Micro-needling – the new celebrity skin secret is out

02/03/2016 / Don't try this at home

Micro-needling is quickly becoming the celebrity skin fix of choice and with red carpet season in full swing, there’s no better time to get to grips with exactly what it is. Ok, it might sound like something from a Saw movie but when it comes to rejuvenating the skin before a major event, the A-list can’t get enough. And who can blame them? With minimal downtime, no injectables and firmer, tighter skin after just one treatment, wouldn’t you be interested? It’s time to shelve your fear of the sharps as we speak to Dr David Jack from London Aesthetic Medicine to lift the lid on micro-needling…

By Daniela Morosini

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So what is micro-needling?

We can’t all boast skin as naturally glorious and youthful as Oscar winning actress Alicia Vikander but micro-needling can get us one step closer. ‘It’s not as scary as it sounds’, said Dr Jack (while we all breathed a collective sigh of relief.) ‘Micro-needling uses a special, clinical device that has tiny needles, usually about 2-3mm long, and essentially creates a small, controlled injury on your skin.’ Confused as to why this kind of injury doesn’t need you hailing a cab to A&E? ‘What the process does is kick-start your body’s natural healing defences. When your body perceives injury, it gives your cells a signal to stimulate your fibroblasts to start producing more collagen and elastin, as well as giving you a surge of growth hormone. Along with producing more of these proteins, it will help to gradually thicken the dermis, which increases your skin’s firmness.’

Why do we need it?

As we age, our bodies get less effective at producing collagen and elastin – hence why we get wrinkles and notice more sagging in our skin. Try as we might, it’s very hard to rectify this damage with skincare products, as collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed when you apply them topically. The only way to get your skin behaving like it’s 21 again is to give a little bit of a jump-start – hence the controlled, superficial injury. ‘It does hurt a bit’, Dr Jack explained, ‘But it largely depends on your pain threshold. I would describe the pain as close to a stinging sensation, but there are plenty of pain-management options, from numbing creams to local anaesthetic. It’s definitely not an unbearable pain. ’As well as helping boost your collagen and elastin levels, micro-needling is brilliant at making your skincare regime work harder for you. In the days after a treatment, the tiny holes created by the micro-needling make your skin more porous. That essentially turbo-charges your skincare, as anything you use, but especially skin-feeding hyaluronic acid and antioxidants like Vitamin C, will be much more readily absorbed. ‘'The skin is that bit more penetrable’, Dr Jack added.

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What happens in a typical treatment?

When it comes to your day in the clinic, the uncomfortable bit will usually take around 45 minutes to do your whole face and neck. Your practitioner will get your skin squeaky-clean with a good cleanse, apply a numbing cream, then begin the micro-needling process. Afterwards, your skin will be red and possibly have some spots of bleeding, but the redness usually goes down in about 24 hours. As with any treatment that pierces the skin, keeping infection at bay is key, so you’ll be advised to use a good anti-septic cream in the days afterwards. ‘It’s also possible that you might get some tiny scabs’, said Dr Jack, ‘But they will fall off quickly and painlessly’.Dr Jack explains that the treatment is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones, but the results are most keenly felt on slightly more mature skin types. ‘Usually, anyone over the age of 40 or someone who’s concerned with any general signs of ageing from fine lines and wrinkles to loss of elasticity would make a good candidate. It’s also a very good treatment for acne scarring, as it boosts your body’s healing process’, although Dr Jack did advise that those still suffering from adult acne might want to give micro-needling a pass, as the treatment could make your skin produce more oil.

Image credits: Rex features

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