Microneedling – Scars

Scars are the visible end state of a skin healing process. Any disruption of tissue integrity that is deeper than 0.5 mm ends up as a scar. Acne scars are most common on the face. More generally, scars can also occur after surgery, for example, after breast or blepharo-eye surgery or after a C-section.

As wounds heal, scar tissue forms. First, the scar is red and prominent but over several months, it usually becomes flat and pale. If there is a lot of tension in the healing wound, that area can become thicker than usual. This is known as hypertrophic scar tissue or, eventually, as keloid.

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Mechanism of action in microneedling

It is a very complex process, but the principle is quite easy to understand. Microneedling devices are medical instruments that are applied to the skin to stimulate collagen production. This treatment is also known as CIT (Collagen-Induction-Therapy) or Perkutane Collagen Induktion (PCI).

Because of the tiny “wounds” caused by the micro-needles, the body produces elastin and collagen to heal them. Through this healing process, the dermis becomes thicker, and lines and wrinkles become less noticeable. It supports the body’s self-healing mechanisms. As a result, the skin is revitalized and rejuvenated.

What kind of skin microneedling devices are on the market?

There are various skin needling devices on the market. Some medical devices are the Dermaroller® (Dermaroller GmbH), the Dermapen™ (Equipmed Pty Ltd; Australia) or the Derma-Stamps™ (Dermaroller USA). The fine micro-needles have various diameters and lengths. These are used for small areas only. For larger areas, we recommend microneedling RF (microneedling radiofrequency).

How does microneedling work?

Professional medical microneedling is considered to be one of the safest skin treatment procedures. Nevertheless, it’s important to prepare the skin before the microneedling treatment. That’s why we only offer microneedling or microneedling RF to patients who had a skin consultation (skin analysis) beforehand.

A numbing cream is applied to the area that will be treated for about 45 minutes. During the procedure, the skin is punctured in a specific pattern using a skin-needling device. The device is repeatedly rolled over or touched to (if it is a pen and not a dermaroller) the skin in a specific pattern to achieve the best results. These very fine needles puncture the skin. They create channels or micro-wounds stimulating the skin’s cell regeneration.

Depending on the condition treated, it may take 5-60 minutes to complete the procedure. An interval of six weeks is recommended between treatments as it takes that long for new collagen to form.

Microneedling treatment interval

After the microneedling treatment, your body needs time to produce, organize, and transform new collagen and new blood vessels. This process usually takes a few months.

How many microneedling treatments will I need?

This depends on the type of scar, but it usually takes one or two follow-up procedures – with a minimum of 6-8 weeks between treatments – to get the desired results. However, it is important to note that the first treatment causes the most significant change (and visible improvement) – somewhere between 30 to 40%. The follow-up treatment might bring another 10 to 20% improvement. Aftercare is crucial: always follow our instructions and do not exercise in the first two days after the procedure.

If you would like to learn more about the cosmetic treatments at our clinic in Zurich, request a consultation with Dr Liv Kraemer online or call us at 0041 44 211 88 11 during our phone hours to schedule your appointment.

Studies

Min Zhao, Electrical fields in wound healing—An overriding signal that directs cell migration, Department of Dermatology, 2008, Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology 20 (2009) 674–682.

Schwarz, A Prospective Controlled Assessment of Microneedling with the Dermaroller Device, Plastic and reconstructive Surgery, June 2011.

Aust et al., Medical needling: improving the appearance of hyperthrophic burn-scars, GMS Verbrennungsmedizin 2009, Vol. 3, ISSN 1869-1412.

Lilli Fan, Don Owen, DNA Microarray Analysis of Microneedle Effects on MatTek FT Skin Equivalent, 2010 Baton Rouge.

Gary W. Cleary, Microneedles for Drug Delivery, 17 November 2010, © Springer Science + Business Media.

Kalluri et al. Characterization of Microchannels Created by Metal Microneedles: Formation and Closure, The AAPS Journal (# 2011) DOI: 10.1208/s12248-011-9288-3.

Safonov, Percutaneous Collagen Induction in correction of post-burn, scars. Translation article FACE 1/2011.

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