Microneedling: a dermal therapist’s guide

Question: have you ever wondered what all the fuss about Microneedling is all about? Well, wonder no more, because we’ve got all the details below.

Microneedling - also known as Collagen Induction Therapy - is a clinically proven, pain-free, non-surgical skin generation technique.

Tiny needles stimulate your skin’s natural wound healing processes, resulting in high cell turnover and dramatically increased collagen and elastin production.

But get this: it reduces, reverses as well as prevents issues such as scarring, fine lines and premature ageing, pore size and even stubborn pigmentation.

And did we mention the actual regeneration happens in the days and weeks after your treatment, when your skin’s longer-term healing response is activated? It really is the treatment that keeps on giving.

If you’re curious about what to expect, here’s our summary:

Phase 1: The Immediate Response Phase / Haemostasis – within 1-10 minutes

This phase begins immediately once the tiny needles puncture the capillaries. Platelets will firstly rush to the area, followed by a further rush of nutrient-rich blood to the skin.

Phase 2: The Growth Factor Phase – within 1-3 days

This involves the recruitment of neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes (try saying that quickly?)

In other words, your skin’s natural healing response powers. These break down any excess tissue and release growth factors, helping rapidly produce collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid, repairing your dermal tissue.

Here’s another tongue twister for you: vascular endothelial and platelet-derived growth factors work together to manage the production of a new capillary network throughout your dermal tissue.

Put simply: this is where your all-important collagen is recruited to help with the healing process.

While it is pretty much painless, to generate the ideal growth factors for optimum results comes a little heat - you can expect some light redness to your skin, akin to a very mild sunburn effect.

Phase 3: Lag and Proliferative Phase – within 3-5 days

It takes 3-5 days to stimulate the resting cells in your skin’s connective tissue – your skin is now in a powerful regeneration mode.

During these days your skin may feel a little dry. So, we recommend you use sun protection daily, and a dab of good quality moisturiser.

It’s during this phase that more skin-regeneration magic occurs:

Collagen type 3, the second most abundant collagen in tissues most commonly with elastic properties, binds the tiny wounds together.

It will ultimately then convert to collagen type 1, which is known for minimising fine lines and wrinkles and improving skin elasticity and hydration. In this phase, it’s also important to keep up your sun protection daily.

Angiogenesis, the fancy word for the sprouting of new capillaries, allows for restoration of the blood nutrients and oxygen system - enabling tissue growth.

Phase 4: Tissue Remodelling, Maturation and Ongoing Regeneration Phase - 28+ days after treatment

Microneedling is the gift that keeps on giving, and here’s why.

Collagen type 1 is found in younger skins, whereas older skin has more collagen type 3.

Fibroblasts continue to produce Type 3 collagen, followed by a remodelling process that continues the conversion of collagen type 3 to type 1, thanks to a nifty little process called collagenase.

Collagenase peaks at day 14 in the wound healing process to help with the remodelling of excess collagen. It is susceptible to UVR – which means daily sun protection is still vital.

Your Treatment Time Frame:

While everyone is different, you will see results within the first session. Significantly noticeable changes occur within three-five sessions, spaced over a period of weeks.

Can we tell you something else? At Inspiring Skin Health, we offer two levels of Microneedling, depending on your unique skin’s needs. 

• For epidermal MicroNeedling (level 1), ideal for reducing pore size, mild to moderate pigmentation and fine lines, we recommend a series of three-five treatments conducted every two to three weeks.

• For dermal MicroNeedling (level 2), ideal for treating acne, scarring, severe pigmentation and all the visible signs of premature ageing, we recommend a series of three-five treatments conducted every six to eight weeks.

Spacing your treatments allows time for collagen type 3 to convert to collagen type 1 – a vital part of the process.

More than a passing fad in skin care, microneedling is a clinically proven technique that stimulates your skin’s natural wound healing processes, resulting in high cell turnover and dramatically increased collagen and elastin production.

While this is an incredible skin treatment, here’s our final tip: choose a clinic with extensively experienced practitioners.

If you feel like this is a treatment that you’d like to explore, we are happy to help with any questions you might have. Feel free to give us a call on 0481 113 775.