SkinPen® Microneedling
Visible signs of aging and skin damage are common occurrences, even in those of us that take meticulous care of our skin. Combined with genetics, time, and environmental factors, trauma to the skin from acne can rob facial skin of its smooth, glowing appearance. If you’re searching for an effective treatment to rejuvenate the appearance of your skin and banish visible scarring, SkinPen® by Crown Aesthetics may be a beneficial treatment option. Your Gainesville dermatologist can help you decide if treatment with SkinPen® is right for you. Contact us for more information about our skin care treatments and to schedule a dermatologist appointment.
What Is SkinPen®?
SkinPen® by Crown Aesthetics is the first medical-grade microneedling device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This device is clinically proven to both safely and effectively treat acne scars for patients 22 years of age and older with any skin type. Microneedling is a minimally invasive technique that rejuvenates the skin by creating thousands of micro-injuries in the skin’s tissue, which encourages the natural healing process, boosts the production of collagen and elastin, and helps establish new blood vessels in the treatment area. As a result, skin tissue becomes smoother, tighter, and more luminous, while fine lines, dark spots, and scarring are either reduced or eliminated. Microneedling treatment with the SkinPen® can be used almost anywhere on the body, including the face, neck, arms, back, and chest. Contact our office today for more information or schedule an appointment.
Benefits Of SkinPen®
Microneedling treatment with the SkinPen® offers a complete range of results and benefits to our patients. SkinPen® is natural and does not use any chemicals, heat, or toxins, and treatment does not involve burning or removing layers of skin or paralyzing facial muscles. The SkinPen®, instead, utilizes the body’s natural reparative and regenerative responses to boost collagen and elastin naturally and to restore the appearance of damaged and scarred skin. There are minimal side effects and downtime following a SkinPen® procedure, and there is minimal risk of scarring or infections. Because SkinPen® does not affect the epidermis (uppermost layer of skin where skin pigment resides), it can be used to revitalize all skin types. It may be used on many different areas of the body, including the face, arms, neck, décolletage, hands, legs, abdomen, and back. SkinPen® needles adjust to different lengths, allowing our Gainesville, FL, dermatologists to customize each procedure based on the patient’s specific requirements.
How Does Microneedling Work?
SkinPen® microneedling causes controlled micro-injuries to the skin that stimulate the body’s natural process of healing — inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling — while also minimizing cellular damage. The result is the effective remodeling of scar tissue while keeping intact the overall structure of the skin. Each procedure takes about 30 minutes to perform, depending on the area treated and the desired results. Due to its non-invasive nature, microneedling usually requires little-to-no downtime for patients. Unlike lasers or chemical peels that can damage the skin if used long-term, SkinPen® treatments, when correctly performed by a dermatologist, can be used for multiple years to improve the appearance of skin.
SkinPen® Microneedling Treatment
During each treatment, our dermatologists prepare the patient’s skin with topical anesthetic and assemble a set of tiny needles that can be adjusted to multiple depths, ranging from .25 mm to 2.5 mm. As the SkinPen® glides across the skin, the sterile needles break small openings into the surface of the uppermost tissue, creating tiny lesions in the skin. The needle length and puncture depth correlate to the desired correction and skin depth of each patient. Once the skin’s natural barrier is accessed, our dermatologists may apply a unique blend of topical ointments and skin care products to the treatment area to boost the effects of hydration to the deepest layers of the skin and to provide optimal results. In 1–2 weeks following the procedure, patients will notice tighter, fresher, and clearer skin with reduced imperfections.
SkinPen® Wound-Repair Phases
There are three phases — inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling — to the skin’s wound-repair process that are prompted by the SkinPen® treatment. Contact us to learn about our approach to dermatology and to find out which treatment best meets your skin’s needs.
Phase I: Inflammation
Inflammation occurs after piercing the skin and triggering the immune system to disinfect the resulting wounds, remove debris from the affected areas, and increase blood flow. This process prompts the body to create new tissues and regenerate cells within the treatment areas.
Phase II: Proliferation
Proliferation occurs as the wounded tissues become rebuilt with new granulation cells, which are part of the extracellular matrix. During this phase of the skin’s wound-repair process, a new network of blood vessels develops, aiding the affected skin in the process of regeneration.
Phase III: Remodeling
The remodeling phase is the final phase of the skin repair and skin-regeneration process. Once new dermal tissue and blood vessels are established and replace the wound, the bost creates Type I collagen, which tightens and adds a protective layer to the skin for protection.
