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Whenever there is a beauty treatment that includes needles, there is usually some fear associated with it and rightfully so. Needles do not always have to evoke fear, especially when it comes to aesthetic treatments; in the right hands and using the right techniques needles can be used to help stimulate the healing processes within the skin. The needling procedure can also be combined with other techniques such as chemical peels and radiofrequency to intensify your treatment and efficiently target skin concerns.
Microneedling is commonly performed in aesthetic clinics as an advanced treatment that requires specialist hygiene procedures. No matter where you choose to have your treatment, the number one concern should always be cleanliness where needles are involved (or treatments that perforate the skin. I would also recommend keeping an eye out to make sure any and all cartridges used in your procedure are new and disposed of properly in a medical waste bin. Identifying that your practitioner has provided you with a safe environment will help to put your mind at ease during the session, it is also important to communicate any concerns before the procedure starts.
If any of your concerns include fine lines, pigmentation, hypotrophic scarring or texture, microneedling is the treatment for you. The most common form of needling facial is called ‘microneedling, with mesotherapy’. This treatment involves microneedling with a custom cocktail specific to your skin concerns. Your skin cocktail solution is applied to the treatment area whilst microneedling, which helps the ingredients penetrate into the skin better.
Most mesotherapy cocktails are comprised of a hydrating ingredient (hyaluronic acid or peptides), a protecting ingredient (vitamin c to protect against free radical damage).
Unlike other aesthetic treatments that involve needles, microneedling does not require any numbing – although some practitioners opt to use it. Instead, towards the end of your treatment you may be offered a calming mesotherapy mask.
During your microneedling appointment, you may experience some level of discomfort but it should not be painful. Some clients have likened the sensation to a ‘cat scratch’, depending on the area of treatment. The most uncomfortable areas of the face to treat are the forehead and upper lip as the area is less fleshy. Your aesthetician will create accommodations for your skin by adjusting the needle depth to treat different parts of your face or body.
Microneedling remains my preference as there is no peeling involved and you can usually resume normal activity within 48 hours. The one slight drawback for microneedling is that you must allow 6-8 weeks to observe results.
Just like any aesthetic treatment, multiple sessions would be needed to achieve your desired results.
