7 Benefits of Microneedling

Happy new skin for the New Year…

The start of a new year is thought of as a time of renewal, a time to start fresh and a time to work on improving yourself, both inside and out. So, after a season of indulgence, late nights and busy schedules, why not start the new year with a little pampering?

Microneedling can help to improve your skin tone by increasing the natural production of collagen in your body, and it’s not just for your face! Microneedling can be performed on almost every part of your body. So, if you’re feeling a little sluggish as you start the new year, microneedling is a Live Young Cosmetic service that helps to brighten your appearance and can put a little spring in your step.

What is microneedling?

Microneedling (also known as collagen induction therapy) involves using fine needles to create hundreds of tiny, invisible puncture wounds in the top layer of skin. Sound appealing? Not so much. But this minimally invasive treatment is incredibly effective. The micro-injuries you create stimulates the body's natural wound healing processes, resulting in cell turnover and increased collagen and elastin production, therefore reversing as well as preventing signs of aging. Believe it or not, microneedling has become hugely popular among skincare fanatics—Vogue is calling it the next big thing in anti-aging with a host of A-list celebrity clients using it as part of their skin care regimes.

At Live Young Cosmetics we use the medical professional grade Dermapen which can penetrate up to 2.5mm depth for the most effective treatment. This is a superior method of microneedling compared to the old style dermarollers which can tear the skin rather than creating direct needle punctures to a precise depth.

7 Benefits of Microneedling, the Hottest Skincare Trend

Hundreds of tiny pin pricks going into your skin might sound like the beauty version of torture, but it could just be the best thing that ever happened to your face.

1.Microneedling reduces fine and deep wrinkles

The primary appeal of microneedling is its ability to stimulate growth of collagen and elastin, which is the key to new, youthful-looking skin. With its ability to trigger the generation of new skin cells, just a few sessions of microneedling will noticeably reduce fine lines, crow's feet, and deep wrinkles on the forehead. This is one of the reasons I like microneedling—because it's able to utilize the body's own natural healing mechanisms, so the results are very natural. Also, because there's minimal downtime with it, I often recommend it as a maintenance for people who are trying to stave off the signs of aging.

2.Microneedling treats acne-scarring

In a 2009 study on the effects of microneedling, nearly 100 percent of acne-scarred participants reported a marked improvement in the visibility of their acne scars. Professional, medical grade microneedling devices such as the Dermapen used at Live Young Cosmetics can penetrate as deep as 2.5mm, which will treat deep acne scars that occur beneath the surface of the skin. In case you're wondering how microneedling compares to fractional laser treatments when it comes to resolving acne scars, a head-to-head comparison published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery in 2016, found both treatments to be comparable and effective, but gave credit to microneedling for being better tolerated, with fewer side effects and less downtime. These are the secrets your skin wants to tell you.

3.Microneedling makes skincare products work better

One of microneedling's additional appeals is that it improves product absorption tremendously. Studies confirm that the treatment can help topical medications penetrate skin more efficiently, allowing you to reap the full benefits of any product. This makes total sense since microneedling creates thousands of invisible holes in your skin that are ready to absorb products in a way clogged pores can't. The tiny punctures act like little channels, allowing topical products to penetrate better and work more effectively.

At Live Young Cosmetics we often combine microneedling with mesotherapy from the high-end Ameson Mesotherapy range.

4.Microneedling reverses sun damage and pigmentation

Once again, collagen is arguably the most vital way to improve the look of skin, and this goes far beyond reducing wrinkles. By stimulating collagen growth with microneedling, you can also reverse sun damage and discoloration, including the hyperpigmentation that comes with melasma. A 2015 study showed microneedling to be a promising treatment for the blotchy, brownish facial pigmentation that comes with this chronic condition. To improve extra pigmentation from sun-damaged skin, needle depth should range between 1.0 mm an 1.5 mm in length.

5.Microneedling helps aging skin

On top of microneedling's ability to smooth and correct damaged skin, it also has the bonus of tightening loose skin, which makes it great for older men and women. (Remember: The older you are, the less collagen you're naturally producing.) A 2015 study in the International Journal of Dermatology confirms that microneedling is a new way to achieve "skin rejuvenation, tightening, and scar remodeling," and that it offers a "simple and effective treatment for photo aged skin" with minimal side effects and downtime. Older skin can also greatly benefit from the right fuel, so add these beauty foods to your diet to get that glow.

6.Microneedling shrinks pores

It's a bit counter-intuitive, but microneedling doesn't enlarge pores as you might imagine piercing your skin hundreds of times would. Rather, one major benefit is that it helps pores appear much smaller. Microneedling stimulates collagen in and around your pores, which causes them to plump and appear shrunken, if not closed. And let's be honest, who doesn't want smaller pores?

7.Microneedling can be done all over your body

Finally, a great benefit of microneedling is that this treatment isn't exclusive to the face. It can be done on any area of skin that needs to be repaired—particularly areas that display stretch marks or acne scars, like the legs, chest, back, and butt. As few as four to six sessions could make a difference in these problem areas.