What is Medical Skin Needling?

Medical Skin Needling, also referred to as Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) and Micro-Needling, is a relatively new concept within the plethora of aesthetic treatment options available for skin rejuvenation, having come about in the format that we now see within the last 5 years.

Like many of the other treatments available it is aimed at stimulating the body’s own collagen production to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, skin laxity and scarring such as that caused by acne or chicken pox.

This is achieved by introducing a series of fine, sharp needles into the skin following the administration of a topical local anaesthetic, in the case of medical grade devices, to reduce discomfort. The needles are attached to a single use, sterile roller which is moved over the surface of the skin to create many microscopic channels or columns, approximately 0.07- 0.25mm wide, at various depths of penetration. In the case of medical rollers this is within the papillary dermal layer of the skin where collagen and elastin fibres are located. These minute punctures close over almost immediately as the skin heals.

This “damage” to the dermis encourages the body to produce more new collagen and elastin which generate new skin cells to literally “repair” itself, thus the skin becomes thicker, plumper and more youthful. Although primarily used on the face, this procedure can be carried out anywhere on the body, such as on stretch marks on the thighs and abdomen, and generally on all skin types.

Needle length reach up to 3mm, designed for professional, medical use which will achieve a more significant result on skin regeneration to induce new collagen formation.

• Skin preparation with the application of vitamin A and C creams may be recommended for up to 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the procedure.
• Treatment sessions with medical grade rollers take between 10 minutes and an hour depending on the size of the area being treated.
• Pain should be minimal due to the application of the topical anaesthetic; however you may still feel some discomfort.
• The skin will be pink or red in appearance following treatment, with some minor bleeding and bruising possible, depending on the aggressiveness of the procedure, i.e. the length of needle used for the particular indication being treated and the number of times it is rolled across the treatment area.
• Recovery may therefore take 24 hours or up to a few days; most people should however be able to return to work the following day.
• Potential complications include minor flaking or dryness of the skin, with scab formation in rare cases.
• Milia (small white spots) may also form on the skin which can be removed by the practitioner.
• Hyperpigmentation (darkening of certain areas of the skin) can occur very rarely and usually resolves after a month.

If you have a history of cold sores, this could possibly flare up after treatment.

It can take between 4 – 8 weeks before visible signs of skin regeneration are seen and the process will continue over the following months, providing a gradual enhancement. A single treatment can produce noticeable results, however a programme of 2 – 5 treatments spaced 2 – 3 months apart is often recommended to achieve optimum results. The specific number of sessions required will depend on the area being treated and the severity of the indication, as well as the level of natural response from the individual’s body.

Dermaroller™

The Dermaroller™ devices are each equipped with 192 needles mounted on a 20mm wide roller which has 8 needles in each horizontal row, and comes in both medical and cosmetic use models. The recommended method of operating the Dermaroller™ to achieve the optimal result over a specific area is by a pattern of roller movements which creates an overlap and can produce over 300 microscopic columns per cm2.

The Medical models, CIT8 and MF8 are for use by trained professionals only. The CIT8 has a needle length of 0.5mm and the MF8 has 1.5mm, which depending upon the applied pressure can penetrate the skin from 0.1 – 1.3mm deep, with a needle diameter of up to 0.25mm. Both of these models are designed to reach deep enough into the dermis to induce new collagen formation. For smaller areas of the face, such as above the upper lip, a baby brother to the MF8 model (MS4 -1.5mm) is available which has only 96 needles mounted on a 10mm wide roller with 4 needles per row. A further medical model, the CIT10, is due for future launch which has a needle length of 1mm.

A single treatment with Genuine Dermaroller™ cost from £250 depending on treatment area and post treatment skincare.

Before and After Examples