Our take on collagen induction therapy (CIT)
About Skin Needling with SkinPen®
Introduction
A treatment favoured amongst many celebrities worldwide, there is little doubt that collagen induction therapy (CIT); also known as skin needling micro-needling, yields impressive results. SkinPen® is the device we use for CIT and for the sake of keeping the terminology consistent, I will refer to this treatment as SkinPen throughout this blog.
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SkinPen at a glance
Now let’s break down why SkinPen is the superior device compared to others in the market. It’s the first microneedling device that is FDA-cleared, TGA-registered and ARTG-included, and is exclusively used in medical skin clinics. SkinPen is made in the USA and is rigorously tested for quality and safety, so you know that you are always receiving the best treatment with a well-made and tested device.
SkinPen is clinically proven to treat many skin indications and in as little as three treatments spaced 4 weeks apart, you can start to notice the improvement in your appearance and overall skin quality a few weeks after your initial session.
Each treatment comes with an individual treatment kit that includes a sterile disposable needle cartridge, disposable protective sleeve for the pen, and two products to use as post treatment care.
So how does SkinPen work you might ask?
How does SkinPen® work?
The SkinPen® cartridge holds 14 needles, which penetrate the skin repeatedly with precision and creates thousands of tiny micro-channels or micro-injuries in your skin.
This then stimulate your body’s natural wound healing response. So what’s so great about our skin’s reaction to controlled trauma? I’ll break it down further beneath, but essentially the end result is new skin tissue, new blood vessels, and an increase in collagen and elastin.
Phases to Wound-Healing
Phase I – Inflammation
- A puncture into your skin triggers an immune response to call out your immune cells (a.k.a langerhan cells) to come and clean the wound, remove any debris, increase circulation and start to create new skin tissue.
Phase II – Proliferation
- Granulation cells start producing at the wound site and new networks of finer blood vessels develop.
Phase III – Remodelling
- The wound starts to become replaced with new dermal tissue and blood vessels aka fresh new skin!
Now that we know how SkinPen works, lets talk about the results and what it can treat!
SkinPen can help treat many clinical indications, and the fact that it stimulates new collagen says it all. It’s best suited to those who are not yet concerned with anything major (think like skin tightening, lots of sun damage or severe scarring), but those who are wanting to slow down the ageing process and work on age management and prevention.
In saying that, SkinPen is suitable to nearly everyone and is safe for all skin types. we’ve treated a lot of different client’s at different stages in their skin journey from all ages, and everyone benefits from SkinPen.
What we love the best about this treatment is the minimal downtime involved. Many treatments we do generally involve some downtime of around 5-7 days. SkinPen involves mild redness which settles around 12-24 hours and mild skin flaking at day 3-4. The results are cumulative and best seen with a few sessions however, most people notice a change after a couple of weeks of their initial session.
So what else can I have with SkinPen?
In our opinion, SkinPen is fantastic on its own, but combined with other treatments…the results are beyond phenomenal! Other modalities that can be combined may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Chemical Peel – generally performed in between each SkinPen session, or can be done immediately prior to SkinPen (depending on peel type and skin concern). Helps with exfoliation.
- Laser Genesis – similar to Chemical Peel, Laser Genesis can be performed immediately before SkinPen or in between sessions.
- Topical Mesotherapy Skin Booster, NCTF® boost – used during SkinPen as transdermal delivery, NCTF boost contains a cocktail of hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, coenzymes and antioxidants.
- Healite II L.E.D Therapy – Healite is the silent-achiever of the family, and we absolutely love pairing this relaxing, rejuvenating light with SkinPen and to be honest… everything!
Wanting to book in?
Yes, SkinPen is a treatment that is suitable for nearly everyone, however, skin prepping is important when it comes to ensuring optimal results and decreasing risks of adverse effects.
Skin prepping or priming is when you prepare your skin before commencing your SkinPen journey. It involves using cosmeceutical products that are curated for your skin and concerns, and generally contain a high volume of actives that work by regulating the skin and melanocyte (pigment-making cell) activity. This is more important with those that are prone to hyperpigmentation with skin injury, inflammation and UV radiation.
Skin prepping is generally recommended 2 to 4 weeks before your first treatment, and products should be used throughout the whole SkinPen journey (except 2 days prior to treatment and 5 days post to allow for skin healing).
So what does this all mean? Skin prepping is like stretching your muscles before an intense workout. It reduces the chance of injury and adverse reactions, and ensures your results are optimal.
You may already be prepped if you are using the correct products, and whilst we talk about skin prepping and priming, its important to note that the long term use of a curated skin care routine is best practice to slow down the skin ageing process and keep the skin healthy.
Whats next?
If you’re interested in booking a SkinPen treatment or wanting to learn more, book in a consultation with me here.
Looking forward to helping you reach your happy healthy skin goals.
Team PCM
Interested in SkinPen?
We welcome you to Pavilion Cosmetic Medicine for a consultation and treatment, that will be tailored to your personal concerns and goals.