However, If You Do Your Research And Choose An Experienced Practitioner You Will Be In Safe Hands And You Will Reap The Benefits!

WHAT IS MICRONEEDLING?

Microneedling is a facial treatment that is a form of collagen induction therapy that involves using a device that repeatedly punctures the skin with tiny needles and creates hundreds to thousands of micro-punctures per second.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

This process causes trauma to the skin, kick-starting the body’s natural healing response, which sparks a rapid reproduction of cells to encourage the remodeling of the skin’s tissues without causing damage or scar tissue to the skin. This process also encourages the body’s natural collagen supply to increase.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

Microneedling treats depressions in the skin such as:

• Acne scarring
• Enlarged pores
• Wrinkles
• Stretch marks

As well as treating pigmentation skin concerns such as:

• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
• Melasma
• Discoloration
• Age spots
• Vitiligo

Microneedling combined with growth factors can also treat hair loss. This is especially popular to have at the front part of the scalp to encourage hair growth in receding areas.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF THE PROCEDURE?

Your licensed technician will begin the treatment with an in-depth consultation to not only address your concerns but also ensure you are a suitable candidate.

Then, the skin is cleansed and numbing cream is applied as there can be discomfort without numbing cream. The skin is cleansed again and thoroughly made sterile before proceeding with the microneedling.

Depending on your treatment plan, your therapist may apply a personalized skin booster to treat targeted areas of concern before applying a balm for the microneedling device to glide across the skin. This part of the treatment should take around 20 minutes.

Once the microneedling process is complete the skin is made sterile once again as there will be completely normal blood spotting, and then any finishing products are applied. Some clinics may add a light therapy device or use cool icey globes to reduce redness and soothe any irritation.

WILL I HAVE ANY DOWNTIME POST-TREATMENT?

The skin will be red and feel tight as though you have sunburn, you may also experience flaking which is normal as your skin has had some exfoliation. You need to bear in mind that your skin is an open wound so you must treat it like one.

Suggestions for aftercare post-treatment would be:

• Change your pillowcase that evening before you sleep
• Do NOT put anything on the skin at all for 24 hours
• Restore the skin as much as possible after 24 hours using recommended aftercare products
• No heat treatments such as saunas
• No gym, exercise or anything that will cause you to sweat as this causes bacteria to build up in the skin and can lead to infection
• Stay out of direct sunlight for 24 hours

WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS TREATMENT?

• Prone to keloid scarring
• Active acne
• Open wounds in the area
• Allergy to stainless steel or anaesthetics
• A hemorrhagic/hemostatic disorder (bleeding)
• Taking any medication containing isotretinoin (such as Accutane)
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Active cancer

WILL IT WORK FOR MY SKIN?

Microneedling is safe for all Fitzpatrick skin types. Fitzpatrick refers to our skin tone and is a scale developed to classify skin coloring and response to ultraviolet light.

This means we can treat the skin with the lowest melanin to the highest melanin without causing damage to the skin, unlike some methods such as laser or chemical peel over long-term periods.

Summary

If I could give you any advice around microneedling it would be DO NOT buy an at-home device. Firstly, you have to have experience with skin as a baseline, not only this you need to know how the skin reacts to trauma, the depth of the needle is important, if you penetrate the dermis causes some serious damage!

Not only is it essential to have the knowledge and experience with all types of skin, but you also need a professional device. Not just because of the efficacy but mainly because of the safety of the device and the sterilization of the needles. You can’t just buy needles and start rolling them into your face, that is asking for trouble. So please, see a professional who can give you a treatment plan and homecare advice.

Written by our Expert Skincare Therapist, Lucy.

Browns & Co is now a Clinic and offers Microneedling in both their Abu Dhabi and Dubai Clinics.

To book into one of our Browns & Co Clinics you can follow this link. To see our full range of services, take a look here.