Dermaroller
Micro –needle Therapy also known as Dermaroller is a relatively new treatment and is a type of collagen induction therapy.
It involves a process called “micro needling” where a simple handheld roller with an attached roller which has a number of medical grade needles (0.5mm- 2.0mm in length) is passed across the skin causing micro punctures 0.5-1.5mm deep. Passing the dermaroller over the skin 15 times leaves 250 of these micro needle holes per cm. These micro punctures do not damage the epidermis (superficial skin), but will cause the skin to have a mild healing response and heals up within 2 days leaving no further damage. The micro injury to the scar tissue causes a number of changes; including the breakdown of scar tissue and the formation of healthy new collagen, elastin and blood vessels. The process is again repeated after 4-6 weeks.
Dermaroller is an effective treatment for repairing the skin.
- It is a proven treatment for acne scars.
- There is little recovery time involved in dermaroller treatments.
- Clinical studies have shown an improvement in 86% of patients with grades 1-3 acne scars.
- Minimal pain is involved.
Not only can the dermaroller be used to treat acne scarring it can also be used to treat the skin on face, hands, décolletage and neck. Unlike some of our laser treatments it can be used in the summer months and for all skin types. Dermaroller gives very good results not only for acne scars, and skin rejuvenation but also for pigmentation. When the skin is in the repair stage it pushes pre-existing damaged cells to the surface helping it to become superficial and with time it can desquamate (shed/exfoliate) itself with more treatments or become easier to treat with another treatment, for example with chemical peels
During the treatment
We will apply a topical anaesthetic on your skin for about 20-30 minutes before treatment; this numbs the skin.
With the use of this numbing cream the treatment is relatively pain free and consists of the roller being applied to the area of skin to be treated. This means thousands of tiny micro punctures are formed in the skin, this stimulates healing and repair.
A dermaroller treatment takes 20-30 minutes depending on the area that is being treated. If the treatment is on the face alone it usually takes about 20 minutes. The neck takes approximately a further ten minutes. For the hand and décolletage take 10 to 15 minutes for each area.
After the Treatment
The area being treated may look red, similar to moderate sunburn. This will settle within a few hours and the skin will look normal by the next day.
With dermarolling as we are breaking down the scar tissue and allowing the body to repair the skin, results take 4-8 weeks. For acne scarring we recommend three dermaroller treatments 4- 6 weeks apart.
Permanent Results
The results from a dermaroller treatment are permanent. As it is a repair of the skin it does not go back to how it was before after a while. Dermaroller for fine lines and wrinkles will improve the skin, however it will not stop skin aging and new lines forming. There can be a variation in results. Some patients get a 75% improvement whereas others only get a 50% improvement depending on the depth and severity of acne scars.
Side Effects
Side effects are minimal. After the treatment the skin appears red. In a very small percentage of people it can take 48 hours for the redness to fully settle. During this period light make up can be used. There can be a variation in results. Some patients get a 75% improvement whereas others only get a 50% improvement depending on the depth and severity of acne scars.
Post Treatment After Care
Your dermaroller treatment your practitioner will apply some moisturising cream by to encourage the repair of the skin. You must wear a sunscreen in between treatments. This helps protect the skin and provide optimum conditions for the skin to repair itself.