If you struggle with facial scarring, you’re not alone. Many people have facial scars due to acne, chicken pox, or previous injuries. While scars do tend to fade over time, they don’t always go away completely. And some types of scars, like keloid and atrophic scars, are unlikely to change appearance without treatment. The good news is that there is a minimally invasive, med spa treatment that can help ease the appearance of most facial scars called microneedling.
What is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a procedure during which a practitioner inserts many tiny needles into the surface of your skin. This is done with a specialized tool that makes it easy for your practitioner to control the depth and location of the punctures.
Microneedling is designed to stimulate your skin’s production of collagen, which is a protein that gives your skin its structure and elasticity. After a microneedling treatment, your skin will need to heal from the tiny wounds created by the needles. As it heals, it produces more collagen.
How Does Microneedling Treat Scars?
Scarred skin typically contains less collagen than healthy skin. Or, in some cases, the scarred skin may contain collagen fibers that are malformed. After microneedling is performed, your scarred skin will develop more collagen, which will help restore a more natural appearance.
Microneedling can also stimulate your skin to produce more elastin. Elastin is another protein that makes your skin elastic and stretchy. Atrophic scars, which look like little indents in your skin, are often low in elastin. So are keloid scars, which are raised scars. Stimulating elastin production in skin affected by these types of scars can help “erase” them and give your skin a more even texture.
What Kinds of Scars Can Microneedling Treat?
One of the reasons microneedling is so popular is that it can treat many different kinds of scars. So, for example, if you have acne scars and a few stretch marks, your practitioner can treat them both with microneedling during the same appointment.
Here are some of the most common types of scars that med spas, like Balance MedSpa, treat with microneedling:
- Acne Scars
If you have dark, discolored patches of skin from former breakouts, microneedling can help fade them faster than over-the-counter creams. - Keloid Scars
Keloid scars, or raised scars, can form as you’re healing from an injury, or even from a serious acne blemish. Microneedling can help flatten them. - Ice Pick Scars
These deep acne scars look like holes in the skin. Microneedling can stimulate the production of collagen to fill them in. - Stretch Marks
If you have stretch marks due to pregnancy or rapid weight gain, microneedling is a treatment to consider. - Fine-Line Scars
A fine-line scar is a slightly raised scar that can form over a cut or scratch. Microneedling can help flatten and lighten such scars.
What Are the Benefits of Microneedling?
Microneedling has a couple of benefits when compared to other popular scar treatments. Since it’s a treatment you receive at a med spa, your results don’t depend on you remembering to apply a product each day. Instead, you can squeeze a visit into your lunch break or afternoon routine, and then go on with your day.
Microneedling also causes minimal pain. While you may have some redness and itching in the days after treatment, these are minor and pass quickly. You won’t have to deal with extensive healing time or wear a bandage as you would after scar treatment surgery.
How Many Microneedling Treatments Will You Need?
Most patients who choose microneedling to treat their scars need several visits to get the results they desire. These appointments will be spaced a few weeks apart. This gives your skin time to heal and develop new collagen after each appointment.
It’s not always possible to tell how many appointments you’ll need at the onset of treatment. Rather, you and your practitioner can evaluate your results after each session and decide when your scars have faded satisfactorily. Some patients only need a single session for mild scars. If your scars are darker or deeper, you may need five or six treatments, in total.
How Safe Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is very safe as long as it is performed by a knowledgeable practitioner, like those at Balance Med Spa. The most common side effect is post-procedure redness and soreness, and that clears up quickly.
You don’t have to continue struggling with facial scars. If you would like to learn more about microneedling as a scar treatment, contact Balance Med Spa to schedule a consultation. We’re happy to help.