Microneedling

Microneedling may sound like an intimidating procedure, no thanks to the word “needle” in its name, but the treatment can be considered a more effective way to do a facial—aside from the numbing cream involved. “You’re really building collagen and thickening the skin, so instead of looking good for a few days after your traditional facial, your skin is smooth and radiant for much longer,” explains a plastic surgeon. “It’s such a safe procedure, and is great for filling in acne scars.” Of course, the idea of getting needles inserted into your face for the sake of skincare can seem intimidating, but if you’ve seen the before and after shots, there’s no questioning the treatment’s effectiveness, and instead of using injectable fillers to repair an indented area, the process kick-starts your body’s own natural collagen production to heal the skin on its own. We asked Dr. Nazarian for a crash course on the treatment, so you can determine whether or not it’s right for you.

WHO SHOULD DO IT?

If you need to grow a thicker skin—not necessarily in terms of your friends roasting you in the group chat—you’re probably a good candidate. “It’s great for acne scarring, and because it doesn’t use heat and is totally mechanical, it’s safe for all skin colors and types,” Nazarian says. “The treatment is wonderful for smoothing out the skin and filling in acne scars, but if you have those small bumps from clogged pores, it can help to clear all of that up as well.” Just make sure there aren’t any inflamed or infected areas on your skin, and if you have a cystic breakout, wait until it clears up before going in for your appointment.

DOES IT HURT?

It shouldn’t, provided that your practitioner numbs the area first. “We use a cream to numb the skin really well, so we can go as deep as we need to,” she says. Afterwards you can expect the skin to be a little pink, and at the very worst, a few tiny punctate scabs that fade in a few days.

WHICH AREAS ON THE BODY CAN BE TREATED?

Microneedling isn’t exclusive to just the face area. The treatment can be done anywhere the skin on the body needs to be thickened, particularly those that have stretch marks, like the legs, chest, or butt, and 4 to 6 sessions on average usually do the trick. Microneedling is a collagen boosting treatment. With the CosmoPen treatment, “micro-channels” are created by vertically piercing the skin with a high-speed system. Micro-needling is best suited for:
– Facial Rejuvenation
– Wrinkles
– Scars
– Stretch Marks
– Acne
– Alopecia
Microneedling offers advantages similar to fractional lasers without the downtime or damage. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about microneedling treatments.

MicroNeedling With PRP

What’s the difference between plain ol’ microneedling and microneedling with PRP? I’ll get into the details below, but essentially you can think of microneedling with PRP as microneedling on steroids. Or as microneedling that will exponentially boost your results. Or you can think of it as microneedling that packs an extra punch.

What is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?

PRP are the plasma in your blood that have been shown to speed recovery, heal tissue, build collagen (collagen is one of the main factors that helps create beautiful skin), improve the puffiness and darkness under your eyes, and more.

How does Microneedling with PRP Work?

We first take a small blood sample to begin the process of extracting the PRP. To properly extract PRP we put your blood in a machine that “spins” your blood (centrifuges it) which effectively separates the plasma from your red and white blood cells. Once we have your PRP separated, we use it in the microneedling process. The PRP enters the skin through the microneedle.

Is Microneedling with PRP Safe?

Microneedling with PRP is safe. Since we use the PRP (which is a component of your own blood), which doesn’t require any sort of invasive procedure (unlike how PRP is used in the orthopedic world), the potential side effects are extremely minor.

What Parts of My Body Can I get Microneedling with PRP?

Here are the most common areas that folks get microneedling with PRP:
– Face
– Back
– Abdomen
– Chest
– Neck
– Legs