Ever heard of micro needling? That’s collagen induction therapy.
Basically, it stimulates the body’s own natural healing response, dramatically improving skin tone and texture. The result is firmer, more radiant skin.
Collagen induction therapy suits all skin types and colors. It’s most often used on the face to target:
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Uneven skin tone
- Sun damage
- Acne scars and other types of scarring
- Enlarged pores
It can also be used on other parts of the body. One study found that it’s an effective treatment for stretch marks on the thighs and abdominal area when it’s combined with dermal fillers.
How does it work?
A sterile roller with hundreds of micro-needles makes tiny pinpricks when it passes over the skin—it sounds much more terrifying than it actually is—which causes the skin cells to go into healing mode and produce new collagen-rich tissue.
It’s normal for the skin to lose collagen through aging or injury. Microneedling helps replenish those stores.
A topical anesthetic is applied prior to the procedure to minimize discomfort, but the treatment is not painful. Most describe it as a prickling sensation.
After the rolling part, vitamins A and C are applied. Once they penetrate the tiny perforations on the surface and make their way to the deeper layers of the skin, they’ll help facilitate the collagen growth.
Microneedling, unlike other treatments, is safe enough to be used around the eyes, so it treats the entire face.
The procedure typically runs about two hours—the actual microneedling part takes about a half-hour—and there’s little, if any, downtime afterward.
Multiple treatments are recommended for the best results. How many, exactly, will depend on the condition of the skin and size of the area being treated, but most undergo at least four. (Because the procedure’s considered cosmetic, it’s not covered by insurance.)
What’s the recovery like?
Right after a treatment, some mild sensitivity and redness is to be expected. The tiny perforations in the skin will close up within a few minutes, and the sensitivity and redness is usually gone within a few hours. Most return to work the next day.
The skin works pretty quickly to create new tissue. Results are usually visible within a week or two of the treatment. And the skin will continue to improve over the next few months. The height of the results occurs six months after the treatment.