What Is Microneedling?

You may work hard to perfect your skin care routine with the right cleanser, sunscreen, serums and moisturizer. However, even with all the best at-home skin care, your skin will eventually begin to show signs of aging. Specifically, you may see fine lines, wrinkles and a blotchy or uneven skin tone. That’s because the structure of the skin slowly changes and it is not able to self-repair as efficiently as it once did. Fortunately, you can help give your skin a boost with non-surgical med-spa treatments like microneedling.

Douglas J Salon offers VirtueRF Microneedling, which pairs microneedling treatment with RF energy to stimulate the skin’s regenerative healing process. As a result, you’ll see smoother, more youthful looking skin after every treatment. Book an appointment at our Okemos MedSpa location to discover if microneedling is the right service to align with your skin care goals and continue reading for more information about how microneedling works and what you can expect from your treatment.

How Microneedling Works

As the name indicates, microneedling uses tiny, sterile needles to penetrate the skin in target treatment areas. Because the needles are so small and controlled by a robotic precision delivery system, the treatment itself is relatively painless. When these needles puncture the skin, the body’s natural healing response kicks in. This triggers the new production of collagen and elastin, which smooths and tightens the skin as it heals. Combining microneedling with radiofrequency energy only boosts the results of your treatment, as RF energy helps to facilitate increased production of collagen to restore your youthful appearance.

A Closer Look at the Skin’s Structure

The outward appearance of your skin is determined by what’s going on beneath the surface. Your skin is composed of many layers and it’s within the deeper layers that wound healing takes place.

Encouraging Cell Regeneration in the Skin

When the skin sustains injuries, the body directs more blood to the blood vessels just below the skin. Thanks to this immune response, the skin is better able to produce new cells. During this process, new collagen and elastin is formed as well. Microneedling triggers wound healing in the skin by causing microscopic injuries on the surface that yield dramatic results over time. The overall structure of the skin remains intact, but there are visible improvements left behind. Skin appears softer and smoother, with a more even tone, fewer wrinkles and smaller pores.

What to Expect with Microneedling

Different microneedling treatments have varying results and recovery times. With VirtueRF microneedling, you can expect treatment to be quick and you can get back to your routine right away. Here’s a closer look at what you can expect from your microneedling procedure.

Treatment Time

A full-face microneedling treatment with VirtueRF takes about 20 minutes. Your full appointment will last just under an hour, as your technician will first assess your skin, review the treatment with you and then apply a soothing sheet mask to immediately soften the skin and encourage complete healing. Treatment is not painful thanks to the innovative technology behind VirtueRF—robotic precision delivery ensures precision placement for needle insertion without any scratching, tearing, or trauma. A numbing cream is also applied just before treatment to further boost your comfort.

Post-Treatment

Our microneedling treatment has no social downtime, meaning you can get back to your routine right away. However, you may have some redness in the skin for a few hours after treatment. We also recommend wearing no makeup for about 12 hours after your microneedling session, but you will want to apply sunscreen to protect your skin following your treatment. Our providers may also recommend cleansers and other skin care products to further enhance your results and soothe your skin.

Results

Because microneedling works by triggering natural healing within the skin, you won’t notice full results right away. You may have a brighter glow and extra smooth skin just after your treatment, but the most dramatic effects will set in after about 4-6 weeks. Your skin won’t have a “worked-on” appearance, because the results are driven by natural collagen and elastin production. For optimal benefits, our providers will likely recommend a series of 3-4 microneedling treatments spaced about 4-6 weeks apart. Following this initial series, you can maintain your results with a follow-up treatment every six months.

Ideal Candidates for Microneedling

One of the best things about VirtueRF microneedling is that it can benefit individuals with all skin types, at any age. Whether you’ve just begun to notice telltale signs of aging, or you have deeper lines and wrinkles you’d like to soften, microneedling can improve your skin and boost your confidence.

If you’re ready to see what microneedling can do for your skin, schedule your medspa consultation at the Okemos location of Douglas J Salon. We offer a wide range of relaxing, rejuvenating spa treatments that can bring out your best features at any age. For salon services in Ann Arbor, Byron Center, or Rochester Hills, visit any one of our salon locations.