steps to mitigate your risk of sunburn by wearing at least an SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen that has not expired and reapplying it every four hours. You can also minimize the effects of sun exposure by minimizing your time spent outdoors between 10 and 4 and wearing a hat outside.
If you have a history of cold sores, take an antiviral 48 hours prior to your treatment and the day of your session. If you forget to take an antiviral two days before your session and you have a cold sore at the treatment site on the day of your session, you will have to reschedule your appointment.

What is Collagen Induction Therapy?

While microneedling is a non-invasive treatment with no downtime, there is some preparation and aftercare associated with it. Among the things you should avoid before treatment are Accutane, heat-based cosmetic treatments and UV damage. Among the things you should avoid after treatment are alcohol, tobacco and NSAIDs.

In order to receive the best result, please consider the following points BEFORE coming to your treatment sessions:

1. Stop taking Vitamin E, fish oil, turmeric and ginger three days before the treatment session – they cause the blood to become thinner and may cause bruises during or after microneedling. You should also stop using any other blood thinners for 3 days before coming to microneedling sessions. (Please consult with your family doctor before you stop using blood thinner.)
2. Avoid using any kind of Herbs- St. Johns specifically.
3. Avoid having spicy food at least one day before microneedling.
4. On the day of your treatment, do not apply any makeup, lotion or sunscreen to the treatment area. If you’re targeting your face, wash your face with a gentle facial cleanser before you come in for your appointment. If you are targeting your body, wash with a gentle soap that will not irritate your skin.
5. The day of your treatment is not the appropriate time to experiment with a new soap with chemicals you may be allergic or sensitive to.
6. Avoid using ACCUTANE and other medications for acne treatment, such as most other topical acne medications that include retinoids. If you currently take this medication, ask your primary care physician if you can stop taking it and ask about an alternative that will not affect your collagen induction therapy treatment. You should not take Accutane within six months of starting treatment.
7. Shaving the treatment area in the week before your scheduled session is fine. However, you should not use alternative hair removal methods, such as electrolysis, hair removal creams, laser hair removal or waxing. Such hair removal methods increase skin sensitivity. Plan to not use such hair removal methods until eight days after your session.
8. You should avoid shaving the treatment area on the day of your session. Whether you shave the night before your session is up to you, however shaving on the day of your treatment may cause skin irritation. If you choose to shave the treatment area the night before your session, make sure the blades of your razor are sharp, you use shaving cream and you moisturize your skin afterward. You don’t want skin irritation the day of your session.
9. For two weeks leading up to your treatment session, avoid receiving cosmetic treatments that will irritate your skin. Treatments that increase skin sensitivity include IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy and laser treatments.
10. Other cosmetic treatments you should avoid include physical exfoliation, which may irritate your skin prior to treatment, and chemical peels. You should avoid chemical peels in the two weeks leading up to your treatment because chemical peels irritate your skin and often include vitamin A derivatives.
11. Do your best to avoid UV damage in the week leading up to your session. You should also take steps to mitigate your risk of sunburn by wearing at least an SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen that has not expired and reapplying it every four hours. You can also minimize the effects of sun exposure by minimizing your time spent outdoors between 10 and 4 and wearing a hat outside.
12. If you have a history of cold sores, take an antiviral 48 hours prior to your treatment and the day of your session. If you forget to take an antiviral two days before your sessionand you have a cold sore at the treatment site on the day of your session, you will have to reschedule your appointment.

Important Notice

Please inform your skin care counselor if you have any of the following conditions before starting any treatment:

You are pregnant
Used any other cosmetics treatment such as Filler, Botox, Chemical peeling, laser
Have active infection (including Acne, Cold Sore)
Have chronic skin disorder (like rosacea, Eczema, Psoriasis)
Have blood clot problem, healing issue, or any disease related to skin
Have a history of skin cancer
Using Accutane or any other antibiotics, any blood thinner, or St. John’s herbal
Allergy history (such as allergy to numbness cream, or any specific product)
Diabetes, Hepatitis, AIDS.

Microneedling/ After treatment

In order to receive the best result, please consider the following items AFTER you received your treatment each sessions:

Do not wash your face for 6 hours after the treatment. After 6 hours, you can wash your face only with lukewarm water. Avoid using any soap, scrub, or foam on the treated area.
Taking shower is OK after 24 hours of your treatment. You can wash the parts of the body, but not your face.
Sun Protection- You should avoid direct sunlight and cover your face from the sun beams by wearing large hats, masks and sunglasses at least for 72 hours to 1 week after the treatment. Sunscreen with SPF 30+ is necessary 72 hours after the treatment. Use zinc Oxide based sunscreen with no color. Repeat applying sunscreen every 2 hours to get the best result.
Avoid NSAIDS- In the week following your microneedling treatment session, avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Inflammation is a crucial part of the skin healing process and taking NSAIDs will slow the rate at which your skin heals. Furthermore, NSAIDs thin the blood, and you’ll want to avoid this in the first seven days following your treatment session.
Avoid Picking your skin- At some point between three and five days after your treatment, your skin will look dry and start to peel. You may be tempted to “speed along” the peeling process by picking at the peeling skin or physically exfoliating it. This should not be done. It will slow the healing process and lead to a skin infection or acne outbreak. I
Avoid over moisturizing your skin- Just as you should avoid picking your skin so it can peel naturally, you should also avoid over-moisturizing your skin during the natural peeling process. If you over-moisturize your skin, it will take longer to peel and you will reduce the rate at which you see the final results of your collagen induction therapy treatment.
Avoid keeping your skin dehydrated- Your skin should not be dehydrated, either. If you have oily or normal skin, moisturize your skin once daily with a gentle facial moisturizer. We recommend moisturizing your face in the morning so your face feels comfortable and hydrated all day. If you have naturally dry skin, you should moisturize your skin twice daily. Gentle moisturizers that won’t irritate your skin include Aquaphor, Cetaphil and Vaseline.
Avoid Sweating & Heat- Do your best to avoid sweating during the first three days following your treatment session. Avoid cooking, steaming-hot showers or baths, jacuzzis, saunas and steam rooms. Do not engage in heavy exercises, such as heavy weight lifting, swimming, intense spinning or indoor rowing. If you have a strenuous job that makes you sweat, take three days off from work.
Avoid COSMETICS- Do not use the cosmetics you usually incorporate into your daily routine for the first five to seven days after your treatment. No toner, no cleanser, no scrub, no exfoliator. If you can’t go a week without wearing makeup, try to go without wearing makeup until your skin starts to peel. Once your skin starts to peel, it is okay to wear mineral makeup. Once your skin finishes peeling, you may resume wearing your favorite cosmetics.
Avoid ice- You should not apply ice to the treatment area or use it near the treatment area. Ice will impede the natural inflammatory process that your skin needs for healing. For the same reason, you should avoid herbal supplements used to fight inflammation, such as arnica supplements and bromelain (derived from pineapples). You should also avoid drinking pineapple juice and eating pineapples during the first week after treatment so you don’t consume too much bromelain.
Avoid Sleeping on your stomach or side-If you received collagen induction therapy treatment on your face, you should avoid sleeping on your stomach or side for the first week after your session. Sleep on your back with your head elevated.
Avoid using Alcohol and Tobacco-Do not consume alcohol/tobacco in the seven days following your treatment. Alcohol has dehydrating properties and will slow your skin’s healing process drastically. Tobacco products (cigarettes, chewing tobacco, most e-liquids and smoking cessation tools, like nicotine gum and patches) contain dozens of chemical compounds which will drastically impede your skin’s healing process.
Use Natural Moisturizers- Because your skin becomes very dry after microneedling, the only products which can be used after microneedling are natural moisturizers with hyaluronic Acid. Some natural oils such as almond oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and aloe Vera are very helpful. Vitamin AD is also very useful. The moisturizers can be used immediately after the treatment.
Avoid using cooling masks to decrease the inflammation. It reduces the microneedling effect. To get the best result, this inflammation is necessary.
Use anti spot cream or rejuvenating cream after one week of treatment and between the sessions.
Apply topical antibiotic (Polysporin) for at least 3 days to avoid any infection after the treatment

What are side effects of microneedling:

Inflammation & swelling
Redness of skin
Pain in the treated area
Red spot and bruises
Infection – By using hygiene and suitable antibiotics like polysporin, we can avoid any skin infection.
Hyperpigmentation- In some people, the color of skin may change and dark spots may be created. If you are predisposed with growing dark spots, please inform your skin therapist before starting microneedling.
Dryness/itchiness of skin