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Microneedling Treatment: What to expect 

Read this first if looking to have Microneedling Treatment

Most microneedling treatments on YouTube tend to show quite an aggressive approach to microneedling which looks quite scary and can often lead to some apprehension about the micro needling treatment.

However this really should not be the case, yes there are risks to having a microneedling procedure but in this article, I want to you know how it should be done to avoid those dangers!

– read my article about the microneedling treatment risks

But please let me share with you what you can expect from a professional Microneedling Treatment because this treatment is the best skin treatment to stimulate collagen production and treat acne scars, as the subcision of several tiny needles stimulates the collagen production process.

The controlled wound healing triggers a response by your immune system to produce growth factors that will create new skin cells and effectively encourage cell communication and metabolism within the cells.

The result of skin needling is a noticeable improvement in general skin rejuvenation.

Improved skin rejuvenation is a great way to describe strong, firm, healthy skin cells that fight the effects of ageing skin against internal and external environmental factors.

Hence, micro needling treatment is recommended to all my clients as every skin condition, concern, or area of skin can be treated and improved within weeks of having this treatment.

To help you understand more there are two versions of the microneedling treatment in my clinic.

1. Microneedling with mesotherapy serums 

The use of mesotherapy serums in the treatment is ideal for improving skin tone, and skin rejuvenation. So if your skin is dehydrated, oily, dull or you have blemishes, this is the right treatment for you. 

2. Microneedling with radiofrequency 

Microneedling Radio frequency is ideal for sagging skin or skin that lacks tone due to the intense energy that goes down the needle and can increase inflammatory response deep in the skin cells for next month’s skin and beyond.

I’m Jen Adams as a functional nutritionist and aesthetics skin therapist, similar to a board certified dermatologist but more therapist than a doctor’s office. I have ten years of clinical experience in nutrition advice and skin aesthetics treatments.

My skin health approach is to educate you to have the confidence when investing in your skincare and professional aesthetic treatments safely that are right for your skin health, not just your type of skin or the latest fad!

In this article, I share with you what to expect in a microneedling treatment.

The video shows a full microneedling with mesotherapy serums with my friend Claire.

To follow is an explanation of what happens during the treatment, and I will share with you the three steps to completing the process safely; you will learn more about the depth of the needle pen and or rollers, the importance of the slow and low approach to causing trauma, the microneedling aftercare and the recovery timeline.

A lot has changed since I began doing microneedling treatments over five years ago, and what works best for ageing skin is regular sessions, penetrating the skin to different depths with the microneedling devices such as dermapen 4 or roller into your face or neck area where collagen production naturally slows down.

Watch the Video: Microneedling Treatment: What to expect 

 

Step 1: Cleanse and clean the skin

There is no application of numbing cream in the preparation phase of the microneedling treatment. This is due to that you should not be causing this level of pain or trauma to gain the long term benefits of microneedling, also these products can cause skin irritation and poor wound healing.

The most important part of this phase is the cleaning or the use of a gentle cleanser of the skin as it is an ideal opportunity to assess the skin and have a look at the open pores, the laxity and how well the skin is likely to react to the needling treatment.

In the preparation phase, I use Micellar Water to remove any grime before applying the main part of the preparation phase.

The liquid acid exfoliation is, Perfecting Solution to remove dead skin cells. It is a gentle PHA and reduces the skin pH to a pH of 4 initially. I may use a deeper peel, such as alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid once I become more familiar with the skin.

The liquid acid exfoliator is left on for three minutes and removed damp and cotton pads.

They may be a slight tingling sensation whilst the peel is dropping the pH of the skin down to either 3.5 or thicker skin down to a pH of 1.2.

Step 2: Apply mesotherapy serum

Now the skin is cleaned next is to target skin concerns, using a light layer of the mesotherapy serum NCTF135 HA serum, this is the active ingredient serum that soaks into the skin and will act as a glide on the skin. 

Step 3: Start miconeedling the skin

Starting on the jawline, at the deepest depth of 1mm to 0.75. Working over the skin in a crosshatch technique.

It’s important to note here that I do not go backwards and forwards, nor do I needle in doing circles.

Each stroke is in a single line, but multiple times, a maximum of three lines in different directions to puncture the same area and then move on. 

This reduces the potential to draw blood, damage and trauma to the epidermis, level of pain, and downtime.

The needle depth is reduced as I work over the chin and lip and also remains 0.5mm over the cheekbones as the skin gets thinner and can feel quite sensitive, particularly on the eye bone edge.

During the needling extra mesotherapy serum is applied to help glide over the skin to reduce the scratching feeling as I work over the cheekbones.

Working over the nose to reduce the open pores and help improve the skin cell turnover around the t-zone and under the eyes to reduce the sebum collection and improve hydration, identified as those white spots in the tear duct area.

One of the most fantastic features of a microneedling pen is that I can treat close to the eye area.

Focusing on the thick side of the eye to target the hydration (cross feet) and break down the Glycation [AGE] wrinkles.

The depth of the needle will be at 0.25 but closer inside the eye area will be a depth of 0.1 as it is very delicate thin skin and has no pores so there is not need to over treat this area. 

As I move over the brow onto the forehead to target the wrinkles on the forehead and brow the depth will be only 0.25mm, to target the skin tightening and skin rejuvenation.

This area always makes my clients sneeze, it’s the ophthalmic nerve, a terminal branch of the trigeminal nerve. It provides sensory innervation to the skin, so as I go over the forehead and down the nose, the client more often sneezes. it does not hurt just always causes a sneeze.

Once completed on both sides, I apply another layer of serum and then reduce the pen needle depth to 0.25 to 0.1mm and go all over the skin in single long strokes, I call it a Wash – fantastic to enhance hydration and pigmentation.

Step 4: Maintain and protect skin

This is the best bit for the client – applying the collagen ghost mask (hyaluronic acid youth mask) is a delightful moment.

The skin starts to feel warm or hot and feels like moderate sunburn, so the cold, wet, damp face mask is delightful.

It’s a lovely feeling as it goes onto the skin. Once in place, I continue with needling down the neck and onto the decolletage.

Applying more serum to improve glide and reduce scratching. The needle can penetrate deeper into the neck and will be between 0.8 – 1mm on the neck area, sometimes reducing down 0.5mm on thin skin.

The Hyaluronic Acid youth Mask will stay on for 20 minutes; during this time I will either do a head massage or use the jade roller to improve the soothing effect. It helps to push the product into the skin.

Remove the mask and gently wipe the skin, nothing too aggressive as the skin is quite tender.

There is NO blood to wipe away. Absolutely no blood… 

I apply HXR Eye cream with a little massage to improve lymphatic drainage.

Then B3 Recovery Cream is applied. It’s very calming and just sits very gently on the skin.

Finish with SPF 50+ as the microscopic channels in the skin will have closed during the mask so the skin has now absorbed all the serum and is very happy to have cream laid on the top.

Microneedling After Care Instructions 

  • Avoid makeup for at least another 20 minutes due to the redness. If you must apply, if going out on a lunch date or you need to go back to work, it’s not a problem, but my advice is to avoid wearing makeup for the rest of the day.
  • Avoid any excessive sweating. Such as gym, a run or going for a swim or sauna. Anything that will stimulate your skin to sweat. It will not damage your skin in any way or even affect the treatment. It just hurts. And it’s not very nice. 
  • Also, avoid any exfoliation. No liquid acids that day or for a further two days. This includes any scrubs, exfoliations or masks that contain, glycolic or lactic acid. This also includes vitamin A and Vitamin C or any beauty serums.
  • Avoid all other treatments, evasive or non-invasive treatments. So no hair removal, no tattooing, no muscle relaxant or filler. For the next two weeks, the main reason I give this advice is that if your skin reacts to anything, I know what I’ve done and what advice to give you. If you’ve had another treatment on top of that, I’m lost. I don’t know what the root cause of the issue is.

The other thing is, is not to panic. The skin may feel quite uncomfortable, but there are no side effects. You will be a bit sore and have a little redness, apply simple cleansing milk, nothing too complicated, nothing too active.

You just want to calm it all down, but do continue life as normal you can go shopping, for a walk etc…

The epidermal layer of your skin has not been broken, you do not have any open wounds.

The needles have gone in and out very quickly, and the channels have had time to close.

So as long as you have your SPF 50+ on there’s no concern about being outdoors, but please avoid direct sunlight or long sun exposure.

Jen note: there is no point in adding fancy serums or expensive creams from your home skincare routine to the skin during the healing process.

Whilst there is no blood drawn, there is trauma and I have already put the perfect active ingredients into your skin afterward so the body’s healing process has already begun.

There are 59 different active ingredients in the NCTF 135 Ha mesotherapy serum at the perfect molecular size and weight, so the skin does not need anything else to confuse the situation.

It has everything it needs for the cellular layers in the epidermis from the stratum basale to communicate down to next weeks skin cells in the stratum granulosum and then onto the stratum corneum to create epidermal growth factors to communicate with the hypodermis tight junctions to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin via fibroblasts.

The mesotherapy serum has all the nutrients, growth factors and peptides it needs as the skin cell turnover presents the new cells to the surface. 

The skin cell communication works downwards and passes the message down to each skin cell layer.

If you start adding in another layer of topical serum and or active ingredients, these skin cells will get confused and overwhelmed. Resulting in outbreaks and sensitivity.

Your skin cells are traumatized. The comfort blanket is to let them bath in it, let them deal with the trauma. Yes, you can go back to your normal skin routine, maybe post five days or seven days, but let your skin just sit for a bit – give it time.

Microneedling treatment recovery timeline

1 to 3 days: You will look a bit pink and dewy

Day 4 to 10 days: Itchy and dry: The serums have been placed into the next skin layer, so the top layer of skin will start to flake away. Do not panic, do not do peel, just leave it, let it do what it wants to do. The hyaluronic acid in the serum is a humectant and attracts water, so the next layer of the skin is pinching all the water from the top layer. The next layer of the skin is coming through and collects all the nutrients.

Day 11 to 14 days: You are cooking on gas, your skin will have shed away all the dead skin cells and the new fresh, firmer, hydration skin cells are visible.

Days 14 to 28 days: At your best – toned, clear and tightening. Potentially even further improvement into the second month, you’ll be very contented with the treatment and the trick is, to enjoy your next treatment.

In summary, the microneedling treatment is perfect for skin rejuvenation to address fine lines, wrinkles, saggy skin, acne, acne scarring, you can also have the treatment on the body and treat stretch marks and scars.

My advice is to book your first treatment with a medical professional or aesthetics therapist in a clinic or office rather than using a derma roller at home because this is a cosmetic procedure.

Micro Needling Treatment Risks 

But I do totally understand that process and costs can be too much for some, and a lot of people have purchased a home device or tool for rejuvenation treatment at home.

My concern is safety and using the right type of mesotherapy serums.

But in general skin needling is one of the best skin rejuvenation treatments for ageing skin – just take it slow and steady.

To learn more about my in-clinic treatment visit the clinic website – CLICK HERE