SkinPen® Microneedling
SkinPen® Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment to stimulate collagen to improve fine lines, acne scars, and skin laxity.
How SkinPen® Microneedling works
SkinPen® microneedling works by creating hundreds of thousands of micropunctures in the skin. The goal is to activate the body’s natural healing processes to stimulate collagen.
Microneedling is excellent for overall skin quality, fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, and acne scarring.
Microneedling can be enhanced by using serums and other topicals to treat specific conditions. Limelight Medical Aesthetics utilizes the power of stemcells, cytokines and exosomes by AnteAGE® to fight the signs of aging and sun damage, restoring healthier, more youthful skin.
When microneedling is combined with neuromodulators, acne scars and stretch marks can be dramatically improved.
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Prior to Arrival
Prior to arrival, you would have received a questionnaire and consent for treatment. We will review these forms with you and answers any questions you may have.
Photos
We do photos with each visit. Not only does it show progress through your aesthetic journey, it also helps to understand and tweak subsequent treatments, based on outcomes from each encounter.
Preparation
Once images are obtained, the skin is cleansed and a strong numbing cream is applied.
While the numbing cream takes effect, we will mix your solution ingredients and prepare the device. This is a great time to discuss other skin concerns or treatments.
After 20 min, the numbing cream is removed with micellar water and a gel cleanse.
The Treatment
The microneedling session will last about 20 minutes. Throughout the treatment, we will apply serums needed to address the specific aesthetic concern.
The treatment should be painless, with the only sensation being light pressure as the SkinPen® glides over the skin.
Once the treatment is over, the skin will be red, indicating improved blood flow. There may be some areas with punctate bleeding. To protect the skin and promote healing, a moisturizing solution is applied over the treated area.
While results can be seen after one session, best results are seen after 3-5 sessions at 28 day intervals.
Complications/Side Effects
BLEEDING
Because thousands of punctures are being made in the skin, there will likely be a small amount of bleeding.
INFECTION
Infection is always a risk when you disrupt the skin barrier. It is incredibly unlikely with microneedling. Especially when you follow the post-treatment protocol.
SWELLING AND REDNESS
Mild swelling can be expected the first 24 hours due to the controlled micro-trauma. Redness is expected, as that is the clinical endpoint of the procedure. The redness means that all the skin vessels are actively delivering nutrients and working to repair the damage from the procedure.
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Day 1-3: There will be mild swelling and redness for the first couple of days. If you added exosomes to your treatment, your skin may be back to normal. Continue using the after treatment protocol.
Day 4-7: Your skin is likely back to normal color and texture. It is crucial to continue your post-treatment skin regimen during this time.
Day 7-10: Your skin is ready to return to your regular skin care routine. The micro-punctures are healed on the surface. But don’t worry, there are amazing things happening under the surface.
Day 10-21: Your fibroblasts are working overtime to produce new collagen and elastin. You may not see the results yet, but smoother, tighter skin is heading your way.
Day 21-28: It’s time to rebook your next appointment. Microneedling results are best when done in a sequence of 3-5 sessions at 28 day intervals.
Instructions + Forms
Prepare for your appointment and learn how to take care of your treated area after your procedure for the best results in a reasonable amount of time based on the treatment received.
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No area to be treated should receive any type of chemical peel for 2 weeks prior to or after the treatment.
Sun exposure and/or usage of a tanning bed, including self-tanning products must be avoided for a minimum of 1 week before treatment. Treatment within 24 hours of prolonged sun exposure (natural sunlight, artificial tanning booth, or sunless tanning products) may result in hypopigmentation (white spots) or hyperpigmentation (dark spots) that may not clear for several months or may even be permanent. Microneedling will not be performed on sunburned skin.
Waxing and/or use of chemical depilatories must be avoided for 2 weeks prior to and after your treatment. Shaving is allowed immediately before treatment and 2-3 days after treatment, as long as there is no skin irritation.
Retin-A®, Renova and Tazorac must not be used for 1 week prior to treatment.
Area to be treated must be clean and free of any lotion, makeup or sunscreen. Please wash off and remove completely prior to treatment.
If you have a history of cold sores, we may recommend prophylactic antiviral therapy prior to your treatment.
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Immediately following treatment
Do not apply anything to the skin for 6-8 hours after treatment. This includes make-up, SPF or products of any kind.
Avoid clothing, headbands, hats or scarves on the treated area. If clothing is to be worn over the treatment area, we recommend cotton clothing that hasn’t been treated with fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
Redness and/or swelling is common and will resolve within 1-2 days.
8 hours after treatment
Cleanse skin then apply hyaluronic acid serum using the products recommended to you by your clinician. Do not apply anything else to the skin.
Days 1-6 post treatment
AM Routine-Cleanse skin then apply hyaluronic acid serum using the products recommended to you by your clinician. Follow with SPF.
PM Routine- Cleanse skin and apply hyaluronic acid serum using the products recommended to you by your clinician.
Bruising, pinpoint bleeding, minor scabbing, minor breakouts, swelling and/or redness may occur and will resolve within 7-10 days of treatment.·
Do not pick, peel, rub, scrub or irritate your skin in any way while it is healing, as this may cause scarring.
Avoid heat, saunas, hot tubs and sweaty activity; this includes exercise of any kind.
Do not use an electric or manual facial brush of any kind (i.e. Clarisonic or something of the like).
Mineral make-up may be worn, however, we recommend leaving skin clean for this time period if possible.
Day 7 onward
You may resume your regular skin care routine as long as peeling/flaking has subsided. If you are still peeling/flaking, be patient and allow your skin the time it needs to heal before starting back on your routine.
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Science + Education
Medical microneedling has been around since the early 1900s to subsize scars and treat hyperpigmentation. In 1995 it became more popular as smaller devices entered the market. SkinPen® is the first FDA cleared medical grade microneedling device on the market.
SkinPen® creates micro-channels (microscopic holes) at a rate of 1600 per second. These micro-channels activate the bodies healing cascade, generating new collagen (collagenesis) and creating new blood vessels (angiogenesis).
Microneedling is the gold standard treatment for acne scars. And studies show, that when combined with neuromodulators and other cytokines and growth factors, acne scars can be dramatically improved over microneedling alone.
Holistic Aesthetic Approach
This treatment is used for correcting fine lines and wrinkles. To holistically address your concern, consider adding treatments that prevent wrinkles and regenerate the collagen that's lost during the aging. These include chemical peels, microneedling and EXION™ Radiofrequency.