You’ve probably heard of the “vampire facial” made famous by celebrities in the past few years - now there’s a way to do this at home, but is it the best option - and will you get results?
Microneedling is a treatment on a pen that penetrates fine lines and wrinkles. It’s minimally invasive, quick and can be done on all skin types. Essentially, it’s a controlled injury to the skin from micro-needles. The treatment promotes collagen production by activating the skin’s natural response to being poked. As your skin regenerates to heal itself, you’ll see minimized pores, wrinkles, fine lines, and acne scarring.
Microneedling with PRP is what gives the vampire facial its name. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is extracted from your blood which is drawn beforehand. The PRP is massaged into the skin before and after the microneedling process. PRP encourages your skin to produce more collagen and harness the power of your own healing process. Basically, you’re massaging your own blood back into your face. Only a nurse can draw blood for a vampire facial, which is then handled by a licensed aesthetician - who ensures a sterile environment.
If you’re still thinking about a DIY facial, then there is something on the market - the dermaroller. This medieval, torturous-looking device punctures your skin with small needles manually as you roll it over your skin. These can be purchased on Amazon for about $13. But what you save in cost, might actually cost you a lot more. Over the counter devices roll in and out of the skin causing additional trauma. DIY microneedling can cause infections and breakouts if your skin isn’t cleansed or if the needles aren’t cleaned properly.
Causing trauma to your skin shouldn’t be taken lightly, and doing it wrong could cause a lot more problems. Medical grade, FDA approved needles result in a therapeutic treatment. The devices you buy on Amazon are not FDA approved. Microneedling is supposed to be a relaxing experience so doing it yourself really defeats the purpose. Why DIY when you can pay to have someone do it for you?
At PryorHealth, our licensed aestheticians are trained to give you the best experience during your microneedling appointment. “When scheduling a microneedling treatment (and depending on your skin concerns), it’s best to schedule 3-5 sessions to get the best results”, says Daniella, one of our aestheticians. “Someone with deep wrinkles or scarring will need more, some might need less. And while wrinkles can’t be completely eliminated, microneedling will help slow down your skin’s aging process. More collagen = younger looking skin. That’s why collagen is such a popular ingredient - we call it liquid gold.”
With any microneedling treatment, allow 3-5 days for your skin to heal. You can combine miconeedling with PRX, just be sure to allow downtime as a chemical facial on raw skin can make your face more sensitive.
Schedule an appointment with our medspa and see how you can benefit from microneedling.
