In this week’s blog the DIV team answer all those niggling questions about skin needling and share with you one patient’s experience.
What does skin needling treat?
Kristin Campbell (RN) procedural nurse at the Dermatology Institute of Victoria says that,
“Skin needling is a great treatment for patients that would like a few skin issues addressed at once. We often get patients in that might have fine wrinkles around the eyes, a bit of acne scarring and some areas of light pigmentation. Skin needling can be used to address all of these during the same session. Generally 3-5 sessions will be needed.”
This patient was seeking general skin improvement, she had some very mild acne scarring, slightly enlarged pores and mild discolouration. Procedural nurse Tara Coetzer (RN) used skin needling sessions in combination with hydrafacial to improve skin and return its glow.
*All results shown on our website have been achieved by our team members. Please note that results are individual and may vary.
Skin needling works by moving micro-needles across the skin creating injury to the epidermis and dermis. These injuries stimulate the body’s natural response to wound healing, which is to increase more collagen and elastin meaning it can be used to treat: acne scarring, pores, fine wrinkling, loss of elasticity, and other types of scarring. It can also be used to get topical preparations to penetrate more deeply and improve effect. The combination of topical preparations (such as Vitamin A) and skin needling can be used to treat pigmentation, age spots and freckles. The added benefit of increased absorption of active ingredients means it creates faster results and greater skin rejuvenation.
Our patient’s experience
“I was a bit nervous about the procedure as the idea of lots of needles pricking into your skin can be a bit daunting. I was offered the option of having an anaesthetic cream applied before, however having had other procedures I know I have a good tolerance and being time poor means I’d prefer not to have to spend an extra 30 minutes in the clinic. During the procedure I could feel a scratchy type sensation rather than a sharp prick and most of the time it wasn’t painful. The only time I was a bit uncomfortable was when Kristin went over the area under my nose and under my eyes”.
The patient was treated by Kristin Campbell (RN) for mild acne, pigmentation, enlarged pores and acne scarring using a combination of skin needling and light skin peels.
Kristin tells us that this experience is normal.
“The areas of skin that are quite delicate, such as that under the eyes, tend to be a little more painful however they don’t tend to need as many passes as the areas where the skin is a little tougher, such as treating large pores on the cheeks. It is common for pin prick bleeding to occur in these tougher areas during the treatment but this will generally cease within 5 minutes of completing the treatment”.
Recovery
The downtime associated with this treatment really depends on what is being treated and the depth of treatment required, however total skin healing generally occurs within 7 days. Skin may be quite pink immediately after treatment and can become swollen – sleeping propped up on 2 pillows is a good tip to avoid waking up with swelling. The skin may feel quite sensitive afterwards especially if stronger topical serums have been applied so it is essential that you follow your practitioner’s advice regarding appropriate skincare post treatment and always wear a broad spectrum SPF.