Skin needling goes by various names in the skin and medical industry, including Dermapen, Dermarolling, Percutaneous Collagen Induction (PCI), Collagen Induction Therapy, and Intradermabrasion.
Skin needling was originally developed by plastic surgeons and dermatologists as a non-surgical method for tissue rejuvenation and regeneration.
Skin treatment involves using a sterile, single use pen-like device with micro needles ranging from 0.25 mm to 2.5 mm in length. These micro needles penetrate the upper (epidermis) and lower (dermis) levels of the skin to a targeted and specific depth, causing controlled microscopic injury. This process triggers the body’s own wound healing response, which results in the release of cellular messengers that in turn increase fibroblast (collagen producing cells) activity.
After a skin needling treatment, the skin has redness (erythema) with a slight chance of minimal swelling (oedema) for about 24 hours after treatment.
Skin needling can assist in the treatment of several skin conditions such as scarring, stretch marks, facial rejuvenation, fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores. Depending on the condition and area treated will determine how many treatments are needed.
At the Collins Cosmetic Clinic we typically use hyaluronic acid (HA) on the skin during the skin needling treatment. Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar which helps to retain water within the cells of skin, making it an excellent moisturiser. The HA penetrates into the areas where the needling has taken place giving the area an abundance of hydration as well as collagen stimulation.
Skin needling treatment can be combined with other rejuvenation procedures. The treatment is easily administered and there is no clinical downtime for the patient. This combination treatment is used to help patients with all skin types and is a corrective and preventative therapy to treat fine lines and wrinkles, manage scars from acne or other injuries, improve skin texture, reduce stretch mark appearance and stimulate new collagen growth.
