What is Micro-Needling?
Skin Needling is a revolutionary skin rejuvenation treatment that creates healthier, younger looking skin. As a form of collagen induction therapy, needling is regarded by many to be as effective as laser resurfacing. Skin is stimulated with commercial tattoo needles in such a way to stimulate natural production of collagen and elastin that plumps, fills and firms while leaving the dermis intact - unlike invasive surface treatments such as chemical peels and dermabrasion. Skin is smoother and younger looking at a fraction of the cost compared to surface treatments such as peels, and results are much longer lasting than what can be achieved with fillers or botox injections.
Compared to plastic surgery and other invasive treatments, needling is a safe, effective, affordable alternative that can take years off your appearance. And, our skin needling is quick, safe, and painless with no down time.
You may benefit from Needling if you have:
- Wrinkles & Fine Lines – Look 10 years younger without a face lift! Diminish the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, crow’s feet, aged neck skin, and sagging skin. Needling offers great, long lasting results!
- Scars from Acne, Burns, Injury, & Surgery - Soften the appearance and reduce the depth of pitted and depressed scars for a smoother texture. Shallow scars such as those from acne, surgery, injury, and chicken pox will become smoother, flatter, and less noticeable. Needling may also help restore color to the scarred area.
- Stretch Marks & White Scars - Acivate the production of melanin to restore a more even, natural skin tone to white or light colored scars.
- Enlarged Pores - Effectively reduce the size of enlarged pores.
- Sun Damaged Skin - Improve overall skin texture and enjoy additional firming and smoothing. You can expect the skin in the treatment area to be thicker, healthier, and younger looking.
Micro-Needling Benefits
Needling offers many benefits when compared to more expensive and invasive procedures such as laser resurfacing and chemical peels, including:
- ALL NATURAL - nothing is injected, there is no surgery, and it is considered a "bloodless" procedure. The skin is lightly punctured with commercial tattoo needles to cause a "perceived injury to the skin". The tissue then elicits a response with increased production of collagen and elastin that fills and plumps wrinkles, lines, and depressed scars.
- Affordability with long lasting results;
- Safe, non-invasive, and does not require general anesthesia;
- No risk of scarring or permanent color changes as with chemical peels and laser resurfacing.
- Simple aftercare and rapid healing – there is no down time.
History of Skin Needling
Skin Needling has been performed for many years, using a variety of instruments, to soften depressed scars and deep facial lines.
The Early Stage
The evolution of skin needling (aka skin abrasion, collagen induction therapy, needling) for its common use today began in the early 20th century. In 1905, a German dermatologist, Dr. Kromayer, first reported controlled resurfacing abrasion of the skin. His technique involved the use of rotating wheels and rasps for treating acne scars, keratoses, and areas of hyper-pigmentation.
Despite this early report of successful use of skin abrasion, the treatment did not gain widespread popularity until the early 1950’s when doctors Kurtin, McEvitt, and others published numerous articles on skin abrasion. Dr. Kurtin presented the first series of patients who underwent skin abrasion to Mount Sinai Hospital in 1953 using high-speed rotary abraders, intra-operative freezing, and a variety of other abrasives.
Moderate skin abrasion technique was developed in Italy in early 1980's by Swiss/French dermatologist, Dr. Philippe Simonin. His ground breaking technique, which utilized electroridopuncture and acupuncture needling, was used successfully throughout many European countries prior to its introduction (and popularity) in the United States. In his initial study, 600 patients were examined and divided into 2 patient groups - one with skin aging and the other with old scars. He performed 10 treatments on all patients. In the patient group with skin aging, 40% showed significant improvement, 22% moderate improvement and 13% some improvement - as measured by comparative skin imprints. In the patient group with old scars, 60% improved with 5-6 treatments.
Advanced Needling
Another pioneer of skin needling is Dr. Andre Camirand, a Canadian Plastic Surgeon who made a chance observation of improvement in the texture and depression of the scars of some of his facelift patients who had undergone tattooing for scar camouflage. He experimented with tattooing facelift scars without pigment, and noted immense improvement in texture, appearance, and color. He published an article on his results in JACPS in 1992.
Following to Dr. Camirand's development, Dr. Des Fernandes introduced a needling device, a small needle stamp, to induce collagen and used as a regular treatment in his surgical practice. He delivered his first paper on skin needling of the upper lips to the ISAPS congress in Taipei 1996.
