(CIT or skin needling): What to expect and do you need it.
Everyone from the Kardashians to your next door neighbour is jumping on the skin needling bandwagon to achieve a youthful glow, but what exactly is skin needling and should you be jumping on said wagon?
Skin needling is often referred to as dermal needling or collagen induction therapy (CIT) and can be performed either using a manual roller type device or a mechanical pen (such as a derma pen) to create tiny micro wounds in the top layers of the skin. Professional only needling devices range in length from 0.5 mm up to 1mm or even 3mm (to be used by doctors only). This is very different from home needling where you would only use a maximum of .02mm to help increase penetration of actives rather than induce collagen.
For skin rejuvenation and scar revision we need to give your collagen and elastin factories a little nudge to wake them up. This is exactly what dermal needling does, in fact we literally poke the cells that make collagen and elastin with a sharp stick (actually a very fine tattooing like needle) and tell them to wake up. These elusive little cells reside in our dermis, the area of our skin that also houses tiny blood vessels and capillaries, to ensure we hit the correct spot we look for pin point bleeding and redness during the treatment.
Don’t be alarmed by the redness, we want this response. This signals that we are in fact utilising the healing response in your skin. When your skin is wounded the collagen and elastin factories go into overdrive and flood the area with these rejuvenating goodies to fill in the holes. The result is a plumper, firmer, more even and rejuvenated complexion. The blood will also release platelets containing natural growth factors, basically your very own fountain of youth.
Post treatment redness will look and feel similar to a mild sunburn which can last from 24 to 48 hours. Following the redness your skin will then feel a little dry and tight for up to a week as your skin heals. During this time you may even experience a little flaking similar to that after a peel and in most cases redness and flaking a barely noticeable so you will be fine to go to work the next day.
Over the next three months following dermal needling your newly laid collagen will continue to mature meaning any lines and scarring will continue to soften over time giving you the full effect three months post treatment. Depending on your skin condition and desired results we recommend having three to six treatments every two to four weeks.
Think of this process like building a house, you can have the best builder (skin needling) available but if you don’t have the best materials your house may not turn out as strong and as beautiful as you expect. To ensure you have the best materials to rebuild your skin it is important to be using a good topical skincare regime containing the essential vitamins and nutrients required to make collagen and give you the best complexion possible.