Collagen and elastin are your skin’s best friends. Here’s how SkinPen + PRP can enhance both.
Collagen and elastin are your skin’s best friends. Here’s how SkinPen + PRP can enhance both.
The main advantages of combining with PRP:
1. strengthens and prolongs the effect of microneedling
2. accelerates cell regeneration
3. enhances the production of collagen and elastin
Your skin is the foundation of your good looks! But even the best make-up cannot hide the gradual loss of collagen and elastin, the proteins that make our skin elastic, firm and smooth. To give your skin a deep, eye-catching lift, we have an all-natural way to restore lost collagen and elastin: SkinPen® microneedling with PRP.
Microneedling with PRP improves elasticity, reduces visible pore size, smoothes deep acne scars, and leaves your skin smooth and blemish-free. This procedure requires minimal downtime, but is highly effective in treating numerous skin problems of all skin types and shades.
Why are collagen and elastin important?
Collagen and elastin are vital for the structure of our skin, providing firmness and elasticity. But starting in our twenties, our stores of collagen and elastin begin to diminish, causing our skin to lose volume and eventually become crepe-like.
To reverse the signs of facial aging, we can use regenerative treatments such as micro-needling to boost the production of natural collagen and elastin. By helping your body regenerate these structural proteins, you’ll see a natural reversal of some of the effects of aging, as well as a reduction in blemishes and scars in the treated area.
How to stimulate the body to restore collagen and elastin?
The SkinPen device is the first and only FDA-cleared device used for microneedling (collagen induction therapy), a treatment that activates your body’s natural collagen and elastin production process by creating a series of microscopic holes along the skin’s surface. You may hear these holes called “microtraumas,” but they’re harmless—the process simply prompts your body to increase collagen and elastin production, gradually thickening and smoothing the skin. Because results improve with cumulative treatment, we recommend an initial series of 3 SkinPen treatments for most patients, and follow-up treatments can be scheduled every 3-4 months to maintain results as needed.
What is Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP Therapy?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a preparation obtained by taking a small amount of a patient’s blood. After spinning the blood sample in a centrifuge to separate PRP, the golden liquid that floats to the top after the spinning process. This PRP concentrate contains growth factors and proteins that promote healing and renewal of the body’s cells.
What should expect from microneedling?
SkinPen microneedling is a 30-60 minute procedure that involves passing the SkinPen device over the face to stimulate skin regeneration. Microneedling provides many positive effects for the appearance, tone and texture of the skin, including:
● Reduces the appearance of acne scars and surgical scars
● Smoothes and plumps the skin of the face and hands
● Smoothes wrinkles and folds
● Reduces the appearance of fine lines
● Improves the appearance of stretch marks
● Evens out the tone and pigmentation of the neck and décolleté
These effects develop over time, and the first results become visible approximately 1-2 weeks after treatment. Microneedling results are long-lasting, but not permanent.
Should PRP be added to microneedling?
Applying PRP to the skin after microneedling enhances all of these benefits and accelerates the renewal of your body’s cells after treatment. We encourage any microneedling patient to consider adding PRP to their treatment for maximum results.
Is microneedling with PRP harmful?
The microneedling procedure itself is not harmful, although some patients may be uncomfortable having blood drawn for PRP extraction. Before the SkinPen treatment, we apply a topical numbing cream to your skin and allow it to fully work before beginning the microneedling treatment. With this cream, most patients find microneedling very comfortable. Our patients commonly report a buzzing sensation as we pass the fine needles of the SkinPen device across their skin.
Are there any side effects of microneedling with PRP therapy?
Side effects are mild and usually limited to some redness at the level of a minor sunburn, which lasts no more than 2-3 days after treatment. The next day, many patients can return to their normal skin care and makeup routine, while others choose to go makeup-free for 2-3 days while their skin heals. We will talk to you about products that will help keep your skin hydrated and protect it from the sun after the procedure.
What is the difference between microneedling at home and SkinPen?
At-home microneedling, or “derma rollers,” use very short microneedles compared to the microneedles in the SkinPen device, so you won’t be able to enjoy the transformative results you might experience with an in-office treatment. SkinPen controls penetration deeper into the layer of skin where collagen and elastin reside, using a different depth adjusted for each area of your face. Home devices, on the other hand, contain superficial needles of the same depth, which probably penetrate no deeper than the outer layer of the skin (epidermis).
We advise our patients to avoid any home microneedling, not only because it is less effective, but also because it can be unsanitary. Our SkinPen device is processed according to medical sanitation and each set of microneedles is used only once and then disposed of to ensure that your treatment is completely sterile.
