My First Microneedling Treatment

I went in for my first Microneedling appointment on January 10th in the afternoon. I was going to wait to write about it until all four treatments were finished, but I wanted to capture my thoughts on my first treatment, and answer the most popular questions!

What Is Microneedling?

Microneedling is a facial treatment where a device makes micro-injuries to your skin. When your skin starts to repair itself, it naturally produces collagen and elastin which helps to smooth out fine lines, wrinkles, acne scars, and stretch marks.

Why Am I Doing It?

I suffered from some pretty intense acne as a teenager, and to my behest it came back as an adult, but as painful cystic acne that leaves ridiculous scars. Now that I have a good grasp on my acne (thanks to diligent visits to the dermatologist, a little pill call spiranolactone, retinol cream, and obsessive compulsive babying of my face) I decided it was time to try and erase the painful history left of my cheeks.

In the highly unflattering close-up below, you can get an idea of what I’m talking about. I also cringe when I see this photo from an earlier post. It might not be obvious to you, but the bumpiness on my cheeks is sometimes all I can see.

My First Microneedling Treatment

I arrived at the dermatologist in the afternoon, at about 3. You’re basically done for the day after this treatment, so I wanted it to be later in the day.

First the medical assistant took some before photos of my face, then put a numbing cream all over.  I could barely feel my face. I did some paperwork for 20 minutes while the cream did its numbing job.

Next, the medical assistant drew my blood. The blood draw was done so that my personal growth factor could be separated out to aid in my skin’s rejuvenation and healing process. It’s also called PRP, or platelet rich plasma.She wiped off the numbing cream, and I laid back for the actual treatment.

While my dermatologist was doing the treatment, she kept putting the PRP on my face, which seeped into the micro-channels the device was creating. 
The PRP is the reason why people call microneedling the “vampire facial.”

Did It Hurt?

She went over every area of my face twice, with a little more emphasis on my cheeks. The device felt like sandpaper rubbing on my face. It hurt a little bit in areas with thinner skin, like around my eyes and on my nose. Since she went over each area twice, it did hurt a little more on the second time around. But it wasn’t terrible.

She was done after about 20 minutes, then sent me home. With dried blood all over my face, haha! The Uber driver was intrigued.

How Was Your Recovery?

When the numbing scream started to wear off later that night, it felt like I had a pretty bad sunburn on my face. I wasn’t allowed to wash off the PRP (red stuff) or put anything on my face until the next morning.

The photo below is from the night of, before I was allowed to wash anything off.

The dermatologist gave me a soothing mask to use if I couldn’t bear the feeling. Truthfully, the mask made it hurt more so I only wore it for five minutes.

The next morning my skin looked pretty red and I had some bruising on the bridge of my nose and tops of my cheeks. My skin felt tight and it kind of hurt to smile. It also started to peel a bit around my mouth and nose.

Two days later, I put on a bunch of sunscreen and tinted moisturizer and was able to leave the house. My skin was still a bit bruised and my skin was peeling, but it wasn’t too noticeable.

How Do I Feel Now?

I’m absolutely happy I did it and am on the way to the beautiful smooth skin I always wanted.

Since the device aggravates some deeper levels of the skin, it brings out some blemishes that have been lurking under there for a long time. So I did get a few small pimples. But they were ones that I knew were coming, but they never came up. Does that make any sense?

My skin was absolutely glowing the week after, and I felt amazing, but now I’m ready for another treatment.

When Will I  Start To See A Difference?

This was the first treatment in a series of four total. My dermatologist told me that the only thing that sucks about this treatment is that there is no instant gratification. It truly is a process where you have to let your skin heal over time. She also said that everyone heals differently. She has patients who need more than three treatments, but for most, three is the minimum and works just fine.

Once you get your micro needling treatments, you don’t have to keep going back year after year. You can go for a good medical-grade peel every year to eliminate dark spots and fix some surface-level texture issues. Now THAT will give you instant gratification.

I personally would have only had three treatments, but the dermatologist was offering a one time deal that if you paid up front for three treatments, you would get a fourth free. So I was like…yes.

My scars look a teeny bit better after one treatment. It is probably something that only I notice at this point.

Was it Expensive?

Yes. About $800 per treatment. I believe there are people who do MicroNeedling who are not dermatologists and it costs less. But I don’t trust just anyone with my skin, especially my face.

There are also levels of treatment. You can gave MicroNeedling done with Hyaluronic Acid, which costs less than the PRP. However, your skin may not heal as quickly and your results might come slower. There is also the option to do half of your face, like just your cheeks. And that will cost less too.

What About The Rodin& Fields Derma Roller? It is Less Expensive And You Can Do It Yourself.

That’s great! I’ve seen Youtube videos about that, but have never tried it. I was personally looking for something deeper and more intense. And I don’t trust myself with the derma roller device!

I go for my next treatment on February 9th! I’m looking forward to it, especially because I know what to expect!

If you have questions drop a comment! Or if you want to get personal/want to be anonymous, please email me (glassofglam@gmail.com) and I’d be happy to answer any of your questions.

–Roxanne

Currently Sipping: H2O