Microneedling or Collagen Induction Therapy is a process which was developed about 25years back to treat different types of scarring. This process involves a device with fine needles of a certain length which is used to create multiple channels in to the skin. Sounds scary I know, but I’ve made it easy to digest… read on…
INDICATIONS:
- Acne scars
- Skin rejuvenation and fine lines
- Open pores and texture skin
- Uneven skin tone and pigmentary problems
- Skin brightening
- Hair fall management and regrowth
- Stretch marks
PROCEDURE:
A numbing cream is applied to the area to be covered for a certain period of time. Skin is then cleaned and prepped for procedure. The microneedling instrument is then used to create micro-channels, the end point of the procedure is the appearance of erythema (redness), odema (pin-point swelling) and pin-point bleeding. Even after the numbing cream wears off, one should not feel any pain although mild discomfort could persist for about an hour. Some form of serum may be applied to the area after the procedure; like PRP for hair growth, antioxidant serum for skin rejuvenation/skin brightening, hyaluronic acid for adding moisture/skin rejuvenation, etc. This serum can be left on overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Post-procedure care includes: sunscreen, anti-biotic cream, prescribed serum and gentle cleanser. One has to avoid direct sunlight, scrubbing, use of cosmetics and any other medication not prescribed by your dermatologist. 5-8 sessions maybe required 2-4weeks apart in order to see a good result, which may vary from person to person.
MECHANISM OF ACTION:
The process of microneedling causes controlled injury to the skin, this encourages the skin to heal from within. These channels created causes certain desirable reactions of wound healing which will result in healthier looking skin. The changes include: increase in growth factors, collagen induction and neovascularisation. All of these cause improvement in the appearance of scars on the skin along with improving the overall appearance. Creating these channels in the skin also promotes efficacious delivery of active ingredients in to deeper layers of the skin for better action.
CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS:
This procedure is avoided in presence of any active lesion or infection. Special attention is to be provided for people with keloidal tendencies, cold sores, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. Severely sun damaged skin requires pre-treatment care and prepping for optimal results.
SIDE EFFECTS:
This is THE most important question which is running on repeat in everyone’s mind. Well in this case side-effects happen if either the procedure is not done in the right way (too aggressively done, lack of asepsis or faulty instrument) or if the pre and post-procedure care is not followed accurately. Apart from this, people of colour have the tendency to develop PIH (Post-Inflammatory Hyper or Hypo-pigmentation) so care needs to be provided, although this is reversible.
DISCUSSION:
So home-dermarolling is a trending topic on YouTube nowadays and I often get asked if it is safe. Well although it does look cool to see such videos, in reality it is scary! Imagine rolling 100s of tiny pins on your face, causing bleeding and giving way for infection. It’s not something you would want right? Things need to be done in a certain manner and a certain procedure/protocol needs to be followed. Asepsis needs to be maintained, the method needs to be accurate and post-procedure care needs to be perfect. So I would request you all not to fall for those videos, do not buy cheaply made dermarollers from Amazon or Ebay, do not inflict yourself with 100s of needles unnecessarily. Visit your dermatologist with whatever concerns you have, ask for advice and get appropriate treatment. Microneedling can be combined with other procedures to give optimum results, so keep an open mind.
Feel free to ask any questions you have in the comments section below 🙂
The Cosmetic Doctor 