Microneedling FAQs Answered - Your Guide To Microneedling
If you've been wondering whether microneedling is right for you, you've come to the right place. Read on below as we break down some of the most common questions about microneedling.
Q. What does microneedling do?
Microneedling is a cosmeceutical procedure (a procedure that achieves cosmetic results using medical-grade devices). When microneedling, tiny needles from a motorised microneedling pen are used to make microscopic punctures in the skin.
Q. Why is microneedling also called Collagen Induction Therapy?
Microneedling is also referred to as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT). This is because the microscopic punctures created during the treatment (also known as microchannels) trigger a trauma/healing response in your skin. Your skin perceives that there has been a small injury and as a result, floods the tissue with the signal to naturally produce more collagen and elastin to heal the ‘wound’.
As the skin heals, so too do skin imperfection soften and even disappear completely.
Q. What skin conditions can microneedling help improve?
Microneedling is helpful for the treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, scarring, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, stretch marks and dryness/dullness, making it an ideal anti-ageing wonder treatment.
Q. What is the goal of microneedling?
The goal of microneedling is to open microchannels into the skin to allow for deeper delivery/penetration of skincare products, allowing our skincare to work more effectively to achieve its goals.
Another goal of microneedling is also to trigger the skin’s own healing response to the perceived ‘trauma’ to the skin caused by microneedling, prompting the skin to produce growth factors, turnover skin cells faster and create new collagen and elastin bonds - this, overall, gives the skin a more youthful, rejuvenated appearance.
Q. Who is microneedling good for?
Microneedling is wonderful for anyone who wishes to restore vitality to their complexion, anyone who wishes to look younger and anyone who wishes to heal skin imperfections and fight the visible signs of ageing.
Why you should try microneedling
Microneedling can help you achieve your skincare goals, including:
- Reducing fine lines and wrinkles
- Softening the appearance of enlarged pores
- Reducing hyperpigmentation
- Healing acne scarring and other scarring
- Smoothing over stretch marks
- Restoring hydration to the skin
- Restoring tonal/textural irregularities
Q. Who is suitable to try microneedling?
Microneedling gives you a range of amazing anti-ageing benefits - and when care is taken to ensure that you’re suitable for microneedling, you can feel good about treating yourself to microneedling at home (and saving hundreds of dollars that you’d have to spend at the clinic every 4-6 weeks!)
Q. Is microneedling safe?
Microneedling is generally considered safe for all skin types.
Q. Is there anyone that should take special precaution with microneedling?
As with all cosmeceutical treatments, some individuals will need to take greater safety precautions. There are some conditions that will preclude individuals from safely performing microneedling, or will mean that microneedling will need to be cleared by your medical professional first.
Some of these conditions include:
Abnormal skin conditions - If you’ve got abnormal skin conditions (such as cold sores (Herpes Simplex virus), bruised skin, contagious skin conditions, active acne, fungal infections, rashes or skin cancer), then you should take precaution and check with your medical professional before commencing any microneedling.
Skin conditions don’t necessarily mean that you will not be able to microneedle, but precaution must be taken to avoid triggering an inflammatory skin response that will worsen any of the above conditions, so please check with your doctor first.
Keloid scarring - If you’ve ever had keloid scarring (raised scarring), you should also check with your medical professional before microneedling.
Microneedling stimulates a trauma/healing response in the skin, so if your skin’s natural response is to produce a keloid scar, microneedling may trigger an undesirable response.
Medications - If you’re taking medications such as accutane, antibiotics, antidepressants, medications that cause photosensitivity or high blood pressure, please consult your medical professional before commencing microneedling.
Some medications will mean that you are unable to microneedle, others will simply mean that you can microneedle with caution under your doctor’s guidance. It’s crucial to double check this suitability first before you start microneedling.
Cosmetic treatments - If you’re undergoing cosmetic treatments including chemical peels, laser, cosmetic surgery, filler injections, Botox or cosmetic surgery, it’s necessary to wait until your skin fully recovers before commencing microneedling. Make sure to check with your medical professional before you start microneedling to make sure it will not interfere with any of your cosmetic procedure results.
Q. Are there any side effects to microneedling?
After microneedling, your skin will likely turn a little red/pink, and you may experience some pinprick bleeding (known as petrichae). Your skin might also look a little blotchy. Rest assured, this is temporary!
Your skin may also be a little swollen and you may experience some bruising, especially around areas of thin tissue (such as the delicate skin around the eyes or decolletage).
Q. What will the skin feel like after microneedling?
After microneedling, your skin also may feel a little rough to the touch for a few days and you may notice some visible marks on your skin, both caused by the microchannels created during microneedling.
These side effects are all part of the body’s healing process. Microneedling triggers a trauma/healing response in the skin (which is what helps stimulate the production of collagen and elastin).
Q. Are there different depths of microneedling penetration into the skin that achieve different results?
Yes! All Dr. Pen microneedling pens have a variable dial to adjust your needle depth. Adjusting the needle depth will allow you specifically target different areas of your face and body, as well as different skin conditions.
Please view our needle depth guide. You may also wish to view our needle speed guide, as varying the speed of your pen can also impact your results.
If you're using your microneedling pen on your face or other sensitive areas, we recommend using a lower speed - this gives you a more precise control of the pen and its movements.
Q. What speed/depth of microneedling should I start with?
We recommend starting off on a lower speed if you're new to microneedling, as this will allow you to get a sense of how the pen moves and get used to using the device. As you build up your control and confidence, you may then like to adjust the speed of the device accordingly.
On the other hand, if you're microneedling on the body, you may wish to adjust the speed of the pen to be higher (for instance, when microneedling on stretch marks, deep scars or deep wrinkles).
Q. When is it most effective to apply skincare products after microneedling?
External products after microneedling (such as serums) work best when applied within the first 24 to 48 hours. After that, all the microchannels that you made are closed. When choosing skincare products to apply after microneedling, stick to the following guidelines:
- Opt for products with a high purity of ingredients
- Look for low-irritant ingredients and hydrating ingredients (Hyaluronic Acid is amazing)
- Avoid active ingredients (such as AHAs, BHAs, retinols), toners and exfoliants
Microneedling aftercare
The day after treatment, wash your face with a gentle cleanser and apply a nourishing moisturiser. Avoid products containing fragrances or active ingredients (vitamin C, A/Retinols), acids (lactic acid, AHA, BHA), scrubs or toners which may cause irritation.
Your skin may experience mild swelling, bruising, peeling and flaking. You can minimise the dryness/flakiness during the healing process by keeping the skin moisturised, which will reduce shedding and alleviate tightness.
Avoid exercising, sweating excessively, swimming or applying makeup for 24 hours. You must apply a high protection sunscreen when going outdoors, and avoid prolonged sun exposure.
48 Hours After:
Optional: Begin to gently exfoliate the dry/flaking skin to help speed up the recovery process, and continue to hydrate the skin, morning and night.
Please note that this step is totally optional and if you choose to exfoliate to speed along the process, be sure not to exfoliate with any chemical or physical exfoliants, as both can irritate your skin as it heals
Do not exfoliate if the skin feels sensitive - the flakiness and dryness of the skin will naturally subside.
3-5 Days Post-Treatment:
Continue to apply a high protection sunscreen daily and avoid direct and extended sunlight for up to 1-week post-needling.
Your skincare routine should focus on hydrating and moisturising products, continuing to avoid active ingredients, acids, scrubs and toners.
7+ Days Post-Treatment:
You may return to your regular skincare routine.
If at any point you’re concerned about the progression of your skin’s healing, or if you feel that you’re bleeding or bruised excessively, please speak to your medical professional.
Q. Does microneedling hurt? What does microneedling feel like?
The very top layer of the skin doesn’t have many nerve endings, so shallow microneedling and nanoneedling is virtually painless. However the level of discomfort can increase as you go deeper into the skin.
We recommend applying a thin layer of numbing cream (such as Lidocaine, available over the counter) to the facial area approximately 20 minutes before microneedling to reduce any discomfort.
Q. When will I see results from microneedling?
Microneedling will give some instantaneous results, in the form of a ‘glow’. You’ll also notice some redness (as mentioned above) because the skin has been penetrated and blood flow to the skin has increased.
Skin cells take between 4-6 weeks to turn over a full life cycle, and you’ll see results amplifying during this time as your skin heals and new tissues is flooded with collagen and elastin.
Results to expect
Results will vary depending on the issues and areas that you are targeting with your microneedling treatment, and may include:
- Reduced hyperpigmentation
- Reduced fine lines and diminished wrinkles
- Diminished appearance of enlarged pores
- Improvements to the tone and texture of the skin
- More supple, hydrated skin
Q. How do I decide if microneedling is right for me?
Microneedling is safe and easy to perform at home and gives effective anti-ageing results - however like any cosmeceutical procedure, it’s important to give thorough consideration to ensuring that microneedling is right for you.
Before microneedling, we recommend consulting with your healthcare professional to ensure that it’s suitable for your needs. You may also wish to look over the following handy guides:
- Am I eligible for microneedling?
- What is Collagen Induction Therapy?
- How to microneedle (Everything you need)
- What to expect after microneedling
- Microneedling 101
- Face Mapping: How to microneedle
Whether it’s choosing the right microneedling pen for your needs, understanding how to get the most from your treatments, ensuring your environment is sterile or simply determining how to get closer to achieving the results that you desire - we’re here to help!
Why not join our VIP Private Facebook Support Group, or give us a call and speak one on one to our in-house Beauty Advisor.
