Everyone likes to give and receive a little needling now and again. Such banter keeps us on our toes with friends and co-workers.
Your facial skin loves needling, too — microneedling. Microneedling creates hundreds of microscopic punctures to improve the skin. Dr. Kronberg performs microneedling for our patients from all around the Houston area.
What is microneedling and how is it done?
Dr. Kronberg uses a microneedling “pen” for these treatments. The handheld device has oscillating needles that can be set to different penetration depths, depending on the patient’s skin and the treatment site. These depths can be varied up to 2.5mm. Dr. Kronberg moves the microneedling pen across the treatment area, and the pen’s needles move up and down creating microscopic punctures through the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer, down into the dermis layer. Although the tiny punctures/channels begin to heal almost immediately, your body perceives the punctures as wounds and a wound-repair response is triggered. The body produces new collagen and elastin to send to the “wounds” to heal them, even though they actually fully heal in just a few hours. Collagen is a protein responsible for the skin’s structural support, while elastin makes the skin firm, yet pliable.
Beyond triggering the wound response, the microscopic channels also make the skin more available to healing serums that can penetrate the skin far more effectively. This further improves the skin’s health and appearance.
What is the microneedling procedure like?
Before your microneedling session begins, we apply topical numbing cream to your treatment areas, and this is allowed to take effect. Dr. Kronberg then attaches a new, sterile needle cartridge to the top of the microneedling pen. Next, depending on your treatment area, she sets the needle depth (for instance, forehead skin is thinner, so it needs a shallower setting). Next, in a single motion, the pen is gently pressed against the skin while simultaneously gliding across in one direction. This is repeated until the entire treatment area has been covered. Depending on your needs, a second pass may be made. As soon as she has completed the passes, an oatmeal extract with vitamin E is applied to your skin to calm it and start the healing process.
Is there recovery after microneedling?
When your session is over your skin will appear pink and flushed. This redness subsides by the next day, although it can linger for another day in some patients. This can depend on how many passes you had across the treatment areas. In addition to the slight redness, you may have some slight swelling and your skin will feel a little tight across the treatment areas. If possible, it’s good to have microneedling done as an after-work or late in the day procedure. That way your skin can calm down overnight.
Interested in giving your skin a little needling? Call Dr. Kronberg at (713) 771-8941 to schedule a microneedling session.
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