Trends come and go everywhere – even in skincare and aesthetics. Right now, one of the most trendy treatments for patients who have mild to moderate visible signs of aging is microneedling, a treatment that uses the power of your body’s natural regenerative process to look younger. At South Lake OBGYN in Clermont, FL, we know that this treatment can be highly effective for people of all skin types and tones. Learn more about this unique treatment before you schedule your initial appointment.
What Is Microneedling and How Long Does It Last?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive treatment that stimulates the natural healing process of your skin, specifically to induce collagen production and cellular turnover so your skin looks younger, glowing, and healthy. This treatment works by using sterile, very thin pieces of metal to pierce the surface layers of the skin to create “micro-injuries”, which then prompts the body to create fibroblasts, collagen, and elastin. Over time, this refines and rejuvenates the appearance of the skin.
The results of this treatment are known to last for three to five months for the treatment of most superficial skin concerns. Treating certain pigmentation concerns, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, may produce longer-lasting or even permanent results for some skin types. Your aesthetic expert will be able to estimate how long your results will last depending on the skin concerns you are trying to address.
What Is the Best Treatment Frequency?
Because the results of this treatment are usually considered temporary, it’s a good idea to create a treatment timeline that will help you maintain your desired results. The recommended frequency for professional treatments like this one is about twice a year for most people. Using this treatment once every six months will maintain high collagen production and promote better skin appearance over time.
That said, some people may prefer to maintain their results with quarterly treatments, or a treatment every four months. This is sometimes an ideal treatment frequency for patients who have moderate age-related concerns, especially deeper lines and wrinkles on the face. By increasing collagen production more regularly, these deep signs of aging will appear softer and less noticeable.
Can You Prolong Results?
Your results will last much longer if you take very good care of your skin-post treatment. The best way to prolong or enhance the results of your treatment is to use skincare products that support collagen production, cellular turnover, and anti-aging. The key ingredients to use include Vitamin C, retinoids, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. Even acids such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, and ferulic acid are good for anti-aging purposes.
Of course, the way you apply these products can make a big impact on how well they work, and some of these ingredients may be overly drying to sensitive skin. If you aren’t sure which products are best for you or what the best skincare routine for application is for your skin type or needs, please speak with one of our skin specialists for advice.
Why Might RF Microneedling Be More Effective?
At South Lake OBGYN, our preferred treatment is RF microneedling with the revolutionary Morpheus8 system, which is clinically proven to be a more effective treatment for many people. Morpheus8 combines the power of needling with radiofrequency energy to promote deeper and longer-lasting collagen production.
Because radiofrequency uses heat to stimulate collagen production so effectively, the combination of these treatments into a single system can produce results that last for about 12 months. This means you may only need to have maintenance appointments once a year to achieve your desired results. Additionally, the results of Morpheus8 are often more noticeable, which is why this treatment is ideal for advanced age-related aesthetic concerns.
What About At-Home Treatments?
Because this treatment is so effective as a professional treatment, there have been attempts to recreate the results of this treatment with at-home devices – but are at-home treatments as effective? Generally speaking, no, at-home derma-rolling (the consumer-friendly version of basic needling devices) is not as effective as a treatment you would have at a clinic. In fact, at-home treatments may do more harm to your skin than good if you aren’t careful.
One reason why at-home treatments are usually effective is that the length of the needles used on derma-rollers is not deep enough to create any significant results. Most consumer products are made with needles that are under 1.5mm in length, while the needles used in a professional setting are usually 2mm or greater. Furthermore, the quality of at-home needles is more likely to rip the surface of the skin than to make any controlled micro-injuries that will induce the skin’s natural healing ability.
What Can This Treatment Address?
Microneedling, with or without radiofrequency, is known to be a very versatile treatment that can address many aesthetic concerns at once. This treatment is so diverse it is often the center of many patients’ treatment plans, and may even be effective enough that other aesthetic treatments aren’t necessary to achieve aesthetic goals. The most common concerns this treatment can address include:
- Acne scarring
- Dark spots or hyperpigmentation
- Enlarged pores
- Skin laxity
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Stretch marks
- Sun damage
- Rough skin texture
When this treatment is combined with radiofrequency in the Morpheus8 system, the results are often more powerful because of how deeply radiofrequency energy can penetrate the sub-dermal layers of the skin. This is particularly true for age concerns related to skin laxity or loose skin. Radiofrequency is also known to help improve the appearance of sun damage.
Scarring and Enlarged Pores
Scarring caused by injury or previous acne can be difficult to treat. Scarring of any type on the skin is caused by incorrect collagen production during the wound healing process. The only way to effectively treat scarring is to smooth the surface of the skin by increasing collagen production in surrounding tissues, which should mask the appearance of depressions in the skin. The only type of acne scarring that may not be responsive to this treatment is deep, narrow icepick scars.
Enlarged pores are also related to scarring for many of the same reasons. While the general size of your pores is determined by genetic factors, enlarged pores happen when pores are stretched by too much oil, blackheads, whiteheads, or other follicular trauma over time. Again, the best way to treat enlarged pores is to induce higher collagen production.
Lines, Wrinkles, and Skin Laxity
Visible signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, and skin laxity are all related to lower collagen production associated with the natural aging process. As your skin produces less collagen as you age, your skin will lose volume and this will eventually lead to the skin folding in on itself, which creates the appearance of lines on the surface of the skin.
This treatment is most appropriate for treating static wrinkles, which are caused by volume loss. Dynamic wrinkles, caused by repeated facial movements over time, are more effectively treated with neurotoxin injectables such as Botox or even certain dermal fillers.
Sun Damage and Pigmentation
Sun damage can create dark spots on the skin, worsen the appearance of melasma, or contribute to hyperpigmentation caused by skin injuries and irritation. Reversing dark spots and sun damage can be very difficult because the skin cells in these areas are “programmed” to have higher melanin than the surrounding skin. A treatment such as this one can essentially reset the cells by accelerating cellular turnover and correcting pigment production in the skin.
Stretch Marks
Stretch marks are a particularly difficult form of scarring usually found on the body. Stretch marks occur when the skin stretches too quickly for collagen and elastin to keep up, which is what creates the pinkish or silvery lines on the skin. Stretch marks can occur as a result of normal growth during puberty, pregnancy, or excessive weight gain. The best way to reduce the appearance of stretch marks is to induce collagen production that will strengthen the skin and help the scars blend with the surrounding skin.
Enjoy Long-Lasting Results With Morpheus8
Microneedling is one of the most popular and most effective aesthetic treatments available to patients. Most people are likely to be good candidates for microneedling regardless of skin tone and skin type, particularly with systems like Morpheus8. If you’re ready to refine the appearance of the skin on your face and body, please contact South Lake OBGYN in Clermont, FL to schedule your consultation appointment today.