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How Often Should You Get Microneedling Treatments?

Microneedling is an excellent solution if you want to look younger and improve the health of your skin naturally. Today, our experts at Bala Aesthetics & Medispa in Bel Air, MD discuss everything you need to know about this innovative treatment, including how often you should schedule treatment sessions and who is considered a good candidate.

How Often Should You Get Microneedling Treatments?

One of the most frequently asked questions about microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is how often should I schedule a follow-up session. The frequency at which you should schedule sessions depends on the condition of your skin, the types of cosmetic concerns you are trying to treat, and the severity of the cosmetic concerns you are targeting for treatment. Collagen induction therapy kickstarts your skin’s own healing proce3ss by inducing the production of extra collagen.

Extra collagen production is induced because the tiny needles on the dermal roller penetrate the dermis, creating “micro-injuries.”  To ensure your skin has healed from these micro-injuries completely, we recommend scheduling appointments every four to six weeks. When you come in for your initial consultation, we will evaluate the severity of your concerns and determine the ideal frequency of sessions and how many sessions will be required to achieve your desired results.

Professional Treatments vs. At-Home Dermal Rollers

Some people may be tempted to use over-the-counter dermal rollers daily to improve the health of their skin. However, these devices are not effective because the needles don’t penetrate as deeply as the FDA-approved SkinPen. The FDA-approved dermal roller we use has needles that penetrate the dermis to the appropriate depth for effective results.

How Many Sessions Are Required To Achieve Ideal Results?

If you suffer from superficial cosmetic concerns, you may need between one and three treatment sessions to achieve ideal results. However, more sessions may be required to achieve the best possible results. We will assess the severity of your cosmetic concerns to determine how many sessions you will need to achieve your ideal results.

What Is Collagen Induction Therapy?

Collagen induction therapy is a skincare treatment that creates micro-injuries that are so small they cannot be seen by the naked eye. However, these tiny injuries are enough to kickstart your skin’s natural healing process through extra collagen growth. Additionally, collagen induction therapy also increases your skin’s elastin production. These two natural substances are absolutely critical for keeping your skin looking healthy, beautiful, and youthful.

The Depth of the Needle

One of the reasons this microneedling treatment is so effective is the depth of the needles can be customized based on your unique needs. The needles can penetrate 0.25 mm into your skin, and they can also penetrate 2.5 mm beneath the surface of your skin. It is ideal to receive minimal penetration when you are treating sensitive areas, such as the skin around the eyes.  When treating areas with thicker skin, such as the cheeks, it is ideal to receive treatment with a longer needle.

Additionally, needles that are between 1.5 and 2 mm long are ideal for severe scars, such as trauma scars and deep acne scars. Longer needle lengths are required for more severe skin concerns because they more effectively penetrate the dermis. Needles with lengths ranging from 0.25 to 1 mm penetrate the epidermis with ease. Such needle lengths are more appropriate for shrinking pores and treating mild-to-moderate lines and wrinkles.

The Three Phases

Three phases occur throughout the treatment process. These are the inflammatory, proliferation, and remodeling phases. Every stage that occurs builds upon the one that preceded it. Each stage is essential for improving the health and appearance of the skin, restoring a youthful visage. The first stage occurs during the treatment session. The final two stages occur once the session is over.

The First Stage

The inflammatory stage occurs during the collagen induction therapy session itself. We will pass the dermal roller over your skin at a 45-degree angle during your treatment session. As your epidermis or dermis is pierced by over one dozen tiny needles, your immune system response is triggered. This immune response occurs because your platelets release cytokines and growth factors, such as human growth factor.

As the needles are crossing your treatment areas, your immune system is increasing localized circulation. Then, the dead skin cells that make up your epidermis are replaced by the healthy skin cells that make up your dermis.

The Second Stage

The proliferation stage is the second stage of your skin’s natural healing process. During this phase, your skin starts to produce much more collagen and elastin than it did before the treatment took place. As your skin produces extra collagen, damaged skin cells are repaired at this time.

The Third Stage

The remodeling stage is the third and final stage of the collagen induction therapy process. This phase occurs four to six weeks after your microneedling session. Your treatment areas will have a healthy glow because the dead skin cells are replaced with healthy skin cells and damage on a cellular level is repaired.

At this point, your skin is firmer, tighter, and stronger because both old collagen and skin tissue have been replaced. Furthermore, you can expect to see an improvement in your skin tone and texture. The results of your treatment will last for at least six months depending on the severity of your cosmetic concerns and the nature of your concerns.

FAQs Answered

What Happens During Collagen Induction Therapy?

When you come in for your appointment, we will sterilize the treatment areas and apply a topical anesthetic. The topical anesthetic ensures you don’t feel any pain or discomfort during your session. Once your skin is prepared for your treatment, we will pass the dermal roller across your face several times.

Miniscule micro-channels are created as the epidermis and dermis are pierced by this device’s fine-gauge needles. We will spend the most time focusing on the areas that have the most severe concerns.

What Results Can I Realistically Expect?

There will be four times the amount of collagen in your targeted areas once your course of treatments is over. Since everyone starts with a different amount of collagen in their skin, individual results vary. There are many benefits you can expect to see following this treatment, including:

  • Eliminated lines and wrinkles
  • Boosted elastin and collagen production
  • Thicker skin
  • Reduced acne scars
  • Tighter, firmer skin
  • Minimized pores
  • Reversed hyperpigmentation

 

How Durable Are the Results of This Treatment?

To reiterate, you can expect the results of your treatment to last at least six months. In some cases, such as acne scar treatment, the results of this treatment are permanent. However, you should understand that several treatment sessions will be required for complete scar removal.

Although you should schedule your appointments four to six weeks apart during your course of treatments to achieve your desired results, you should schedule follow-up appointments when you start to notice your results fading.

Does This Treatment Hurt?

No, there is nothing painful about this treatment. The topical anesthetic applied before your treatment lasts throughout the entire session.

What Are the Benefits Associated With This Treatment?

There are numerous benefits associated with this treatment. This extremely versatile treatment improves the appearance of your skin and can treat several skin conditions. For example, it can erase several types of scars, including stretch marks, acne scars, surgical scars, and trauma scars. Furthermore, the extra localized collagen tightens loose skin and erases wrinkles and lines. Your skin tone improves after this treatment session because your skin’s superficial layer of dead cells is replaced by healthy skin cells.

Moreover, you can expect fewer acne outbreaks following this treatment because collagen induction therapy shrinks and unclogs your pores simultaneously. The tighter your pores are, the more resistant they are to acne breakouts. Additionally, sebum production returns to normal levels following this treatment. Sebum is an oil produced by your sebaceous glands to keep your skin hydrated, but it leads to certain types of acne outbreaks when produced in excess. What’s incredible about this treatment is it is safe for all skin types and tones.

What Should I Expect From At-Home Treatments?

To reiterate, you can expect desirable results from professional collagen induction therapy sessions. There are many reasons why at-home treatments aren’t effective, including the fact that the needles only pierce your epidermis so they can’t create micro-channels through the dermis. Furthermore, there is a chance that you won’t hold the dermal roller at a precise 45-degree angle throughout the course of giving yourself a 30- to 90-minute treatment.

Do I Qualify for This Treatment?

Collagen induction therapy is an incredible investment in the health of your skin. By boosting collagen production, it helps your skin heal itself from the inside out. After this treatment, you will feel a lot more self-confidence. In fact, you may feel so self-confident you decide to not apply makeup before you go to work, saving you money and precious time in the morning. You may be considered a good candidate for this treatment if you are concerned about such skin concerns as:

  • Acne
  • Acne scars
  • Other types of scars
  • Enlarged pores
  • Lines and wrinkles
  • Sagging skin

However, not everyone qualifies for this treatment. This treatment may not be suitable for you if you have uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, a heart condition that requires you to take blood thinners daily, a history of keloid scars, or skin irritation at the time of your appointment. To determine whether you qualify for this treatment, you must come in for an initial consultation.

How Long Will My Treatment Session Take?

The average collagen induction therapy session takes 30 minutes to complete. However, the length of your session will depend on the number of concerns you are targeting for treatment, the size of the areas being targeted for treatment, and the severity of the cosmetic concerns.

How Should I Prepare for This Treatment?

To prepare for your collagen induction therapy session, you should not remove unwanted hairs in the treatment areas by waxing, using electrolysis, or using depilatory creams for five to seven days prior to treatment. You should also not shave the treatment areas on the day as your session to ensure your skin is free from irritation.

Book Your Initial Evaluation Now

A single collagen induction therapy session is all that is required to achieve youthful, beautiful, healthy skin. However, several sessions may be necessary to achieve your desired results depending on the severity of your concerns. Drop us a line now at Bala Aesthetics & Medispa in Bel Air, MD to schedule your initial consultation. We will develop a treatment plan that allows you to feel completely confident in your appearance.

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