Microneedling, known in the medical community as collagen induction therapy, is one of the most versatile cosmetic treatments. Collagen induction therapy with the SkinPen device at Complete Care Clinic in Paris, TX can treat virtually any cosmetic concern because it induces collagen production. Treatment with this FDA-approved device is safe for just about everyone, but you’ll have to wait several weeks between treatment sessions.
Furthermore, there are things you’ll need to do before and after treatment for the best results. Let’s discuss how long you should wait between sessions, how many sessions you may need to get the look you want, and highlight some of the most important preparation and aftercare steps to give you a better idea of whether this treatment may be appropriate for you.
How Long You Should Wait Between Microneedling Sessions
As a good general rule of thumb, you should wait four weeks between microneedling sessions to allow your skin adequate time to heal. However, the rate at which your skin can heal itself after treatment depends on a wide variety of factors, including your age and lifestyle. You may need to wait up to six weeks between treatment sessions.
How Many Sessions You Will Need
How many treatment sessions you will need to achieve your ideal results depends primarily on the severity of the condition or conditions you are trying to treat. If you’re trying to treat deep keloid scars, you may need between six and eight treatment sessions. If you’re trying to treat moderate wrinkles or loose, sagging skin, you may only need between one and three treatment sessions. We can give you a better idea of what to expect during your consultation.
What You Can Expect During Treatment
At the beginning of your treatment session, we will apply a topical anesthetic to the treatment site so your skin numbs. We use a topical anesthetic rather than an injectable local anesthetic or a general anesthetic because it’s affordable, safe, effective, and fast-acting. We also use a topical anesthetic because it doesn’t come with any of the nasty side effects that often accompany other types of anesthetics.
Once the treatment area is numb and ready for treatment, we will pass the dermal roller evenly over the treatment area several times. As the dermal roller passes over your skin, you won’t feel anything due to the numbing agent but your skin is pricked by over a dozen fine-gauge needles. As the fine needles penetrate your skin, it detects “micro-injuries” and immediately ramps up its production of collagen to heal itself. This process lasts approximately 30 minutes.
How Soon You Will See the Results of Treatment
Although your skin immediately ramps up the collagen production process, it takes a couple of weeks to see the final results of treatment. A couple of days after your session, your skin will start to peel. It won’t be until after this peeling process is complete that you will start to be happy with the results. After that, it may be another week before you see the full extent of the treatment results.
How to Prepare for Treatment
Shave
If there is hair in the targeted area, shave the day before your treatment. Having hair in the targeted area can affect the efficacy and comfort of treatment. However, you don’t want to shave on the day of your session as shaving may irritate the skin. If it has been a while since you changed your razor blades last, pick up new razor blades. Shaving with sharp blades mitigates the risk that your skin will be irritated during the treatment session.
It’s also worth noting that shaving is the only approved hair removal method in the five to seven days leading up to your collagen induction therapy session. Waxing and heat-based treatments, like IPL (intense pulsed light) therapy and laser hair removal. Furthermore, electrolysis will irritate your skin and should be avoided in the five to seven days leading up to your scheduled session.
Drink Plenty of Hydrating Fluids
Focus on your hydration in the two weeks leading up to your treatment session. Healthy skin comprises 64% water; if you’re dehydrated, your skin is dehydrated and the appearance of your skin is affected negatively. Furthermore, if you’re dehydrated, it will take longer to see the final results of your treatment.
Although we each have unique hydration needs, it’s a pretty good rule of thumb for women to drink around 2.7 liters of hydrating fluids daily. Men should aim for roughly 3.7 liters of hydrating fluids daily. Keep in mind, scientific studies have proven that coffee and tea count as hydrating fluids, and water-dense foods, like celery, berries, and soups, also count toward your daily hydration requirements.
Eat Plenty of Protein
In the weeks leading up to your collagen induction therapy session, you’ll want to eat plenty of protein. As stated previously, collagen induction therapy induces your skin’s natural collagen production system. For this to be effective, you’ll need to consume collagen (a very special type of protein) in your diet. Good sources of collagen include turkey, beef, chicken, nuts, eggs, and seafood.
The most important thing you can do is make sure that you’re eating natural sources of protein, and prefer eggs and meats from pasture-raised animals rather than factory-farmed ones. In fact, you should minimize your consumption of processed foods and beverages in the two weeks leading up to your treatment session and throughout your recovery process.
Eat Plenty of Berries and Citrus Fruits
Just as it’s important to eat plenty of protein to get adequate collagen in your diet, it is important that you eat foods rich in vitamin C, as well. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient that is the most important cofactor for the two enzymes required for your skin to produce collagen, prolyl hydroxylase, and lysyl hydroxylase. Prolyl hydroxylase is crucial for the production process starting and lysyl hydroxylase strengthens the collagen molecules.
However, it’s important to get your vitamin C from natural sources, like citrus fruits and berries, because nutritional supplements contain high doses of micronutrients that should not be consumed in high doses prior to your treatment session. For example, nutritional supplements often contain very high doses of vitamin E, a natural blood thinner. In the days leading up to your session, minimize your consumption of blood-thinning herbs, spices, and micronutrients.
How to Care for Your Skin After Treatment
Sleep on Your Back
In the week following your treatment session, sleep on your back with your head elevated. You don’t have to worry too much about elevating your head, but it is important to sleep with the support of a pillow. You don’t want to sleep on your side or stomach because too much pressure would be applied to your face. Sleeping with an excess of pressure on your face will slow your skin’s natural healing process and may result in premature skin peeling.
Keep Your Hands Off of Your Face
Approximately 72 hours after your treatment session, your skin will start to peel. This is a perfectly natural, necessary part of the healing process. Unfortunately, you’ll only slow this process down if you touch the treatment area excessively and pick at the peeling skin.
As hard as it may be to do, it is very important that you resist the temptation to pick at peeling skin or touch the treatment area more than you have to for moisturization and cleansing purposes.
Moisturize Your Face
After your microneedling session, moisturize your face once or twice per day depending on the type of skin you have. If your skin is naturally oily, you only need to moisturize your face once daily after treatment. If you have dry skin, moisturize it twice daily with a gentle moisturizer. We recommend using petroleum jelly rather than a lotion because petroleum jelly is extremely safe and highly effective.
Use Gentle Products
It is absolutely crucial that you only apply gentle products to your face in the first week following your microneedling session. Your skin will be sensitive as it heals itself from dozens of needle pricks, so use unscented facial soap when you wash your face. Save the fragrant facial scrubs for after your skin has finished peeling and healing. Don’t try any new products during your recovery process.
Let Your Natural Beauty Shine
In the first 72 hours following your treatment session, you should avoid wearing makeup. If you feel uncomfortable going to work without makeup, take a few days off from work. If your supervisor won’t let you take three days off from work, schedule your treatment session for a Friday afternoon. Go 24 hours without makeup and wear mineral makeup over the weekend. Just note that the best thing to do is go bare or wear mineral makeup Monday.
Good Candidates for Collagen Induction Therapy
A great thing about collagen induction therapy is that it is safe for most healthy adults. In other words, if you’re at least 18 years of age and are concerned about the appearance of enlarged pores, acne, scars, lines, wrinkles, folds, or loose, sagging skin, there is a very good chance that you are a good candidate for collagen induction therapy treatment.
However, this treatment is not appropriate for everyone. Let us know if you are pregnant, nursing, or think you may be pregnant. This treatment is not FDA-approved for such individuals. You should also let us know if you have a history of bleeding disorders, such as difficulty forming blood clots. Furthermore, advise us if you are taking any medications, such as blood thinners, that are not approved during the preparation and aftercare process.
Learn More About This Life-Changing Treatment Today
Microneedling how many sessions is one of the most versatile, effective cosmetic treatments ever invented. The fine-gauge needles create “micro-injuries” that encourage your skin’s natural healing response through collagen production. This extra collagen production can resolve just about any cosmetic concerns, from acne scars to severe wrinkles. However, to be considered a good candidate for this safe, effective treatment, you need to allow your skin to heal between treatments.
Before your treatment, make sure your skin is as healthy as possible by staying hydrating and wearing adequate sun protection. After your session, continue to stay hydrated, take a break from intense workouts, and wait four to six weeks between sessions. If you think this treatment would be right for you, reach out to our experts at Complete Care Clinic in Paris, TX to schedule an appointment.