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Natural treatment for acne scarring, enlarged pores and stimulating natural collagen production. 

Micro-needling is the use of very small needles to repeatedly penetrate the layers of the skin in order to induce a wound healing response. Thousands of tiny holes or microscopic channels are created in the skin to trigger the body’s natural wound healing process. This process results in the formation and remodelling of collagen, which supports the underlying tissue. Dr Barry uses a medical grade mechanical micro-needling device, that organically stimulates the skin’s natural ability to repair and restore itself.

Treatment for acne “icepick scarring”, before and after 6 Skinpen medical micro-needling session performed 4-6 weeks apart.

What is Medical micro-needling used to treat?

  • Acne Scaring
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • It can be used to improve skin texture
  • Pigmentation
  • Stretch Marks and Scars

 

Unlike other skin rejuvenating laser machines, micro-needling treatments can be performed year round as it is unaffected by UV light exposure.

 

Micro-needling stimulates collagen production

The story of collagen loss through your lifetime

Collagen is a structural protein in your skin. The body makes and loses collagen every day. From your mid twenties collagen declines with age and continues to decline as the body produces less and less. You loose approximately 1-2% every year from your thirties.

Unfortunately for women in particular, they experience rapid collagen loss around the time of the menopause, 30% in the first 5 years. When you start loosing collagen your skin becomes dehydrated, wrinkly and saggy. It is unable to hold its shape, so you start to notice jowls and sagging skin. A lot of skin anti-aging treatments target neocollagenesis, the formation of new collagen. Micro-needling is one such treatment, naturally stimulating collagen production, by creating micro-trauma in a controlled way, and inducing collagen production.

9 months after 5 sessions of the Skinpen. The Skinpen is a natural alternative for anti-wrinkle injections.

Benefits of professional treatment

Dr Barry performs micro-needling treatments with a device called the Skinpen, which operates at 7000rpm delivering 98,000 channels per minute. This is a safe, hygienic and effective way to perform micro-needling.

At-home devices cannot compare as they do not have the ability to created this type of organised trauma. Instead they are often rollers rotating around a barrel, leaving the skin at an angle, and creating slits rather than channels, which can actually damage the skin. Often cheap online products can be improperly milled with needles appearing ragged under magnification. The Skinpen is the only FDA approved micro-needling device of its kind, making it safe and effective.

Where on the body can it be used?

  • Facial Acne Scarring
  • Facial Lines and wrinkles
  • Scars on the face
  • Neck and decolletage that is dehydrated and crepey

 

What to expect if having a treatment?

  • In order to get a good result from micro-needling treatment, multiple sessions are required. For example, a minimum of three sessions is required to experience anti ageing effects, whereas, six sessions are required to treat facial acne scarring.
  • Topical anaesthetic is applied to the entire face 30 mins prior to having the treatment.
  • Once numb, a patch test is performed to make sure the experience will not be too uncomfortable. It takes approximately 30 minutes to complete an entire face, longer if the neck area is to be included.
  • After the procedure the face appears quite red. The skin feels very hot and tight, similar to a sunburn sensation. After 12 hours this redness is significantly reduced, and after 24 hours nearly completely gone.
  • Over the coming week it is normal to experience some shedding of the outer skin layers, similar to what one might experience post peel.
  • It is very important that make-up cannot be worn for 24 hours post procedure. You will be given a post prep lotion to apply, and no other products should be applied to the skin for 24 hours.
  • Ideally, I would recommend having the day after this procedure as a day off work, and not to coincide with any important social activities, especially for you first session, when you don’t know what to expect!
  • Don’t forget to eat the rainbow! A good diet will provide your skin with the building blocks it needs to regenerate itself. Now might be a good time to consider using collagen supplements.

 

Who is unsuitable for micro-needling?

  • If you are taking prescription medication for acne
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Sufferers of chronic facial eczema or psoriasis
  • If you have scleroderma or Ehlers Danlos syndrome
  • If you have type 1 diabetes
  • If you are undergoing immunosuppresive therapy
  • If you suffer from active acne vulgaris and active acne rosacea
  • If you have a history of keloid scarring

 

This is not a comprehensive list, but will hopefully be a guide.

Medical micro-needling with the Skinpen can be a good treatment option for those who prefer to employ natural anti-ageing techniques. As the process simply stimulates the skins own natural healing response, it can be considered a natural alternative to anti-wrinkle injections. I also consider it to be particularly good for those who have icepick scaring from a history of acne. I personally like to use micro-needling myself as a way to stimulate my collagen production, to help compensate for the natural loss of collagen that is occurring due to age, and to help prevent development of fine lines.

Dr Barry