If you’re struggling with acne scars, uneven tone and texture, or fine lines, it can be hard to know which treatment is perfect for you. Enter: microneedling. This increasingly popular option for facial rejuvenation results is a great option for anyone looking for a non-invasive way to stimulate collagen and requires just a few days of down-time. Check out these transformative microneedling before and after photos to see the results for yourself!
What Is Microneedling?
Like the majority of in-office treatments, the goal of microneedling is to prompt your skin to produce more collagen. Supporting your skin and providing critical structure, high collagen production helps keep skin tight and elastic. “As we age, the body’s natural collagen production decreases, which leads to signs of aging like wrinkles and skin laxity,” explains medical aesthetician and founder of Skincare by Amy Peterson Medspa, Amy Peterson.
One way we can get collagen production up again is to create small injuries in the skin to engage the natural healing process.
“Microneedling in particular uses needles to penetrate the skin,” explains national telehealth dermatologist Anna Chacon, MD. “These micro-injuries not only prompt collagen production, but also allow for the deeper penetration of active ingredients.”
What Does Microneedling Treat?
“Microneedling, with or without radio frequency added, stimulates collagen production by traumatizing the skin in a controlled manner,” adds Denver plastic surgeon Philippe A. Capraro, MD. “That’s essentially what all of these treatments, microneedling, laser resurfacing and chemical peels, are trying to accomplish. The result is improvements to skin texture and fine lines.”
Pitted acne scarring is another common reason to pursue microneedling.
“I like to use microneedling with radio frequency to treat acne scars,” says Washington DC dermatologist Tina Alster, MD. “Additionally, microneedling without heat (so, without radio frequency) is basically a colorblind treatment, because you don’t have to worry about heating the tissue and creating hyperpigmentation. It’s effective for acne scarring because it’s just creating that controlled wound that allows the skin to rejuvenate from below and fill in some of those acne scars.”