Maybe you are doing some research on what you can do to treat and fade your acne scars and you came across this procedure called microneedling. This is a relatively new procedure that involves multiple tiny needles that prick your skin. It is recommended for acne scars, fine wrinkles and as anti-aging. The type of acne scars treated with microneedling are atrophic scars. Atrophic scars are indented and depressed. This is not suitable for hypertrophic or keloid scars. The best course of action for hypertrophic scars is having steroid injections.
Microneedling is performed under local anaesthetic. A cream that numbs the skin is applied 45-60 minutes before the procedure. Once the skin is numbed, the procedure is more comfortable with only mild discomfort or even none. The device is rolled over the affected skin to create many microscopic channels within the dermis, which stimulates your own body to produce collagen. Expect your skin to be red, bruised, sore over the next week. The use of sunscreen is mandatory and the doctor will advise you for how long to use it depending on the season and your skin type. There are few contraindications to microneedling and the doctor will discuss this with you.
For best results, try to have sessions at regular intervals, ideally every 4-6 weeks. The minimum number of sessions depends on the severity of acne scars, but usually you should have at least 4 before assessing the improvement. The advantage of this procedure is that it doesn’t damage the skin and the healing time is short. Most patients can return to work in 5 days. Microneedling can be safely performed on all skin colours and types. The risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is low compared to other invasive procedures that are used to treat acne scars such as laser resurfacing, deep chemical peels and dermabrasion.
Because microneedling promotes the penetration of drugs, the procedure can also be used to improve the penetration of antiacne agents to prevent the appearance of acne lesions. If you consider treating your acne and acne scars with microneedling, Dr Anton can assist you and answer to any questions you might have before going ahead with the procedure.