It seems that everyone is looking for ways to look younger and fresher by diminishing the look of fine lines, wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. Most people, though, are not ready to dive into something major like a facelift. Instead, they turn to less invasive procedures including Botox, fillers, chemical peels, laser treatments, and microneedling. One popular and powerful treatment is microneedling with PRP. Read on to see why this is a client favorite.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is a treatment that stimulates the production of the skin’s own collagen and elastin. It does this through the use of a hand-held device that is applied to your skin. This device contains a number of microneedles that will prick your skin at a controlled depth to create tiny, controlled skin injuries. Your body will then take over in order to heal your skin and will produce new collagen and elastin to heal and fill in those spots. Microneedling can treat issues such as acne scars, surgical scars, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, sun damage, large pores, and uneven skin texture. After a treatment, most patients see redness in the area for 2 to 4 days, and then the redness subsides leaving behind glowing, refreshed, and smoother skin. Because new collagen and elastin are being produced, patients will continue to notice improvements for the next few weeks and up to 6 months.
What Is PRP?
PRP or platelet-rich-plasma is a substance that is used to promote healing. The liquid in the blood is called plasma, while the platelets are solid. Platelets help the blood to clot, making them vital for healing wounds. Platelet-rich plasma is plasma in which there is a higher concentration of platelets than other components of blood. These platelets stimulate collagen production which helps to provide elasticity to your skin and to restore volume. To create the PRP, your medical professional will draw a blood sample from your own arm and then spin it in a centrifuge to separate out the PRP. The PRP contains proteins and other growth factors that help the skin to repair itself.
What Is Microneedling with PRP?
Microneedling can be done alone or with a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment. During the treatment, the platelet-rich liquid will be topically applied to your face. The main benefit of using the Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment with microneedling is that the use of PRP magnifies the results of microneedling alone. Patients get more satisfying results in less time because of the proteins and the growth factors that the PRP contains revs up collagen and elastin production. In a 2019 review of PRP microneedling for acne scars, studies showed that using PRP with microneedling improved scars by 62.20%.
In addition to improving acne scars, microneedling with PRP will:
- Reduce the appearance of large pores
- Even out skin tone
- Lighten sunspots
- Give a firmer and smoother texture
- Diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles
In other words, microneedling with PRP will magnify all the benefits of microneedling alone.
Take The Next Step
If you are ready to try microneedling with PRP, it is time to take the next step and schedule a consultation. Dr. Jamie Moenster at Dermatology & Plastic Surgery of Arizona would love to meet with you and help you begin your journey. Fill out the form on this page or call our Tucson location at 520-207-3100 or our Sierra Vista location at 520-458-1787. We look forward to meeting you soon.