As we enter the final days of summer, we are slowly entering the home stretch before calling the current year a wrap. We’re right at the point where the leisure time of the summer is about to wind down, but before the chaos of the late autumn and holiday seasons start – making this the PERFECT time to consider a microneedling treatment.
Starting a microneedling treatment in the late summer/early fall allows the effects to show on your skin over the next few months, resulting in you looking your best right when the holiday season hits, and time is scarce. Not only will it also ensure that you can start off your new year with radiant, glowing skin, but you will also have personal first-hand experience with this new tool which you can now incorporate into your skin care arsenal moving forward.
*Note that Microneedling treatments can be performed on their own; however, it is also very common for these treatments to be combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your own blood as well. This combo of Microneedling + PRP is commonly referred to as the Blood Facial.
Here are 6 reasons why you should try out Microneedling (either with or without PRP) before the clock hits midnight for the new year:
1) Microneedling is All Natural
Unlike most treatments, microneedling involves no special formulas being inserted into your skin, and no fancy pieces of technology. This treatment simply consists of a collection of very tiny needles that gently puncture the first layer of your skin, and that’s it. Your body then heals these tiny wounds with its own natural healing process. This process increases collagen and improves the texture and appearance of the skin naturally since it is using your body’s own healing mechanisms that it was designed to do.
Microneedling treatments that have been combined with PRP simply involve the use of your own platelets that are already contained within your blood. Your blood is first drawn, and the platelets are then separated and injected into the face. All that is happening here is that the plasma is merely being moved from one area of your body to the other. Nothing out of the ordinary!
2) Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment with NO downtime
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Because the needles being used are so small in size, the punctures caused by these needles are not visible to the naked eye. Even though these wounds are small enough to not be visible, they still trigger the body to activate healing mode on the treated areas, so your skin still reaps the effects. Most patients head right on back to work the same day, and it is very common for others to continue their originally intended weekend plans the first couple days after a treatment. After your treatment has been completed, your physician will provide you with some very simple aftercare steps to take, such as wearing sunscreen (which you are doing anyway after reading our Skin Cancer blog, right?!).
In the case of PRP – even though there are extra injections involved when microneedling and PRP are combined, this does not cause any increase in downtime. In fact, just the opposite! Those who combine microneedling with PRP can expect an even faster recovery time due to the accelerated healing process from the platelets. The initial redness and swelling wears often wears off within 48-72 hours after a blood facial, and results also appear faster as well when combined with PRP.
3) Microneedling can Treat a TON of Conditions
Microneedling is an extremely versatile procedure that can treat practically any concern or condition you have. Studies have shown that patients with acne scars especially are excellent candidates. Acne scars are one of the most difficult conditions to treat, and patients can expect to see good to great results in the improvement of their skin and the appearance of these scars after receiving microneedling.
In addition to acne scars, microneedling can also improve the appearance of:
- Age spots
- Hyperpigmentation/Uneven skin tone
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Scars
- Stretch marks
- Undereye Circles
- Enlarged pores
- Cellulite
PRP is also quite versatile, and has been used in a variety of medical and surgical procedures thanks to its healing effects. It has been very prevalent among professional athletes in rehabilitation, so it comes as no surprise that PRP and microneedling go together like soap and water. In addition to Microneedling, PRP can also be used to slow down the effects of age related hair loss as well.
4) Your Skin Will Absorb Products Better After a Microneedling Session
One of the real joys about microneedling is that not only does it directly fight against conditions on your face such as fine lines and acne scars – but it also has the benefit of increasing the effectiveness of your skin care products.
Topical products applied during your skin care procedure are usually only absorbed by the uppermost layers of skin. Due to the small punctures created by microneedling, the topical products are now able to penetrate deeper into the skin, thus getting absorbed by the lower layers. Patients are often pleasantly surprised to return to their skin care regimens a few days after treatment to find that the same products they’ve been using are amplified in their effects afterwards. You can expect up to 90% increased product absorption after microneedling!
5) No Risk of Adverse Side Effects
One of the biggest perks that many microneedling patients really enjoy about the treatment is how it is so simple and natural. Because of this, the risk of side effects is extremely low with this procedure, especially when compared to other more invasive options like surgery. The punctures inflicted from the needles are so small that the body will enter its natural healing mode without needing to worry about risking prevalent side effects that accompany other treatments, like infection or surgical complications.
After a microneedling treatment, you can expect minor swelling and redness that will disappear on its own after a few days. Dry skin can also happen and is normal, and your physician will let you know what post-procedure measures to follow to limit the effects of this. Moisturizer can, and should be used to reduce this until it resolves on its own.
Those who opt to receive the microneedling + PRP combo can expect to see the swelling and redness disappear even faster! The addition of PRP offers an accelerated healing process without the addition of any other risks or downsides. Because PRP uses the patient’s own blood, there is no cause for concern about issues like allergic reactions.
6) Microneedling treatments have very little to no pain at all
Having numerous small needles puncturing your face all over may sound a bit scary to some people; however, before the procedure is started, a topical anesthetic is applied to the patient’s face and is left to sit for about 30 minutes first. As the skin absorbs this ointment, the patient’s face then goes numb and the procedure is then started afterwards. While some patients do report a slight sensation of the needles being moved across the face, many others report no pain at all. Even patients who receive the deepest level of depth have reported the procedure being very tolerable, and much less than what they initially anticipated.
The addition of PRP may give off the impression that it is painful since there is blood involved. However, due to the anesthetic, the injection of the PRP is also reported to be not very painful – in fact, patients report even less pain than what one may feel from a filler or Botox treatment. Because the needle used for PRP is much smaller than the kinds used for Botox and fillers, patients report simply the feeling of the needle going in with no pain.
**Bonus Reason:
As we know, the combination of Microneedling with PRP is referred to as the “Blood Facial”.
The fall season is famous for having a special day in October that you might have heard about at some point. This special day is known for featuring ghosts and other ghoulies like zombies, witches, and coincidentally, vampires. ? ? ? ?
This special day is referred to as…well, we can’t quite remember at the moment…
BUT, for those of you who are fans of this special day, starting this season off with a BLOOD FACIAL is the PERFECT way to get into the spirit for this time of the year
