Microneedling
Microneedling is the process of creating controlled “micro-injuries” on the face and neck, which activates your body’s natural healing response. The treatment improves skin texture and tone, stimulates collagen production, and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Our practice exclusively uses Bellus Medical’s SkinPen microneeedling device, which is the first FDA-cleared microneedling device on the market (ninety percent of subjects in the SkinPen clinical trial would recommend the procedure to family and friends). It works on all skin types, is safe, and requires little downtime.
What is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a procedure most-commonly associated with anti-aging and skin care. It involves using small needles to create tiny “micro-injuries” to the face, which stimulates collagen during the healing process — resulting in a plumper, more youthful appearance (if you want to learn more about microneedling as an anti-aging tool, you can read about it here).
However, the latest research has found that applying this same method to the scalp works as a treatment for hair loss. This is because microneedling helps traditional over-the-counter treatments be better absorbed by the scalp while also stimulating blood circulation and cell production.
PRP with Microneedling
While microneedling can do wonders for your face, it can lead to incredible results when paired with PRP. So what exactly is PRP and why should you combine it with your microneedling treatment?
PRP is an acronym for platelet-rich plasma. It’s a component of your blood that is made up of proteins that allow it to clot. When injected into the skin, PRP has been proven to cause healing which regenerates tissue. During a microneedling treatment, one of our expert providers can apply your own PRP over your skin.
This will stimulate new collagen and elastin, leaving you with the beautiful skin tone and texture you’ve been longing for. In addition, PRP expedites the healing process after a microneedling treatment. You can add PRP to a traditional microneedling treatment in order to enjoy more dramatic results.
Benefits of PRP with Microneedling
Microneedling with PRP can immensely improve your skin’s condition, especially if you’re struggling with fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, melasma, and other common skin concerns. Through the skin’s healing process, your body will produce more collagen meaning it’s a completely safe and natural treatment.
If you lead a busy life, you’ll love PRP with microneedling because it’s non-invasive. Immediately after treatment, you can resume work and your daily activities. You can expect redness, mild swelling or red patches on your skin, but these will fade away in just a few hours.
MICRONEEDLING FOR HAIR LOSS
Age-related hair loss is an extremely common problem (for both men and women), and it can have a significant effect on your self-confidence. Until relatively recently, there have been only two ways of treating this issue: topical/oral over-the-counter medications, or painful and costly hair transplants — neither of which guarantee results.
However, new research shows that microneedling — which we offer here at Ari Blanc Medical Spa — is an effective, minimally-invasive approach to hair loss and can work significantly better than the traditional “go-tos.”
THE DATA
A study shared by the National Institute of Health showed that the hair count on men who were treated with both microneedling and a 5% minoxidil lotion (the active ingredient in most over-the-counter hair-loss creams) over a 12-week period was “significantly greater” than the hair count on men who used only 5% minoxidil in that same time. What’s more, 82% of the microneedling + minoxidil group experienced more than 50% improvement in hair growth, compared to only 4.5% in the minoxidil-only group. Furthermore, this was an evaluator-blind study, meaning that the researchers assessing the “before and after” results did not know which group they were evaluating.
To put these results into context, the average hair transplant does not guarantee that any of the hair you transplant will continue to regrow post-op (you can hopefully expect a 60% regrowth rate at best), and the procedure can cost well over $10,000 (not to mention entails a lot of pain, discomfort, and recovery time).
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT WHEN YOU GET MICRONEEDLING TO TREAT HAIR LOSS
Many clients are (understandably!) nervous when they hear the words “needles” and “skin” in the same sentence. In reality, microneedling the scalp is a minimally-invasive procedure and most people experience only mild discomfort. You’ll likely experience some redness and tenderness for several days after your session, but can otherwise resume all normal activities as soon as you leave the office. We recommend that clients book a minimum of six treatments over an eight-week period, with full protocol being 15 sessions over 24 weeks. You can expect results in as early as eight weeks.