Microneedling 101: My Journey to Better Skin in My 40’s
Tiny needles. Rolling over your face.
You may think- this sounds like a 90’s horror movie. I won’t sign up for that. But this is not a remake with Pinhead and I’m about to share an experience with you that may have you reconsidering that response, especially if you’re interested in rejuvenating your skin through some simple handheld treatments. Read on if you’re intrigued.
My skin has been through some hard times. Too much sun and a lot of tanning bed moments in my teens and twenties- before there were laws that wouldn’t let you get into a tanning bed before 18!
I traveled for work around the country for a full year after graduating from college and all the different climates and water sources took a toll on my skin. It was highly acnetic and I didn’t love what I saw when I looked in the mirror- I wasn’t the most confident I could be. Because I went back to working in TV, I needed to get it cleaned up. And I did at the time- thanks to great topical skincare options.
Years later, having children and the stress of life impacted my skin. Of course, the inevitable aging from my early 20s into my 40s left my skin less energized and dewy than it used to be. I’ve tried Botox, but haven’t committed to it on a regular basis, because I’ve been interested in other things I can do to help brighten, tighten my skin, and keep it looking the best it can in my mid-40s.
I had the opportunity to work with Donaldson Plastic Surgery last year and try a laser treatment that resurfaced my skin- the Halo. This year, 2022, I committed to trying twelve weeks of microneedling treatments with them.
This is where the needles come in. And I promise, it’s going to be enlightening. Here’s a look at my skin before I started treatment.
Once every two weeks I would come into their offices in Dublin and their lead chief medical aesthetician Tatjana Dzamov would work towards rejuvenating my skin with microneedling and helped me really understand how it works.
Now- if you’re interested in skin care, you’re familiar with “rollers” that are sold cosmetically. Prickly rollers that help you get more product into our skin for better results, according to their marketing and selling points. Microneedling is similar BUT much strong because it’s a medical-grade tool being handled by a medical professional.
And unlike rolling in your own home, because of the quality of these needles, you get a numbing on your face for about thirty minutes before you have this procedure. This helps the procedure feel more like light sandpaper against your face and less like needles. It was not painful. Tatjana would wipe the numbing cream off my face and then use a pen-shaped tool to move the nano-sized needles back and forth on my cheeks, forehead, neck, and right below my eyes. (Yes, you read that right, below my eyes. And it wasn’t hard at all to do or feel.)
These needles make the tiniest of cuts, which causes a bit of bleeding. Afterwards Tatjana would wash my face and apply some medical-grade face serum and moisturizer before I left the office.
I know you’re asking: why would you want to cause injury to the face that would make it bleed? Even if it’s just tiny cuts?
The procedure creates that small “injury” and sparks the body’s healing process by sending collagen and elastin (so good for your face as you age!) to patch up the tiny injuries. That collagen, as you have heard I’m sure, helps fill in and smooth out wrinkles. These micro-injuries don’t scar you- they stimulate the skin to repair itself through a cycle of inflammation, collagen production, and smooth repair. As we age, collagen levels in our skin go down and this new collagen that we produce while we’re in the repair portion of the cycle does wonders for us! There’s also a thought that the procedure helps our visible layer of skin become thicker and more taut- when normally it thins as we age.
Most people get microneedling on their face- but you can also do it on your stomach or thighs if you’re experiencing stretch marks and more.
My skin started to notice a difference after the third of six treatments. As you can see in these pictures, my face got red (inflammation) and in my case it took 24 hours to heal each time I did it. Pain was minimal for me after the procedure- it felt a little like a sunburn. You can put on makeup the next day to cover up the redness as it starts to subside and some slight flaking that starts after the procedure.
As I mentioned earlier, home microneedling kits (those home rollers) are becoming more popular. They’re easy to get and inexpensive. But again, these home rollers use shorter, duller needles and only temporarily stimulate blood vessels to brighten skin. They won’t give you the same results as what I’ve just explained through my experience.
The proof is in the photos- just look at the bare skin at the top of this post on the day I started the treatments vs. my skin below when I finished my sixth treatment.
I’m incredibly satisfied with the results and am now maintaining them through medical-grade skincare products at home. Tatjana suggests I have another appointment every 6-8 weeks as well, to keep the collagen producing.
Tiny needles that do incredible work- the journey through a series is worth it and I’m glad I tried it. If you decide to call Donaldson, let them know you heard about it from me- and let me know how it goes for you! And as always, you can get a free consultation first- because you might decide there’s something that suits your unique skin situation better!