How Does Microneedling Enhance Your Skin?

Starting in a person’s 20s, production of collagen in the dermis—which is the middle layer of skin—is reduced by around 1 percent each year. In addition to chronological aging, UV exposure, smoking, genetics, stress, and an inflammation-triggering diet are also factors associated with decreased collagen production. Collagen keeps your skin firm and supple, but when there’s less of it present, wrinkles begin to appear and can deepen and even become etched into your face. Thus, the question for many people is: How do we improve the skin’s regenerative processes and speed up the production of collagen again? There’s not much that can be done to prevent intrinsic collagen loss, but there are ways of kickstarting the skin’s regenerative processes so that new collagen molecules are made. One of the most effective ways of doing this is with a cosmetic treatment known as microneedling. The New Jersey-based skincare professionals at South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center explain that microneedling—also known as collagen-induction therapy—is one of the safest and most effective treatments for improving the skin’s appearance. It’s a popular alternative to laser skin resurfacing and injectables, and it benefits the skin in the following ways:

Supports Your Skin’s Collagen

It turns out that while it might seem completely counterintuitive, sometimes causing a small amount of damage to your skin might actually be the best way to get your softest and smoothest results. Microneedling harnesses the body’s own collagen-producing abilities to repair wounds and other forms of skin damage. The treatment uses small needles to stimulate gradual skin cell turnover and collagen regeneration. The needles are tiny and sterilized, used to puncture a series of miniscule holes in the outer layer of the skin. These surface-level pinpricks are difficult to see, but prompt noticeable repair work that improves the surrounding tissue, too.

Repairs Sun Damage

Have an uneven skin tone? Hyperpigmentation is a harmless condition that causes excess production of pigment in the skin, resulting in the appearance of spots or blotches that are darker than the surrounding skin. These are often called freckles, sun spots, and even age or liver spots. Microneedling lightens areas of hyperpigmentation and repairs some superficial skin texture issues that are linked to sun exposure.

Smooths Wrinkles

Wrinkles occur when our skin becomes thinner and less elastic due to aging, environmental stressors, or repetitive muscle movements. Microneedling is ideal for improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, because an increase in collagen makes the skin thicker and more resilient.

Reduces Dilated Pores

Pores can often look larger if they’ve become blocked with oil, dead skin, and dirt, or if you’ve been exposed to too much sunlight. Genetics, severe acne, and hormonal factors are also associated with enlarged pores. By increasing volume and tightening the skin with microneedling, one of the added perks of the treatment is that your pores will also look tinier.

Makes Topical Products Work Better

Microneedling can improve the penetration and absorption of topical products to make them more effective. This is because the active ingredients can penetrate the deeper layers of skin thanks to the numerous channels made in the surface. Pairing microneedling with topical products such as hyaluronic acid and coconut oil can help you to get the most out the treatment.

Fewer Side Effects

Even though laser treatments might be more effective for more severe forms of hyperpigmentation, microneedling produces results that are similar to what could be achieved with more intense laser treatments or peels—but with a much shorter downtime. In fact, patients can leave the office after they’ve had the procedure, and there’s no recovery time necessary. It’s normal for some minor redness and slight bleeding to occur after the treatment, depending on how sensitive your skin is, but these symptoms typically resolve on their own within a few hours.

For more details about cosmetic skin care procedures, contact New Jersey’s South Jersey Skin Care & Laser Center. Call (856) 810-9888 or fill out a contact form to set up an appointment if you would like to learn more about what’s involved.