We all want to look younger, and at Reflections Skin & Laser Center in Cartersville, GA, we are proud to offer microneedling with the SkinPen device as a wonderful way to get the youthful look you need.
When Is the Best Time to Get Microneedling?
When You Are Unhappy With Scarring
Whether your scars come from acne or some other trauma, microneedling can help. This minimally invasive solution provokes your body into generating fresh, new collagen and skin cells, which reduces the look of pockmarks and scars.
When Your Face Needs Overall Rejuvenation
Despite our best efforts and most faithful adherence to a generally good skincare regimen, our faces eventually need something more. If you’re exfoliating, washing, applying toners and brighteners, and yet not seeing the results you once did, it could be that you need a more dramatic solution that will truly rejuvenate your skin from the inside out.
When You Want to Soften Lines and Wrinkles
Lines and wrinkles happen to us all, but you don’t have to live with them. Through a collagen induction treatment like microneedling, you can encourage your body to produce stronger, more supple skin that will fill in those lines to minimize their appearance.
When Pore Sizes and Hyperpigmentation Bother You
While you might think first of wrinkles when considering the signs of aging, but actually the size of your pores can be a dead giveaway of age even when wrinkles and lines are minimized. Thankfully, SkinPen is also effective at getting you smaller pores.
And if you’re seeing spots of hyperpigmentation—like sun spots or age spots—you can fade these away by encouraging your body to produce new skin cells and collagen.
When You Have a Special Event Upcoming
Your skin needs a little time to generate new skin cells and give you a glowing look. That’s because the effects of SkinPen are entirely natural! Make sure you schedule treatment at least a few weeks in advance of your big event.
If you’ve not had treatment before, you might need a series of three or four treatments to get the best look, so come talk to us about the best time to schedule. Each person is different, and we can help you get the right schedule for your needs. Once you get the look you’re hoping for, however, you can keep it with occasional single treatments.
What Is the SkinPen?
Unlike home dermal rollers and other less effective options, the SkinPen is a state-of-the-art, medical-grade device approved by the FDA, and the gold standard when it comes to microneedling.
Because this device is so precise, it allows us to make very finely tuned movements with controlled application that’s perfect for each area of the face. Whether it’s the thicker skin over the cheeks or the more delicate skin under the eyes, the SkinPen can help without causing any harm.
How It Works
The key to facial rejuvenation is to “trick” the body into producing more collagen, elastin, and fresh skin cells. Normally, our bodies start ramping down collagen production as we age, but if we ever experience an injury, our bodies start producing these healing and rejuvenation elements at high levels once again.
The SkinPen creates micro-injuries that aren’t enough to cause you any harm but are just enough to tell your body to start sending collagen to the area and rebuild fresh skin cells at a faster rate once again.
Safety
There are some concerns about the safety of using at-home dermal rollers. The needles may not be perfectly sterile, and it can be hard to get your face perfectly sterile, either. These devices also only have one size of needle and can only penetrate to one depth.
Meanwhile, the SkinPen enjoys FDA approval and is also approved by Health Canada and the European Therapeutic Goods Administration. When used by a skilled professional, this is a very safe and effective treatment regularly used around the world every day.
What to Expect
The tiny needles used in this device will penetrate your skin swiftly, but they are so fine, and the movement is so quick, that you won’t feel any pain. Just in case, we’re happy to offer a numbing cream or talk to you about any other ways you might want to make doubly sure you won’t feel discomfort.
The device can be adjusted so it penetrates to just the right depth depending on the thickness of the skin in your treatment area.
Customization
One of the best things about this treatment is that it can be customized to match both your skin and your goals. If you have enlarged pores, fine lines, or minor scarring, the treatment should be very shallow: about half a millimeter of penetration.
If you have moderate concerns, then treatment of about a millimeter in depth is best. For really serious issues of scarring or wrinkling, the SkinPen can go to 1.5mm or even 3mm.
What Parts of My Body Can Be Treated?
Though most people think about getting collagen induction treatment on the face, the SkinPen is actually FDA-approved for use nearly anywhere on the body. It’s a great way to address scarring, skin texture issues, or stretch marks.
Am I a Good Candidate for Microneedling?
In general, this treatment is safe for all skin types and tones. It’s suitable for people of any age, as well. The best way to find out if this is the right treatment for you is to meet us for a consultation.
We’ll discuss your skincare goals, look at your concerns, and explain everything you want to know about treatment. Once we’ve established you are a good candidate and that SkinPen can help you with your concerns, we can help you design a treatment schedule that gets you to your goals.
There are a few signs you’re a perfect candidate for this treatment:
You Can Follow Pre-Treatment Instructions
This is a safe and effective device, and you’ll get the best results if you’re able to follow all pre-treatment instructions. These will include things like avoiding getting a sunburn and scheduling treatment so you haven’t had an auto-immune therapy or medication within 24 hours.
You’ll also need to avoid using certain products, like those with Retin-A, for a day before your treatment. There may also be some medications you’ll need to pause for a few days before treatment, and you should schedule SkinPen treatment so it’s at least two weeks after your last Botox treatment.
You Can Follow Aftercare Instructions
There isn’t much you need to do after your treatment, but there are a few things that will get you the best results. For the first 24 hours, only use lukewarm water to wash the area, and avoid using any cleansers until after this point. For the first three days, use only a very mild cleanser and be extra certain your hands are clean before you touch your face.
We’ll also provide you with a special moisturizer to use on the first day, and you should be sure to use a good broad-spectrum sunscreen whenever you go out. Avoid the sun entirely during the hours when the UV rays are strongest: between 10 am and 4 pm most of the year and 11 am and 3 pm during the late fall and winter. It’s also important to avoid using a makeup brush for the first 24 hours, as most makeup brushes are not completely sterile.
Your Expectations Are Realistic
When you come to talk to us, we’ll give you all the details you need to know about what to expect, and it’s important to think carefully about them. On the one hand, this treatment offers far more dramatic results than any typical skincare treatment, like creams, lotions, or serums.
On the other hand, the results will not be as dramatic as those offered by invasive medical procedures. This is a wonderful treatment for addressing lax, loose skin, wrinkles and lines, and other age imperfections without the risk, expense, and downtime of invasive procedures.
You Have No Infections
Because we are making micro-injuries to the skin, it’s very important that you be free of any and all infection at the time of treatment. This applies to any skin infections in the treatment area, rashes, and internal bacterial or viral infections.
Think about it this way: the whole purpose of treatment is to tell your body to rush healing factors to the treatment area and completely rejuvenate it so you look fresh, young, and bright. This process requires your immune system to go to work, and if your immune system is busy fighting off an infection, you can’t get the best results from your treatment.
If you come down with a cold or other illness, just give us a call to reschedule. Allow your body to concentrate on fighting off infection so it can then turn all its powers to rejuvenating your skin.
Can I Just Do This At Home?
The Internet is full of dermal roller options that promise amazing skin rejuvenating effects from the comfort of home. These can be tempting, but we strongly recommend against it.
Safety Issues
Sanitation is absolutely critical. There must be no chance of introducing any bacteria through the microchannels that collagen induction treatment creates. This could lead to infection or worse.
To achieve this at home, you would need to completely sterilize your bathroom (or wherever you choose to do treatment) as well as every single needle of the dermal roller, and your face, and your hands. This is nearly impossible to guarantee.
The SkinPen, in contrast, uses a fresh, new cartridge for each client, and we have the tools needed to completely cleanse your skin, ensuring you a sterile experience.
Comfort
The second issue with at-home dermal rollers is that they are not customizable or comfortable. The needles they use are generally thicker than the SkinPen, meaning they will hurt to use, and you cannot adjust the depth to match the area of skin or the skin issue you’re trying to treat. If you come to see us, we can apply a topical anesthetic to ensure your complete comfort, which won’t be available to you at home.
Effectiveness
Finally, effective microneedling requires experience and proper technique. At Reflections Skin & Laser Center, we have extensive experience and training, so we can perform your collagen induction treatment in just the right way to get you the perfect results you’re looking for.
Learn More or Get Started Today
Collagen induction treatments with the SkinPen are effective at treating a wide range of skin issues and imperfections. When you seek treatment from professionals in a sterile environment with a state-of-the-art device like the SkinPen, you can be sure of getting the results you’re looking for.
