Find out all about microneedling plus how it actually feels!

office photos by back seat photography // location: aesthetic surgery of charlotte

Happy Friday! I am back again talking about skincare with Aesthetic Surgery of Charlotte {see previous posts here and here}. If you follow me via Instagram and watched my IG stories on Monday you may have seen me hanging in the ASC office. Where I ended my visit with a VERY bright red face. Well don’t worry, I wasn’t hanging in the tanning bed. Instead, I received my first microneedling procedure. I briefly talked about microneedling here but today I’d like to really dive in! Let’s talk about what the procedure is, what the benefits of the procedure are, and my experience with it thus far.

First, what is microneedling? Microneedling was originally known as collagen induction therapy, it is is used as a treatment option in acne scarring and skin rejuvenation. micro-needling uses needles or ‘microneedles’ to achieve a therapeutic effect. Simply what that means is, a small pen is used to create micro skin punctures to improve the appearance of skin. Think fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring.

What are the benefits of microneedling? This procedure will assist in reducing the signs of aging {YAY!}, improving the appearance of acne scars {double YAY!}, and rejuvenate the skin {win!}. Additionally, having this procedure done will decrease the size of your pores and help prevent acne + blackheads. Due to the procedure shrinking your pores, you’ll be less likely to get dirt, sweat, etc in your pores, so therefore, less acne + blackheads.

Who should/can get microneedling? Here is the absolute BEST part about microneedling. It’s not selective, microneedling can be done on all skin types and all skin colors. This procedure is beneficial to everyone!

Where on the body do I get microneedling? Most often, microneedling is done on the face, neck, and décolleté. Since microneedling can help with scarring, it can also be done on areas where there are stretch marks {yes please!}.

How long is the procedure? How bad does it hurt? The procedure typically takes around 30 minutes. It can take up to about 60 minutes if you are having the procedure done on multiple locations. You do receive a numbing cream prior to starting the procedure. This numbing cream is placed on your skin 25 minutes prior to the procedure and reapplied again 10 minutes prior. The cream truly helps with pain, giving you a relatively pain-free experience {I’ll share my experience with pain below}.

How long do I need to be “down” following the procedure? What are the side effects? You should refrain from sweaty exercise and sun exposure for 72 hours post-procedure. No make up for 24 hours. Following the procedure your skin will be red and flushed in appearance. Think moderate sunburn after a day on the beach. You may also experience skin tightness. This will diminish within a few hours {4 typically}. By hour 24, your skin will return to normal.

How many sessions of microneedling are recommended? 3-4 sessions are typically recommended to see real results but it can vary between each clinic so you might want to check your local beautician’s website to see. If you are dealing with something like deep acne scars, you may require more sessions. Each sessions is spaced out about 4 weeks.

When will I see results? Some people notice results almost immediately. They notice their skin looking healthier and brighter. However, natural repair process continues to progress over a course of several weeks. You may not see the final result for up to 3-6 months following your final session. Obviously, this varies per individual.

Now, let me tell you about my experience. First, I want to say, I was incredibly excited about this procedure but also insanely nervous. Why was I nervous? I HATE needles, I HATE pain, and I’m the biggest baby ever. I decided the benefits outweighed my fears and I was going through with it. As we were getting ready to start and I heard the SkinPen {the needle tool} turn on I started to sweat profusely. I was very tempted to back out but I closed my eyes and the SkinPen touched my skin. No pain! Wait, no pain?! Well that was not what I was expecting! The SkinPen simply felt like a little vibration moving across my face.

With no pain, I was able to sit back, relax, and honestly enjoy the next 25+ minutes. Following my procedure my licensed medial aesthetician gave post procedure instructions {simple, listed above} and provided me with lotion to apply. My face was RED. I mean really red! Rather than a moderate sunburn, I looked as though I have a severe sunburn. This is due to the fact that I am SO fair skinned and have very sensitive skin. As mentioned above though, this color did fade for the most part after four hours. My cheeks were the only spot that really held on to the color until morning.

The next morning, I truly felt as though I could see a difference in my skin. To me, it looked tighter, fresher, and brighter. I wasn’t hating it, still not! I now cannot wait to complete my next two sessions and see more results of the microneedling. I have a couple acne scars on my chin so those will take a couple sessions to really see a difference. That’s definitely what I am most excited about. I don’t know about you but I HATE acne and I hate having any signs of previous marks. If you deal with acne scars, I highly recommend giving microneedling a shot. If you’re on the fence, I’ll keep you updated on my scars as I complete my next two sessions.

Here’s a little video of my experience {p.s. this is my first video ever, don’t judge!}:

Now, for you Charlotte ladies, Aesthetic Surgery of Charlotte will be hosting an informative event on microneedling in July. I would LOVE for all of you to come that are interested in the procedure. Please fill out this quick survey {three questions} on what day/time would work best for your schedule.

If I missed anything or if you have any questions, feel free to send me an email [email protected] or a DM message on Instagram. Additionally, if you’re in the Charlotte area, schedule a consultation with Dr. Augenstein to find out more about the procedure and how it may benefit your personally.

Check out my previous posts with Aesthetic Surgery of Charlotte here and here.