If you told me that one day I would be poking my face with needles in order to boost the collagen in my face I would have said you're unwell. However, I recently began dating a trained aesthetician who convinced me of the virtues of being proactive when it comes to aging. I'm not going to lie, at first I was reluctant and it certainly didn't help that this method drew blood in the process. That being said, he sold it as one of the most effective and affordable beauty treatments available. I am talking about microneedling or collagen induction therapy which is a technique which requires a fair amount of dexterity to execute properly. A certain knowledge of anatomy is also important. The idea is to puncture the skin relatively evenly in order to force a healing response and has the added benefit of creating channels for beauty products to enter deep within the skin all the way to the adipose tissue.
This technology has been available to the public for about a decade and started off with the derma-roller which requires manual force to insert the needles which is, lets face it, pretty hardcore. However, microneedling with a machine like the derminator inserts the needles at a lighntning fast speed similarly to a tattoo gun. Due to the small diameter of the acupuncture needles and the short duration of time they are in the the skin, the derminator offers a less painful, safer option. The result is also more even as this automation streamlines the process.
I mentioned earlier that microneedling creates channels within the skin tissue and that this facilitates the absorption of beauty products by the dermis. It's important to note that choosing the right product will dramatically affect the results of your treatment. Immediately after treatment, you should wash your face by gently tracing it with your fingers using a quality soap made with simple ingredients and apply these products. Many find this procedure quite painful and so it is advisable to use an over the counter numbing cream which you can force into your bloodstream by making a mask out of cellophane to put over the cream. You can let it penetrate for about an hour.
There are many skin conditions which can be treated with this technology. For ice-pic and acne scarring, employing iodine as your active ingredient will help remodel the skin's surface. For the purpose of postponing the signs of aging, Anhydrous Vitamin C powder (L-Ascorbic acid), Copper Peptide Serum and 24 carat Gold Powder are widely considered the most effective. These same ingredients are employed for the reduction of surgical scars as well as stretch marks. I buy a food supplement grade of Vitamin C which I refine with a mortar and pestle. There are also treatments which have proven effective to fight hair loss. Providing someone faithfully adheres to the recommended treatment cycle for each of these conditions, they can expect up to a 70% reduction in demarcation. An invasive treatment like this requires a semi-sterile environment. Please refer to the owndoc website for more information.
The most recent time I got "needled", me and my boo decided to go 2 mm. deep into my face which is .25 mm. less deep than the maximum aloud for one's visage. Of course, we had been working up to this as this treatment thickens the skin and so, the recovery time for these depths becomes less dramatic. The fact microneedling thickens the skin is a big part of its gravity fighting virtues. Additionally, it fills up the skin with a healthy collagen production.
Boy am I ever glad I used numbing cream this time. I have experience the pain of 1 mm. without the analgesic and let me tell you, I'm not sure I want to know what it feels like at these depths. I don't have any tattoos but my boyfriend says the derminator causes about 1/4 of the pain caused by the tattoo gun.
Beauty has an important role to play in our social lives and as I am living proof, increasingly so for men. Men tend to be silent about invasive procedures like this but that doesn't mean we don't take advantage of the same treatments available to women. Of the total plastic surgery patients in Canada 2016, 8% were men, with 5% worldwide. It is very possible these numbers do not paint a complete picture as, according to AP news, a Brazilian news agency, one Brazilian man out of three would one day have work done. I was reading about a Vancouver clinic in The Province the other day where a surgeon named Demianczuk reported that males represent one plastic surgery out of three from his clinic. Another common misconception is that beauty treatments are for gay men. In the 70s, body hair on men was considered to be the epitome of virility and sex appeal. While Bears hold the torch for that ideal in the gay community, a growing number of straight men have adopted a metrosexual approach in the recent past.
This is me the day after treatment. Not so bad right?
Sources:
Owndoc.com
plasticsurgeryinfo.ca
Forbes.com
AP news
The American Society for Plastic Surgery
theprovince.com