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The Benefits of Micro-Needling
Fashion & Beauty | August 10, 2019
Would you believe me if I told you that rolling needles on your face helped with rejuvenation? Or would you think I was out of my mind? Nope! Not only does this exist, it surprisingly has a number of benefits, with full-on support from the medical community to boot! Enter micro-needling, the latest skincare practice for anti-aging and skin health. Curious to discover what all the hype is about this scary-looking procedure? Then read on for all the ins and outs! Are you ready? Then let’s get to it!
How it Works
Basically, a micro-needling tool is a roller-like device that contains a series of fine needles that can be “rolled” across the skin. These needles have enough length to create microscopic punctures to the blood vessels on the top layer of the skin. These punctures are actually little wounds that activate the body’s natural healing process, thereby increasing the production of both collagen and elastin. Believe it or not, it works very similar to laser treatments but rather than utilizing light you’re going at it mechanically. [1] Think of it as a beneficial trauma that’s no different than lifting weights to build muscle. In order to grow new muscles or skin, you must first create a micro “injury” or “trauma” to break things down and allow your body to step in and rebuild them with stronger, resilient tissue.
The Benefits
As a result, there are several benefits that come with micro-needling due to its ability to stimulate collagen synthesis (hence the reason for it also being referred to as collagen induction therapy or CIT), which thereby helps with:
- Anti-aging
- Wrinkles
- Acne scars
- Enlarged pores
- Skin tone
- Firmness
- Sun damage
- Hyperpigmentation
What’s cool about micro-needling is that it’s encouraging your body to work in your favor. According to doctor Sejal Shah, MD, “This is one of the reasons I like micro-needling- because it’s able to utilize the body’s own natural healing mechanisms, so the results are very natural…. I often recommend it as maintenance for people who are trying to stave off the signs of aging.” [1]
Micro-needling boosts the efficacy of your current skincare regimen. That’s right, if you’re currently using any serums, creams, or treatments on your skin, they’ll work even better when you supplement with micro-needling. Remember those micro injuries I mentioned? These not only stimulate collagen product, they also open up your skin, making it more receptive to whatever you layer on top of it. That means better absorption and greater penetration. Money-wise, you’ll be getting more value for your products, and you may even need to use less due to better absorption. [2]
By the way, micro-needling isn’t only for the face. It can also be done on the rest of the body, whether it’s your arms or legs, giving it quite a range of versatility!
Show Me the Proof!
There is evidence to validate both the claims and benefits of micro-needling.
Ten years ago, a study posted in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgeryshowed that, in a small pool of participants, noticeable improvements were made in the appearance of (acne). [3] What’s pretty neat about that study is the fact that it includes a few pictures showing the before and after of treatment (so check it out in the sources section if you can). Another study from 2015 shows that micro-needling helped to improve the discolored hyperpigmentation from melasma, or sun damage, with all of its participants experiencing significant improvements (once again, you can check the study out and look at the before and after pictures). [4] There’s yet another 2015 study that demonstrates the effectiveness of micro-needling, this time coming from the prestigious International Journal of Dermatology. To summarize, patients who underwent multiple micro-needling sessions all literally had rejuvenated their skin, with the biopsies to prove it. The results should that, “Compared to the baseline, collagen types I, III, and VII, as well as newly synthesized collagen, together with tropoelastin showed a statistically significant increase in response to treatment…” [5]
Research as recent as 2018 coming out again from the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery shows once more that micro-needling has “noteworthy” results when it comes to addressing both facial scars (particularly from acne) and wrinkles, whether it’s used by itself or combined with either a topical product or radiofrequency therapy. [6]
Side Effects and Precautions:
Don’t be alarmed by the needles! In spite of outward appearances, micro-needling is otherwise considered to be minimally invasive. There’s no downtime in regards to recovery, making it a wonderful alternative to more intense procedures using lasers or chemical peels. But like any skin treatment, it comes with a potential list of side effects.
For some people, it may cause just a little bit of bleeding, bruising, and pigment issues. But this can happen with any facial procedure. What’s more common is minor redness, itchiness, and irritation the days following the procedure, which is only temporary. People with active acne breakouts or sensitive cysts should hold off from micro-needling until things have calmed down. Otherwise, you run the risk of spreading bacteria and creating inflammation. [7]
According to a statement by Emory University’s Aesthetic Center, the actual micro-needling procedure only takes about 30 minutes, with an additional 45-60 minutes taken for the application of topical anesthesia. [8]
To address the elephant in the room, most people do not feel any pain or discomfort during micro-needling, especially when it comes to a professional treatment that uses longer needles. [9]
[8] Professional treatments are conducted either by a board-certified dermatologist, plastic or cosmetic surgeon, or physician-supervised aesthetician. Micro-needling is not covered by insurance and costs between $100 to $700 per session, depending on the amount of work that’s done. [7]
How Vs Office Use
What about those home micro-needling devices on social media? Are they any good? While the American Academy of Dermatology prefers and validates the use of professional in-office treatments, there’s no harm in doing a less costly, mild form of it. [10] The difference between the at-home devices and those used by professionals is the needle size of the rollers. At home, the needles are shorter and blunter, and they don’t penetrate deep enough to cause the same reactions that the medical-grade ones do. They can also be trickier to clean up and will need to be replaced over time as the needles grow dull. But don’t let that discourage you! Even if you can’t afford a professional, more intense micro-needling session, the at-home ones have many anecdotal claims describing better circulation, skin brightening, and improvements in mild lines and acne scars, so it’s worth checking out! [11] I do have the at home micro-needling device and use it once a week. I can tell the difference in the smoothness of my skin the very next day.
Have you ever tried micro-needling? Let me know if it’s helped your skin down in the comments! I must confess to only having done an at-home treatment but would love to know whether or not it truly compares to the professional one!
Sources:
[1] https://www.rd.com/health/beauty/microneedling-benefits/
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928098708004867
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840919/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840919/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26096653
[6] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1748681517302504
[7] https://www.healthline.com/health/microneedling#overview
[8] https://www.emoryhealthcare.org/centers-programs/aesthetic-center/non-surgical-services/micro-needling.html
[9] https://www.healthline.com/health-news/microneedling-latest-craze-in-skin-care#4
[10] https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/microneedling
[11] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324138.php
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
I tried on scalp for hairloss treatment. It is meant to help stimulate growth of dormant hair follicles. Didnt do much to state if it was of added value. At home.
Private Member |
I had a professional treatment done about 4 weeks ago, due to some acne scars I have on my face. I read up on the topic intensly and compared it with laser treatment. I had considered laser treatment as well because my bf did it and it really worked for him, but he said it took several weeks to heal and the first week or so his skin was really weird and sticky, he couldn’t go in to work for a bit because he was so embarassed. It’s why I decided against laser, resp. decided to try microneedling first because it is barely (if at all) noticeable, so you can go back to work right away. I also heard a lot of good stuff from youtubers that had much more severe acne scarring.
Regarding the session itself, it is done quickly. For me there wasn’t really any pain, but in certain areas of my face I felt some discomfort (e.g. around my mouth). I didn’t have completely clear skin at the time, i.e. a few small pimples, but she just worked around those problem areas. She was using a microneedling pen where she could adjust the depth of the needles (which was different depending on the part of the face she was treating I think), and then they just poke the skin repeatedly.
After the treatment, my skin looked pretty normal, just mildly pink. No one at school could tell I had done anything. My skin was itchy though and I really had to fight to keep myself from scratching haha. But it felt and looked normal after two days. Could be different on other skin types though!
What my treater (?) said was that your skin should NOT bleed, or only very mildly. If the needling causes bleeding then a cheap tool is used, based on her experience. Also you really have to watch what you put on your skin for a week – She recommended pure hylauronic acid, but as this was a trial for me I decided not to purchase it (would have cost 140 usd), in case I don’t want to do it anymore. I did however get the recommended 50+ spf sunscreen, which she said is a MUST for the first week if I’m outside. After the treatment your skin is of course extremely sensitive for a bit. So I used the sunscreen every morning for about 10 days, then started my usual skin treatment again.
Regarding the results: I don’t notice a huge difference. My scars and wrinkles (which she said should fade a bit) haven’t really gotten better. What I did notice is that my pores are smaller, and my skin seems a bit “glowier”. HOWEVER, multiple sessions are necessary to really see a difference. I have decided to do 5 treatments, one every 4-6 weeks and see how it goes. This time I’ll also commit to the hylauronic acid I think. I’ll try to post the results!
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
lol…acupuncture.
Private Member |
austin, texas
I have seen interesting stuff on this subject. Pretty interesting article.
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
I learned basic facial rejuvenation techniques (I’m an acupuncturist). Everything in Z’s article is on point. It is also what is meant in Chinese Medicine by how the needling “increases qi and blood, removes stagnation, strongly influences the yuan qi.” When one understands the CONTEXT of that language–its age, where it comes from, what the translations of those words are, how much information was available to the people who developed these techniques, etc–it is essentially expressing exactly all the scientific explanations that Zuzka delineated in her article. Our modern culture and paradigm is science-based, but it is also beginning to understand what was meant by ancient traditions and integrating with them to create something more useful and potent.
The thing that upsets me and those in my profession is how poorly we are treated. Our profession is young, though, so we do not have a large enough professional association (yet) to have a seat at the AMA meetings and defend ourselves from other types of health care practitioners, mainly physical therapists, chiropractors, and MD’s who want to essentially rip our medicine from us and take it out of context. We have spend a minimum of 3200 hours to receive our BASIC education (and I went on to complete a doctoral degree), yet these practitioners want to be able to “dry needle” after receiving some 400 hour certification or something heinous, and to be able to use cupping and gua sha (they call it scraping or graston or some other name) and get paid for it. The cost of our education is on par with Western allopathic med school. Even some estheticians want to be able to “microneedle”, aka ACUPUNCTURE with small needles, because it works. Look up Michelle Gellis. She is an acupuncturist who is the pioneer of the modern techniques of facial rejuvenation acupuncture.
As of now, the only people defending us at AMA meetings are MDs who strongly appreciate acupuncture, understand that it is not fully understood through science yet, but is recognized by the WHO as the most commonly used traditional medicine in the world (which is why the upcoming ICD-11 codes will have new “Traditional Medicine (TM)” codes that will be using the traditional language to describe disease conditions). As of now it’s these people who care about our profession and want to support and defend us.
It’s okay though, because as time goes on, and as more health insurance companies are bringing us on, and as we are being sought out increasingly, because the Western system has serious holes to fill, and we are being needed more and more, our professional associations will grow. And at that point you will see more articles calling it “acupuncture” instead of “microneedling” and “dry needling”. Calling it what it is.
Private Member |
austin, texas
Great info.. Thank you for sharing.
Private Member |
rome, me, usa
I totally understand where you are coming from but I think we have to keep in mind that all of us in the health fields have new practitioners scooping in on what we feel is our wheelhouse (i’m a physical therapist). For instance, PT’s have personal trainers, athletic trainers, health coaches, massage therapists, hell, even Zuzka with her postural therapy (no disrespect 😉 ), that at times can feel like are honing in on our world that we worked long and hard to achieve. I have made my peace with it however, by just trying do the best job I can, and remembering that if I totally rock at my job than no one can take that from me and I am helping people which is ultimately what I wanted to do when I started my journey 21 years ago. Different methods work for different people at different times in their lives. Pain science research is starting to flesh out how much our minds and emotions and hormones play such a roll in pain and recovery that how people feel about a certain treatment or practitioner can mean as much as the treatment itself. As an acupuncturist you are offering a lot more than what is covered in a dry needling treatment and all the PT’s I know who practice dry needling know well the difference and do refer out when it is out of our scope. Just wanted to share b/c I too have felt frustrated and disrespected by the medical model of medicine and i have just come full circle trying to to control the only thing i can, myself and what I put out into the world. Peace be the journey (as a friend is fond of saying).
Hope that helps, I feel you sister. 😉
Private Member |
santa cruz, ca
You speak truth, sister!! Thank you for this comment. It’s so good to hear this. I wish to see our modern medical system change to reflect fairness both to practitioners and to patients. PT’s and Chiro’s are definitely the top most important practitioners when it comes to working with my patients to give them comprehensive treatment for musculoskeletal pain. I am constantly referring, and their diagnoses are SOOOOO helpful for me to direct my treatments, too. I think it will help the acupuncture profession when it has a large enough professional association to represent it. As of now we’re very behind and all the other associations are fighting over our techniques…lol. I wish for us to all work together and to be compensated fairly from the med industry so we don’t ever feel the need to compete or take from each other. I appreciate what you do, and yes your comment definitely helps ☺️.
Private Member |
mza, argentina
Z, I’m a little curious. Did you do it once or did you do it regularly?
Did you notice any results?
So is it just the needle to cause trauma, or can you put something like hyaluronic acid or vitamin C?
Private Member |
I had a professional treatment done last year (three sessions 4 weeks apart) with a very visible result even after the first one. Last year the treatment was great. I also used hyaluronic acid afterward. As a matter of fact, it is part of my daily routine: creme for atopic skin and hyaluronic acid. I have very sensitive and kind of dry skin so this combination works the best for me and also is less expensive than regular cremes. After the three sessions the results lasted quite a while, for almost halve a year. Yes, my skin was very red and swollen for the first hour or two, but the redness completely disappeared overnight. I once again would like to point out that my skin is sensitive, especially to touch – I can make tattoos on my skin just by accidentally scratching it :)) First experience – awesome.
Ta-da-da-dum! The second experience – awful, I tried another place and….. it was not good. I warned the girl about my skin condition. I don’t know if she used larger needles or if they weren’t as of good quality… I looked like I fell on the road hard! Seriously, like someone grated my skin and it took three-four days to heel. Yes, there where results, but the healing process was not as good. Nope, I did not go back for more 🙂 Plus it was before the summer and as I understand it is not good to do this treatment and be exposed to the sun afterwards.
So from my experience it really depends on the place and the person for the professional treatment.
All of this said, I’ve seen results and they are good. As a matter of fact I’ve ordered a roller and I’m going to try at-home version.
Private Member |
I’ve also done micro-needling several times and really liked it. I am now interested in doing micro-needling with PRP. Has anyone tried this and does it work better than regular micro-needling without it?