MicroNeedling: Just the Facts
April 6, 2012 3:19 pm
Microneedling seems to be a subject that’s trending a bit when it comes to advanced skincare issues so I thought we’d take a little time to talk about it a little and hopefully demystify it a bit.
What is It?
Skin needling goes by many names in the skin and medical community including Dermarolling, Percutaneous Collagen Induction (PCI), and Collagen Induction Therapy. Pioneered by Dr. Andre Camirand in the late 1990s it simply involves the use of manually applied skin rollers that have around 200 fine surgical steel needles attached to a handheld roller mechanism that is applied directly to the skin in a crisscross motion. The objective is to stimulate or lightly wound the skin which in turn causes the skin to produce collagen and elastin as a result. What this does is help smooth out the skin, fill in fine lines and wrinkles, and promote scar reduction. For the medical grade level application of skin needling, the target of the needles and penetration is the upper dermis called the intermediate reticular dermis.
Effects on the Skin
The effects of skin needling differ according to needle gauge, length and the manual pressure that’s used with the roller. At 360 Skin we use a medium level of skin invasion to produce a simple level of wounding without drawing fluids, i.e. blood and lymph. Our main goal is collagen production along with increasing the depth of product delivery. Once purchased the device is sealed and stored for the clients next scheduled visit. Each microneedle device is only used on the client who purchase it and even then can only be used six times before it must be disposed of due to the fine needles losing a small amount of sharpness.
Different Needles, Different Outcomes
A roller with wide gauge, short length needles that are under 0.25mm in length are generally non-invasive and cannot cause the needed trauma to the skin; these instead stimulate and gently exfoliate while increasing mild circulation.
This action, much like manual massage and other electrical modalities, may enhance the penetration and absorption of active ingredients into the deeper layers of the skin.
The longer, thinner needles that we use in the practice are .5mm – 1.5mm in length. This length allows for age fighting/collagen producing skin benefits when combined with products that contain skin fortifying ingredients like Vitamin C and Peptides. Use of larger needles (2mm-3mm) creates a much more hazardous potential for breaking the skin, drawing fluids, and causing injury. The use of larger needles is best conducted under advanced medical supervision as post procedure complications can occur.
Microneedling is a simple, proven way to boost and enhance the work we are doing to make your skin look youthful, natural, and revived.
At 360 Skin we have the advanced training necessary to use these tools safely, correctly and appropriately. Please let me know if you are interested in discussing Microneedling further or if you have any questions.