I can feel it, you NEED to know about Micro-Needling, so I'm spilling the beans!
Thanks for clicking this blog! I am thankful that you are interested in learning about micro-needling. I hope this blog answers your questions and hushes your concerns and gets you pumped up to book your treatment. Micro-needling is all over the media, and it has been popular for years! So through this blog I will clarify any misconceptions that the media has put out there and I will properly educate you on the real deal of micro-needling.
So first things first, what is micro- needling?
Micro-needling is a cosmetic procedure that induces micro controlled traumas into the skin. What that means is that tiny sterile needles are puncturing the skin causing small openings in the skin. The reason it is referred to as controlled micro trauma is because a professional is doing it by hand and the needles are penetrating the skin. This procedure is highly effective and is done to promote collagen and elastin production. It stimulates the skin to heal and repair the micro injuries as soon as possible. Think of when you scrape or cut your knee, your skin works really hard to heal that area as fast as possible, micro-needling is the same concept but for your face. You may have also heard the name Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) that is just a fancy name for micro-needling. The names are interchangeable; so don’t let that confuse you.
Why would anyone intentionally cause a break in the skin? Is this facial seriously that effective?
Good question, these concerns need clarification. The best way to explain it is that the skin thinks something has gone wrong; therefore new cells start repairing rapidly; faster then if it were a small cut or a pimple. The micro traumas force the skin to produce more collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid; which are all essential in healthy, glowing, plump and ageless skin. Therefore, when micro- needling is done it triggers the skin to wake up and get moving. The results are undeniable, highly effective and immediate. Here are many of the benefits; 1. Stimulates new cell growth & promotion of cell repair
2. Encourages collagen and elastin activity
3. Provides an instant glow
4. Reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
5. Lifts appearance, darkness and depth of scarring
6. Reverses Sun damage
7. Shrinks pore size
8. Forces the dead skin to shed off (making room for the new cells)
9. Allows product to penetrate deeply and effectively into the open puncture sites.
10. Reverses the signs of aging and slows down the aging process
11. Automatic tightness
12. Improves Skin Texture and Appearance
Okay, so this procedure sounds a little intimidating; is it safe?
Absolutely. It has been approved by Health Canada since 2015 and many aestheticians and practitioners offer this service. Keep in mind, like anything else it is safe if the person is certified and is a practicing professional. That being said, I highly recommend you stay away from the home rollers, there are many products on the market that are not approved by Health Canada. I advise you to avoid ordering online or in other stores, stick to the spa professional service. This is strictly on the bases that you are not trained, therefore you wont know what is or isn’t a good response. You could also damage your skin by going too deeply or harshly. Another point about the home rollers being risky is that you wont have the proper products to make sure the skin is clean, disinfected and protected with the specific after care products. There are many things to be aware of for this facial and if done incorrectly you can really damage your skin, cause infection and potentially cause irreversible damage. I have had SO many questions about the home rollers that I even have a blog answering that concern in full detail. This blog supports my rational as to why I do not recommend those derma home facial rollers.
Some more information to ease your mind is to remember that micro-needling is minimally invasive. What I mean by this, is the professional will make an educated decision based on what depth is safe for your skin. The needles can only penetrate your skin as superficial as a 0.05mm and up to a depth of 0.2mm. Not as scary as you once thought anymore is it?
If you are still unsure, feel free to contact me or book a skincare consultation and I would be more then happy to go through this with you in person.
Where can micro needling be done?
Micro-needling is commonly done on the face and neck but can also be done anywhere that has severe scarring or stretch marks. Here are some examples, you can see the first image is scarring on the arm, the second is treating texture and scarring and the third photo is reducing stretch marks on a stomach.
If you want more results check out my results page here on my website and even my instagram and instagram highlights! Truly, we try and showcase our incredible results all over!
What can I expect my skin to feel like after my treatment and what is the recovery process like?
After your micro-needling treatment some common sensations you may feel would be warmth(like an irritation to a product or a sunburn)tightness and itchiness. The longevity of these symptoms is hard for me to predict as everyone has different skin responses. Healing can range from 1-7 days. However, the redness can be covered up by makeup two days after the treatment. Your skin could feel tight and dry and you may experience flakey skin or dry patches a few days after the treatment. It seems that the redness is variable per person, I have provided some photos of 3 different type of normal responses!
How many treatments do I need to see results?
You will see results after one micro-needling Treat•ment . The results you will experience after one treatment will be dewy and tight skin. Your skin texture will be smooth and even, you will also notice your fine lines are less prominent. Best results will be visible by day 14, get ready for that undeniable glow! In order to see long-term results you should have a treatment once a month for three consecutive months. After that, it will be up to you and your aesthetician to create a maintenance treatment plan.
What are the homecare instructions for after my treatment? It is important to follow these after care instructions. If you want best results and want to avoid infection read and follow carefully. After your treatment you will be sent home with a card that has these instructions on it so you don't forget! 1. Do not touch your face 2. Do not apply anything except hyaluronic acid on your face for 2 days
3. Do not apply makeup for at least 24 hours
4 Do not work out for 48-72 hours 5. Do not exfoliate for at least 2 weeks
6. Do not have any glycolic facials / microdermabrasion facials / Botox or injections for at least two weeks after micro-needling treatment
7. Drink lots of water
Do I need to prepare or do anything before I have micro needling done? Listen up! Please follow these instructions Before your treatment: - Do not exfoliate (a few days before) - Do not drink red wine (the night before- if you do no big deal, you will just have more blood spots) - Do not take Omega-3's the morning of (if you do no big deal, you will just have more blood spots) - Do not use Retinol (at least one week prior) - Avoid botox / fillers / injections (at least a week prior) - Avoid sun exposure / tanning beds (at least two weeks prior) - Avoid any glycolic peels or microdermabrasion treatments
I have heard and seen a lot about the derma roller, is the derma roller the same thing as micro needling?
No, but I understand where the confusion is.One main distinction between the derma roller and the micro-needling pen is the derma roller is literally needles on a wheel that runs across the skin and the micro-pen is hand held precision tool. The micro pen provides more control to glide across the skin. The derma roller is the same concept as to what is sold online (which earlier I advised you to stay away from). Reminder here is the blog explaining why to stay away from them. The micro pen allows for more control and better vertical application and penetration. The micro-needling pen allows for better precision to reach all the contours of the face. The micro pen also allows for hundreds of needles piercing per second allowing for increased collagen and dermal stimulation. The micro pen goes at a much quicker rate then the derma roller. The micro-needling pen has 12 medical grade stainless steel needles that are a 32 gauge. The pen has a disposable tip that is removed after every treatment ensuring that each procedure is sterile.
If you want to learn more about why I don't recommend the derma rollers you can read my blog "Can I invest in a home Micro-Needle roller?"
How do I know if I can have this treatment? Micro-needling is safe for all skin types except those who have rosacea or pustules (active acne/open lesions). Therefore, any other skin types (dry, oily, combination, you name it micro-needling is for you!) If you are struggling with acne currently, come in to see me for another treatment, once we have that cleared up; we can get you to the micro-needling stage. The only other contraindications to micro-needling is if you are pregnant or if you have had botox in the last two weeks. If you have had fillers or botox before, that is perfectly fine as long as there is more then a 2 week period from your fillers to your micro-needling treatment!
Alright, that was a lot of information… I also have a podcast episode I will link here if you want to relisten to it all! AND in addition to that resource, sometimes it doesn’t matter how much information is thrown at us or explained. Sometimes we just need the straight up details from someone who has personally experienced it; so here it is, a walk through from my first micro-needling treatment. Keep in mind, you could experience something different and your skin could respond differently, just remember this is MY personal experience.
A little background about my skin. My skin is confusing and it has taken me a long time to learn it. It is dry on my chin and forehead, normal on my nose and sensitive on my cheeks, and I scar SUPER easily. Some of you can probably relate, having 5 different skin types on one face (how lucky are we, eh?). I only tell you this so you don’t think my skin is perfect and that your response to this facial could be nothing like mine.
The facial treatment started at 1PM with a consent form, then quickly after finishing that, a gentle cleanse was done to remove all my makeup and other residue. Then, a numbing cream was applied quite heavily and evenly all over my face- this was left on for about 20 minutes (until the product was fully absorbed). When the numbing cream was essentially invisible; alcohol (70%) was sprayed onto a cotton round and rubbed on my face. This is to ensure your face is disinfected. I would never advise to wipe your face with alcohol but for procedures like this… yes it is logical and highly recommended. The next step was the micro-needling. It started at the top of my forehead and then by the time I knew it my full face was done. The procedure itself was done quite quickly. The numbing cream helped quite a bit!! The few spots I could feel it more then others were, my forehead, my eyebrows and my jaw line. To my surprise my upper lip, cheeks and temples were not painful. The nose; well that was just weird; it tickled and constantly felt like I needed to sneeze. I would not say this treatment was painful by any means. I honestly think, the thought of the process and the sound of the pen is what intimidated me the most. This facial treatment is absolutely tolerable! Once my full face was done the technician did what’s called stamping. She went over specific scares on my face and literally stamped the pen a few times. Once that was done, she applied Hyaluronic Acid and the treatment was done. Simple right?
After the treatment my face was red and itchy. After about 45 minutes the redness already started to subside, don’t get me wrong; I was still red, just not AS red. As the day continued the itchiness subsided and by the time I started to get ready for bed (10 pm) the itchiness was gone (although I was still red). When I woke up the next morning I was pink and blotchy. I had no reaction, no irritations, no breakouts or anything (yahoo). The main thing that I was faced with was dry scaly skin that lasted about a week (which is normal). So, for me, I have been drinking lots of water, moisturizing a lot and trying to avoid makeup (makeup makes the dryness appear much worse, makes sense though, right?)
I am very happy with my results and excited for my next Treat•ment ! My personal results that were (and still are) the most prominent was the drastic reduction of my crows feet, the texture of my skin was super smooth and I noticed the redness from my scarring on my cheeks was much lighter. I am already addicted to this facial!! My results are the middle photo from "where can Micro-Needling be done, so check that out for reference!! I have done MULTIPLE Treat•ments on my skin at this point and each time I love it evermore. I love the collagen boost, working on treating my skin hyperpigmentation and minimizing pore size. I have even done it on my thighs where I have stretch marks. I seriously love and recommend this Treat•ment.
Hopefully my personal experience gave you that much more confidence and excitement about micro-needling! I also have shared lots of clients testimonials and results on instagram which you can check out!
If you have anymore questions, concerns, or simply want to book an appointment, lets get in touch, I would love to hear from you!!
Hope your skin is happy & your soul is vibrant!
Much love,
Danielle