As much as we appreciate the quick fixes that injectables can offer, the truth is that the most worthwhile results are not immediate; good things come with time. Injectables can do a lot, but they cannot fix everything. There comes a time when a patient may need to consider other modalities of treatment such as lasers, microneedling, chemical peels, or IPL. For a universally beneficial treatment for any patient, my go-to recommendation is microneedling. It's a safe option for all skin types and beneficial for patients regardless of the severity of their skin issues.
Microneedling was formerly known as “collagen induction therapy” and has been around for a few decades. The idea behind microneedling is to create a controlled injury to the skin to stimulate collagen by releasing growth factors through a wound-healing cascade. This treatment is indicated for those with acne scars, pigmented areas, fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, and even alopecia. Nowadays, most providers will perform this treatment with topicals such as PRP and exosomes to boost the benefits of the treatment and even cut some downtime.
When I treat a patient with microneedling, I emphasize the importance of scheduling the treatments every 4 to 6 weeks, aiming for at least 3 to 6 sessions. Studies have shown that patients see better results with treatments spaced in this specific interval compared to those who wait longer between sessions. Downtime differs from person to person, but it's typically about 3 to 7 days until the skin is fully healed. In my experience, patients tend to recover quicker with subsequent treatments. And as I've mentioned, using PRP can further cut down downtime. Personally, I often find myself back to normal by day 2 after my own microneedling sessions!
While I consider microneedling to be fairly non-invasive and low-risk, some conditions require caution before considering this treatment. If you have active skin issues like lesions, infections, severe acne, eczema, or psoriasis, are immunocompromised, or have a tendency to develop keloid scars, you should be extra cautious. Always talk to your primary care provider before getting microneedling to make sure it's a safe option for you.
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