Dr Rozina Ali, one of the most popular female plastic surgeons in the UK, highly advocates microneedling treatment. In this article, Dr Ali has provided us with meaningful information to help you fully understand this multi-purpose, minimally-invasive treatment.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling is a now common practice that’s used to treat a number of skin issues. The advent of the concept of microneedling dates back to 1995 when Orentreich and Orentreich described dermal needling in the form of subcision for scar treatment and then independently in 1997 by a plastic surgeon Camirand who used tattoo guns without ink to take off tension from postsurgical scars.
As a relatively new minimally invasive procedure, microneedling is involving superficial and controlled puncturing of the skin by rolling with miniature fine needles. Over a short period of time, it has gained mass popularity and acceptance as it is a simple, cheap, safe, and effective technique requiring minimal training.
How does it work?
Also known as collagen induction therapy, increases the production of collagen – an essential protein that helps keep the skin looking youthful, with a firm, smooth, and stretchy texture – and other healing factors by causing trauma to the skin.
Micropunctures are created using microneedles, producing a controlled skin injury without damaging the epidermis. These micro-injuries lead to minimal superficial bleeding and set up a wound healing cascade with the release of various growth factors, connective tissue activating protein, connective tissue growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor.
Benefits
Starting around the age of 30, two vital components of your skin, collagen and elastin, begin to diminish. Microneedling induces your skin’s healing response. Following treatment, your skin is noticeably softer and has a smoother texture.
Moreover, regarding the face, microneedling treatments reduce acne scars in the same way that they improve the overall texture of your skin. When scarring occurs, your body undergoes fibrosis, which pulls the skin down, creating unsightly irregularities on the surface.
While used as an anti-ageing skin treatment, microneedling may also be a method of treatment for hair loss. There’s even evidence that it can help a special type of hair loss known as alopecia areata.
There is also no downtime and the patient can resume daily work the very next day.
As people desire smoother, younger, and tighter skin as they grow older, treatments such as microneedling are becoming more popular. Given its expedient post-treatment recovery, limited side effect profile, and significant clinical results, microneedling is a valuable alternative to more invasive procedures such as laser skin resurfacing and deep chemical peeling. If you are considering undergoing a microneedling procedure, book a consultation with a surgeon who is specially trained and experienced in such procedures.
Read More:
