What is skin needling and how does it work?

Skin needling sounds pretty scary, right? It certainly doesn’t make you think of herbal tea, fluffy slippers and a soft white robe, which are often associated with beauty treatments. But I was super intrigued about the procedure and once I did some research, I thought I’d give it a go! So I headed to Privée Clinic in Bondi Junction and man am I glad I did…

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What is skin needling?

My therapist Ana explains exactly what skin needling is: “It’s a popular treatment and method for wrinkle reduction, treating acne scarring and rejuvenating the complexion.” The procedure involves using a needle that is controlled by a motorised head that makes small ‘injuries’ in the skin or as Ana calls them, ‘micro channels’. This stimulates the skin to “repair at a cellular level and accelerates the regeneration of the skin’s epidermal cells.”

How does it work?

The small injuries described above work to activate the skin’s wound healing response, “which triggers the natural production of collagen in the dermis,” says Ana. She explains that it’s a “physiological process that improves the thickness, colour, texture and consistency of the complexion yet does not pose the risk of permanent scarring.”

What are the benefits?

Skin needling works to treat a number of common issues including:

·       Wrinkles and fine lines

·       Lack of skin firmness and elasticity

·       Scarring

·       Acne and chickenpox scars

·       Enlarged pores

·       Sun damage

·       Under-eye bags

·       Stretch marks

·       Cellulite

How many sessions do you need?

Generally speaking, a minimum of six to eight treatments is recommended. From my own experience, I saw an improvement in my skin’s condition from the first treatment.

Ana tells me that post-treatment care is particularly important for skin needling and at Privée Clinic they recommend using Dermaceutic K Ceutic Post-Treatment cream and Tensage 40 Ampoules “to help repair the skin with natural growth factors.”

What is the cost?

The cost per treatment is $450.

My experience

Before my first treatment, Ana cleansed my face and then applied a thick layer of numbing cream. During the treatment while Ana moved the needle across my skin, I felt very light pressure and completely painless scratching. After the needling component was over, Ana used an omni light for 20 minutes to soothe my skin. This is what it looked like post-treatment and then one day after.

My skin was very red immediately after the treatment, however this gradually went down after a few hours and after one day, it was almost completely gone. On the fourth day my skin became quite dry and a little flaky, so I gave it a good exfoliation before slathering on a layer of the K Ceutic cream.

One week later

By the one-week post-treatment mark, the texture of my skin had significantly improved. My skin tone was much more even and I had friends, family and co-workers complimenting me left, right and centre!

What do you think of the results of my skin needling? Would you like to try it?