Microneedling – Taking your skin care to a whole new level.

Ever thought about walking on hot coals?

Attending a Tony Robbins seminar can be, for some, life-changing. So much so that many in attendance attempt to walk on hot coals to affirm their renewed faith in their abilities and shatter self-limiting beliefs that have held them back in life.  

Set on fire with their epiphanies and a newly discovered fearlessness, off they go.  

Before you commence, you’ll be assured that a). this walk of faith will elevate you to a new level of belief in yourself and reignite your personal power and b). you won’t feel a thing!!

My first thoughts? Are you crazy? There’s no way I’m going to self-inflict pain upon myself or the possibility of cindered feet.

You might feel the same way. Who wouldn’t? Even so, many do it. It’s not for me to judge. 

And then this happened. 

 

“How about we roll over your face with 1mm needles? Really? Sure, with the assistance of numbing gel, you won’t feel a thing. Your skin will thank you!” The skin therapist eagerly assured me…

 

Of course, why not, I thought. After all, it’d be nothing like walking on hot coals. Even so, needles? Despite my aversion to pain, I took a leap of faith and volunteered my precious face.  After all, it was only medical-grade needles the length of 1mm rolled over my face until it began to bleed. Gulp. 

I know, not for the faint-hearted.

I did this not to affirm my empowerment (although I’m sure it helped); oh no, this was for my quest for healthy, beautiful skin.

But seriously? What did I do to my skin?

Depending on the length of the needles, it can be an efficient, non-invasive treatment to improve product ingredient penetration by opening up microchannels in the skin. Or, if you opt for the treatment I had, known as Medical Micro-Needling – Collagen Induction Therapy, tiny wounds are created all over the face to kick-start your collagen production. Who doesn’t want that, right?

And, once you begin to see results, your long-held belief that nothing works will dissipate. 

Micro-needling does work! With regular treatments, you can have the smooth, healthy, beautiful skin you’ve always hoped for, and the confidence and personal power that comes with that is most certainly life-affirming! Tony Robbins, eat your heart out!! 

What exactly is Microneedling?

Also known as Dermal rolling, micro-needling is a method of skin renewal pioneered by the world-renowned plastic surgeon, Dr Des Fernandes.

Dr Fernandes is the founder of the skincare brand Environ, who in 1997 began his first experimentation with needling on his skin using a cosmetic tattoo pen. Dissatisfied with the initial results, Dr Fernandes developed a custom-made roller, giving him greater control, better movement over the contours of the face, and a depth of needling necessary to induce collagen production (it needed to bleed).

Since those early days 30 years ago, micro-needling has become a standard procedure for many skincare and medical professionals. Many cosmeceutical skin care companies provide micro-needling devices as part of their service offering. 

Your skincare therapist or cosmetic doctor will know the best option for you and inform you of the anticipated outcomes and results based on the needle’s length. 

What are your options?

1. Cosmetic Needling – your home care device.

Its purpose is to enhance the penetration of active ingredients in your serum formulations, such as Vitamin A, C and B3. The length of the needle for a cosmetic home roller varies from 0.01mm to 0.05mm.

I prefer a 0.02mm roller which is relatively comfortable while improving the efficacy of my serums. Cosmetic needling can be done every day with no bleeding or pain—a very effective way to get more out of your serums. 

2. Medical Needling or Collagen Induction Therapy.

A fully qualified skin care professional will use a topical anaesthetic numbing gel or cream to carry out your medical needling treatment.  

When done correctly, the needles will pierce the skin to create a micro-wound to induce bleeding and stimulate your transformative growth factors to produce new collagen. This type of treatment will treat light scars such as acne scarring and is beneficial for wrinkles, skin laxity and stretch marks.  

When used in conjunction with chemical peels, micro-needling can also assist in the reduction of blotchy pigmentation. Good news for anyone prepared to commit to a course of micro-needling treatments. You’ll need between 4 and 6 treatments over six weeks to get the best possible results. The length of the needle used in this procedure will always be between 1 – 1.5mm. 

3. Surgical Needling.

Surgical needling is the most invasive method of Collagen Induction Therapy. This option is only ever done by a trained cosmetic doctor, and in most cases, your skin will require a topically applied numbing cream before your treatment. With the depth of the needle at 3mm, you’ll get a much deeper piercing necessary to break through thickened scar tissue.  

In the same way as medical needling, surgical needling will induce a surge of transformative growth factors to supply the skin with new collagen to lessen the appearance of scar tissue, improve the organisation of collagen and elastin fibres and thicken the epidermis. 

But is it safe?

Now before you wince at the very thought of this beauty procedure, and no matter how unpleasant it may seem, it’s one of the safest corrective beauty treatments you can have. Best of all, there is hardly any social downtime, apart from mild redness for 24 hours and a little bit of dryness for a few more days after that.

When conducted by a trained professional, it’s a safe and effective way to naturally reaffirm your skin’s ability to rejuvenate and repair itself.

Of course, it will hurt without a measured dose of numbing gel applied 45 – 60 minutes before the procedure, no matter how steadfast your belief in yourself or how confident you are.  Before my treatment, I took the advice of my therapist, and 60 minutes later, my face was comfortably numb and ready to go. 

 

Find a fully trained skincare professional.  A trained professional can provide you with a safe and effective way to naturally reaffirm your skin’s ability to rejuvenate and repair itself.

Should you do it?

The answer to that question is an emphatic YES. Micro-needling could be the life-changing beauty solution you’ve been looking for. Seriously! But first, consult with well-trained skincare or medical professional. In most cases, the risk of any adverse reaction is very low. But, like any procedure, you want to know you’re in the right hands. The skincare or medical professional you’ve chosen uses quality devices and is competently trained in the procedure and any pre and post-treatment protocols. 

Almost every skin type and condition will benefit from micro-needling, with the only exception being acne. DO NOT let anyone micro-needle your skin unless your acne is under control with no sign of infection and you’ve reached a point where your goal is to reduce acne scar tissue.

 

Going it alone, at home?

We all love a bit of DIY, and you may decide, for now, that you either don’t need it or are not quite ready to take the leap and have a Collagen Induction Therapy treatment. Cosmetic needling at home may be an excellent way to improve your skin and prepare you for when you decide to go deeper.

Always look for quality devices.

Get the right advice on how to use your home roller and keep it clean.

Cosmetic needling can be done at home every night. However, be aware cosmetic needling can bring about short-term reactions to your Vitamin A and C Serums due to the efficacy of product penetration. If this happens, reduce the frequency of cosmetic needling until any temporary skin irritation calms down. 

However, don’t be deterred, as your skin will benefit tremendously from the improved uptake in nutrition.

The pioneer of micro-needling.

Dr Des Fernandes, the founder of Environ, was the pioneer of medical needling. 

 

Getting the best results possible.

Regardless of which micro-needling method you opt for, you’ll get far superior results if you combine your treatment with a topical Vitamins A & C application.

It would be almost pointless if you didn’t incorporate them into your routine. 

Collagen Induction Therapy induces collagen, and it’s essential the cells that produce collagen, known as Fibroblasts, get the nutrition they need to perform optimally. High-quality vitamin A & C serum formulations should be your go-to companion ingredients whenever micro-needling is involved.  Do this, and you’ll be delighted with how well your skin responds.

You’ll experience better healing and increased production of well-formed collagen. Just like feeding your body the right fuel for good health so too, feeding your skin with the correct nutrients will make a remarkable difference to your results.

Thankfully I didn’t feel a thing, and with the promise of better, firmer skin with fewer lines, this could be the ‘Tony Robbins’ of beauty treatments!

And now you?

Have you tried micro-needling? Did you achieve the results you were expecting? Or you’ve still got questions? You can shoot me an email here. Or, if you’d like a bit more on the science behind micro-needling, this article here may interest you. 

See you next time.