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What Happens During Microneedling?

Are you worried about trying certain cosmetic treatments because you’re not sure how your body will respond to the ingredients? At Allure Laser and Med Spa in Tinley Park, IL, we have a treatment that doesn’t require any harsh chemicals or irritating ingredients and it’s called microneedling. This treatment helps build collagen and induces your body’s powerful healing abilities to improve your skin from the inside out.

What Happens During a Typical Microneedling Treatment?

Microneedling involves the use of a device filled with tiny, thin needles. These needles pass back and forth across the surface of the skin to create tiny injuries. The body responds by increasing collagen production in the area. These needles create micro-channels and invoke the body’s healing process that helps heal damaged skin cells, improves the appearance of problematic skin conditions, and helps your skin look smoother and more radiant.

Your Treatment

Your treatment will begin with one of our physicians or registered nurses cleaning your skin so it’s ready for treatment. If you’re worried about a treatment that uses needles, you don’t need to be. We will apply a topical numbing cream to your treatment area so that you don’t feel a thing. You’ll remain comfortable as possible during your treatment.

Once the numbing takes effect, we’ll begin the treatment with the microneedling device that will look very similar to a large pen. The pen is fitted with 12 tiny, ultra-fine needles packed close together so that they can be inserted into the skin altogether. The body interprets these micro-channels as tiny injuries on the surface of the skin and as a result, it initiates many different healing processes.

The Cleansing and Serum Application

Once treated, your body will begin to break down scar tissue and replace that scar tissue with healthy, glowing skin. Any acne scars will be filled with new collagen and elastin, creating a smoother skin texture. After this part of the treatment is complete, we will cleanse your skin and apply a soothing serum to the surface of your skin to help calm it.

All About Collagen

Microneedling is also known as collagen induction therapy because the goal of the treatment is to increase your body’s collagen production so that your skin looks more youthful. Collagen goes hand in hand with anti-aging because it’s what is responsible for smooth, wrinkle-free skin. When your body doesn’t produce enough collagen, your skin experiences volume loss below the surface, and the result is sagging, drooping skin, and wrinkles.

Fine lines and wrinkles make your skin look anything but youthful. The aging process leads to the inevitable decrease in collagen production which is why treatments like this one are so important because they remind the body how to produce more collagen. Collagen production begins to decrease in your 20s and after the age of 30, you produce one to two percent less collagen each year. Other lifestyle and health-related factors can decrease collagen including:

  • Sun damage and excess sun exposure
  • Lack of sleep
  • Genetics
  • Environmental toxins
  • Stress

 

Helping the Body Create More Collagen

To create more collagen, the body needs to perceive an injury. Microneedling effectively does this by creating tiny holes in the surface of your skin. You can’t see these holes but they are micro-channels and they open up the skin so that the body can repair them. This process also allows for the better absorption of your topical products.

Even though it involves needles, and the goal is to create an injury in your skin, this process doesn’t actually damage your skin. What it does do is trick your body into producing more collagen and elastin in the treatment area, which is exactly what we want.

What Are the Benefits?

Many people don’t realize that the answer to their biggest skin concerns is right inside of them. Whether you struggle with uneven or dull skin texture, age spots, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, or fine lines and wrinkles, this treatment can help improve these conditions by activating the healing powers within your body. When performed in a professional setting, this treatment has many benefits.

It’s Completely Customizable

This treatment can be tailored to your needs. We can spend extra time treating your problem areas so that you achieve optimal results. During your consultation with one of our skincare experts, we’ll review your problem areas and we’ll recommend a treatment plan that will give you the best results. We’ll also be able to learn more about your skin type, which will help your esthetician choose the right serum for your skin post-treatment.

It’s a Natural Treatment

If you don’t typically schedule skincare treatments because your skin doesn’t handle the ingredients in the products that are used, you can rest assured that you will get results from this treatment because it’s natural. Your esthetician will perform the treatment and then apply a serum that’s right for your skin type.

It Helps Treat Acne Scars

One of the worst things about acne scars is that even though your breakout has healed, you’re left with the remainder of it for years. If you’ve struggled with acne scars and have found very few products that can effectively treat them, microneedling may provide you with the results you thought were impossible.

When the device passes across your acne scars, the needles will reach below the surface of the skin and induce collagen production beneath your scars. As a result, collagen production well plump the area and fill in the scar depressions so that your skin looks smoother and with optimal treatments, your acne scars fade.

Your Skincare Products Will Work Better

Because this treatment has the ability to open up the skin, anything that you apply to the skin post-treatment will absorb that much better. Many skincare companies have created collagen creams, but the reason that these creams aren’t as effective as you think they would be is that they simply sit on the surface of the skin. Their ingredients aren’t strong enough to reach below the surface and create the necessary changes to promote anti-aging.

Once your treatment is complete, we will take advantage of these openings in the skin. We will apply serums specifically formulated for your needs. Your skin will be able to absorb these products quickly and effectively. Additionally, anything that you apply at home will work that much better so you will be getting much more out of your products than you would normally.

The Effects Are Long-Lasting

You will notice an immediate improvement in the appearance of your skin after your initial treatment but the results will just keep getting better. Collagen production takes time so every day following your treatment will be one day closer to youthful, more radiant skin. You will continue to notice the effects of this treatment in the weeks following your appointment.

It’s More Powerful Than At-Home Treatments

For every effective skin care treatment that takes place in an office setting, there is some type of knock-off treatment that promises the same results for cheaper and from the comfort of your own home. Not all of these products can be trusted.

Some do provide results but nothing is as effective as a professional microneedling treatment. While it may seem tempting to spend less money to DIY this treatment at home, know that you will not get the type of results that the real thing can give you.

Appointment Times Are Relatively Quick

This treatment won’t require you to alter your entire schedule. The total treatment time is comparable to your standard facial, and the actual microneedling portion of the treatment only takes about 30 minutes to complete. You won’t have to plan around any downtime and can resume all your normal activities once your appointment is over.

Microneedling FAQ’s

How Many Treatments Will I Need?

Most patients notice results after their first session. The most dramatic results come from a series of several sessions so that your body can produce as much collagen as possible. Studies have shown that those who undergo this treatment can increase their body’s collagen production by up to 400 percent. During your initial consultation, we will develop a treatment plan inclusive of the total number of treatments you will need to experience the most dramatic results.

If you love your results after one treatment, you can schedule additional treatments to maintain your results, and even build upon them. Many patients schedule these appointments throughout the year to boost their collagen and get the natural-looking results that this anti-aging treatment delivers.

Is There Anything I Need To Do To Prepare for My Treatment?

As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want to avoid any products or treatments that could irritate your skin before your appointment. This includes but is not limited to retinol products and acne medications. You should also avoid any exfoliation treatments that could cause your skin to become irritated or inflamed. Additionally, avoid excess sun exposure so that your skin doesn’t get sunburned and so that you don’t promote skin damage.

If possible, arrive at your appointment with a make-up-free face so that you can begin your treatment as soon as possible. If that isn’t an option, your aesthetician will clean your skin pre-treatment.

Are There Any Aftercare Requirements?

After your treatment, you will want to take full advantage of the fact that your skin is open and ready to absorb whatever you apply to it. As a result, choose your topicals wisely. Keep your skin hydrated by applying a high-quality moisturizer as well as soothing, nutrient-rich products as well as a vitamin C serum. This is the time to load up your skin with products that will create the most change during this window of fast absorption.

Am I a Candidate?

If you have problematic skin concerns but don’t want to undergo invasive treatment to address those concerns, you are most likely a candidate for collagen induction therapy. During your consultation, we’ll confirm your candidacy. Then, we’ll develop your treatment plan. Those who benefit from this treatment include those with:

  • Uneven skin tone
  • Skin texture issues
  • Acne scars
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Sun damage
  • Signs of premature aging

Some individuals don’t qualify due to safety reasons, including those who take blood thinners, have active breakouts, or have an autoimmune disorder.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

If you’re ready to experience all that this collagen-inducing treatment has to offer, don’t wait another day to begin your skin transformation. Contact us today at Allure Laser and Med Spa in Tinley Park, IL, and schedule your initial consultation to see if this treatment is right for you.

Toni Scott-Terry, MD

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