The Ultimate Facial Rejuvenation
The term ‘collagen’ has gone viral in the world of beauty and those interested in facial rejuvenation. There are many lotions and potions advertised to increase or support its creation, and for very good reasons!
When you’re approximately twenty to thirty years of age your body’s collagen production will start to slow down. Subsequently, this results in a 1-2% decrease of collagen levels each year.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is a protein in your body that ‘holds everything together.’ Collagen, along with another protein known as elastin, work side by side to build strength and elasticity to the connective tissues of the body. When you have a higher amount of these proteins in your skin, it translates to a plumper, smoother, tighter, and more hydrated skin appearance.
How Does Microneedling Work?
Microneedling, also called Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), uses tiny needles to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the skin. It does this by creating (what your body perceives to be) micro-injuries through the skin. A process called the wound healing cascade begins to heal these ‘injuries’ and voilà! The production of more collagen and elastin is created. Even better, this wound healing cascade goes on for about 300 days after your procedure!
What are the Benefits of Microneedling?
We typically see smoother and more firm skin with a lessened appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores after the microneedling treatment. It also mechanically breaks up hyperpigmentation, resulting in a more even skin tone.
For patients with acne scars, surgical scars, stretch marks, and neck wrinkles, this treatment can be a major game changer! Microneedling is FDA-cleared for treatment of acne scars and neck wrinkles. By increasing collagen and elastin production and disrupting scar tissue in the treatment areas, the textural concerns related to acne scarring will be improved. This results in smoother skin with a more even texture. The number of treatments needed for dramatic correction of scarring will vary, but with each treatment you will see the transformation of your own skin!
Enhancing Your Microneedling Results
With a simple blood draw, we can isolate something called platelet rich plasma (PRP) from your blood and use it during the microneedling procedure to improve healing. PRP releases growth factors and other proteins to stimulate skin rejuvenation and enhance your results of microneedling. We will use the PRP to glide the pen during the microneedling for maximum skin penetration, and it will also be applied as a mask after the procedure.
On the Day of Your Treatment
On treatment day, your skin will be cleaned and massaged before applying a numbing cream. This will be left on for about 20 minutes so you can experience optimal comfort during your procedure. The SkinPen microneedling device will be passed over your skin vertically, horizontally, and around in circles with the needles set at different depths determined by your skin type and area that is being treated. The total treatment time takes about an hour. When the treatment is finished, your skin may feel tight and sensitive with a sunburn-like appearance. The redness will dissipate over the next 24 hours.
This treatment is quick, comfortable, and effective! Anyone with aging skin or specific concerns like acne scarring could greatly benefit from this treatment. What could be better than harnessing the amazing healing powers of our own body to improve our skin?
For more information or to schedule a consultation at Diehl Plastic Surgery, please give us a call at (919) 381-5540. We look forward to hearing from you!
