Are you unsatisfied with the overall appearance of the skin on your face, neck, and décolleté? If so, you may benefit from microneedling, a treatment designed to stimulate collagen production through causing micro-trauma to your skin using tiny needles. Microneedling is one of the fastest ways to jumpstart your skin on its path to healing, tightening, and looking its very best. Anazoa MD in Steamboat Springs, CO is proud to offer this treatment option, which can help people of all ages get the skin they’ve always wanted.

What Is Microneedling?

Microneedling is a process intended to create tiny, sterile, invisible wounds in the top layers of your skin. By using a handheld motorized device with a set of small needles to reach the correct skin depth for your specific treatment, your doctor can stimulate your skin to produce collagen, tighten pores, fade hyperpigmentation, and even reduce the appearance of acne scars. It’s most commonly applied to the face and neck, but it’s an effective way to tighten and clarify skin all over your body.

By harnessing your body’s natural healing processes and using them to target your cosmetic concerns, this treatment can deliver visible transformation in your skin. Almost 100% of those who have tried microneedling report satisfaction with their final results. It’s a quick, proven way to rejuvenate your skin, especially when combined with other regenerative treatments like PRP therapy.

Benefits

Beyond improving skin appearance on the outside, microneedling is beneficial on a cellular level. As the needles create micro-wounds in your skin, your body signals your skin to produce a higher cell turnover rate and a greater amount of collagen, which acts as the supportive structure of our skin. These cellular processes result in your skin healing itself and becoming tighter, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Collagen boosts also help smooth acne and facial scarring and reduce pore size, resulting in a more even texture.

The healing process also naturally corrects issues like acne and hyperpigmentation or discoloration. You’ll see these areas begin to fade over the course of your treatment; at the same time, your skin will have an increased radiance thanks to cell turnover. Best of all, your skin will feel soft and smooth after it finishes healing and can better soak up any skincare products you use in the weeks after treatment.

How Does It Work?

From start to finish, this treatment process is aimed at giving you healthier, happier skin. You should carefully follow your doctor’s instructions before and after your session to ensure proper healing and best results.

Consultation

Before your session, you’ll have a consultation with your doctor to discuss the treatment and your skin goals. You can point out areas of concern in your skin so that your doctor can properly target your concerns during your session. This is also the perfect time to ask any questions you may have about what to expect during and after treatment.

Your doctor will likely give you the option of combining this treatment with another regenerative option, such as PRP therapy, which can result in even more collagen production and can do wonders for your skin. You should discuss the added benefits of combination treatments to ensure that you’ll achieve your ideal results.

Prevention

One of the most important things you can do for your skin is to protect it from harmful UV rays during sun exposure and tanning beds. These rays are responsible for over 90% of all skin-related concerns, including accelerated signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin, hyperpigmentation, and skin cancer. You should prepare for your treatment by making sure to apply sunscreen before going outside.

Beyond this, you should always remember to wear sunscreen when you’ll be in the sun for an extended period of time and reapply every 4 hours. Your doctor can explain the risks of intentionally exposing yourself to destructive UV rays during tanning. If you’re concerned about cosmetic issues now or in the future, one of the best preventative measures you can take is protecting your skin while in the sun and choosing skin-friendly, safe alternatives to tanning, such as airbrush tanning or at-home tanning.

Preparation

Because this treatment causes a small amount of trauma to your skin, you should cleanse and pamper your skin gently in the week leading up to your session. Don’t use any harsh exfoliants to avoid irritating your skin. Avoid introducing new skincare or makeup products into your routine as they could cause your skin to react negatively and prolong the healing process after treatment. Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and equipped to heal itself effectively.

You should check with your doctor if you’re planning to have any skin treatments before or after your session. Combining treatments like chemical peels, laser hair removal, or waxing or threading could further irritate your skin and make your healing process take longer. It’s best to avoid these treatment options for about 3 days before and after your session.

Treatment

Before your session, you should remove any makeup and ensure that your face is completely clean and bare. Don’t apply moisturizer, oils, creams containing Retinol or anti-aging ingredients, or any other product. You have the option of having your doctor apply a topical anesthetic to your face before treatment, although most patients don’t find the microneedles painful and many opt to have their sessions without numbing cream.

Your doctor will then use the handheld microneedling tool to thoroughly go over your target areas. A typical session lasts approximately 1 hour. If you choose to use numbing cream, you’ll need an extra 45 minutes to ensure that your face has time to become numb.

Your skin will bleed a little and become flushed as the treatment progresses; this is normal and means that the needles are puncturing your skin at the correct depth for optimal results. Your treatment will be followed with a soothing serum to help begin the healing process and reduce redness and swelling from the treatment.

Recovery

If you used numbing cream, you should feel full sensation return to your face about 2 hours after your treatment is over. You’ll be able to jump right back into your day-to-day activities without any downtime. You’ll notice that your face is a little red, and your skin may feel mildly sensitive for the rest of the day, but your skin is already on its way to healing and should appear completely normal within a day or two.

Full Healing

Full healing takes 2-3 days, during which time you should avoid harsh exfoliants and prolonged sun exposure to avoid further irritation as well as wearing any makeup products to allow your skin to breathe. Once your skin has healed and all signs of redness, swelling, and irritation are gone, you can return to your normal skincare and makeup routines.

Skincare

You should talk to your doctor if you wish to have another skin treatment shortly after your session to ensure that your skin has time to recover completely. Keep it happy and hydrated by continuing to drink water and use moisturizer, especially in the first days after treatment. During this time, your skin is like a sponge and can soak up any nourishing products you want to use to keep it glowing.

Results

Most people notice an immediate improvement in the appearance and feel of their skin. It should feel soft and look plump and smooth. However, cosmetic concerns like wrinkles and scarring will typically improve more slowly than the overall quality of your skin. As you follow your personalized treatment plan, which normally includes 3-4 treatments spaced about 4 weeks apart, you should notice a significant improvement in these problem areas.

Wrinkles will appear smoother as your skin tightens, giving you a younger look. Acne scarring, which often appears as deep pockmarks difficult to cover, will begin to “lift” to the level of the rest of your skin with the increase in collagen, giving you an overall smoother texture.

Hyperpigmented areas should fade and be noticeably lighter by the end of your treatment plan. In general, your skin should appear to be glowing and radiant and leave you looking healthier and feeling more confident.

Maintenance

Depending on your ideal results, your doctor may recommend a maintenance treatment plan to build on the success you achieve during your first treatment plan cycle. This differs from patient to patient, but often involves treatments every month or every other month. Your doctor can help you choose the best schedule to keep your skin looking great and continue the minimization of any cosmetic concerns that may take longer to resolve.

Who Is an Ideal Candidate?

This treatment is perfect for men and women of all ages who want to see their skin be rejuvenated from the inside out. It’s one of the best options for addressing common cosmetic issues like signs of aging, acne and acne scarring, and uneven skin tone or hyperpigmentation. By using your body’s healing power, this treatment can encourage collagen production and deliver results which can improve over time.

It can even be used to help calm and reduce teen acne with your doctor’s approval, making it truly versatile and appropriate for every age and stage of life.

This treatment is not recommended for pregnant and nursing women. You should disclose any skin conditions and skincare products or regimens you use regularly to your doctor during your consultation to ensure that you’re an ideal candidate and that this treatment will deliver the results you want. Make sure to talk to your doctor about whether this treatment is right for you.

Conclusion

Common skin concerns, like wrinkles or acne scarring, can be a major insecurity for many people. It’s difficult to feel satisfied with what you see in the mirror when you notice imperfections in your skin, no matter how small. Even worse, many concerns can’t be addressed by applying makeup to camouflage features you aren’t happy with. The good news is that you don’t have to live with skin you don’t love–microneedling can help regenerate your skin on a cellular level and deliver amazing results for patients of all ages and skin types.

Don’t delay any longer. Your skin deserves the best treatment it can receive. With microneedling, you’ll see drastic improvement in the tone, texture, and elasticity of your skin and feel a boost in confidence when you look in the mirror. If you’re ready to have healthy, radiant skin, reach out to the professionals at Anazoa MD in Steamboat Springs, CO to schedule your initial consultation. We look forward to answering any questions you may have and eagerly await helping you meet your skin goals!