MICRONEEDLING.

MICRONEEDLING.

Microneedling is something I’ve been considering for a while as I feel like I’ve tried almost everything to rid myself some acne scars I have on my cheeks and chin (I was an avid pimple popper back in my teens) and had been told that this was a sure way of evening them out. So it seemed like fate when my favourite facial salon – Pfeffer Sal – told me they were launching the treatment. Aside from scarring, microneedling can be great for problems at any age – whether that’s rosacea or wrinkles. It works by causing trauma to the skin; enough so it can go through the process of healing itself (so you’re left with near perfect cells all over) but not enough to scar.

I chose the Ultra Synergy treatment from Pfeffer Sal. This incorporates medical grade needles which go 1.5mm into the skin. I had this all over my face, but went for the lighter option (0.5) on my neck and décolletage. I was slightly apprehensive and nervous, but once I was in the salon I felt so relaxed as I knew I was in great hands (for example, I got one of the best neck and shoulder massages of my life while the numbing cream was on – at Pfeffer Sal it doesn’t feel like a medical procedure but instead a luxury treatment).

A few facts:

You can’t have any sun exposure for 2 weeks before or after.
The process itself only takes about 15 minutes, but I was in there for 90 minutes as there are lots of pre and post treatments necessities.
Yes, it does hurt but it’s not for long and your face is numbed beforehand.
The down time is a week.
I looked red for a day or two (more light sunburn than third degree) and then my skin was dry but it wasn’t obvious to anyone apart from me that my skin was feeling or looking any different.
It was around the 7 day mark that I began to really see the difference – my skin was incredibly plumped (any fine lines I had have gone) and my skin tone was much more even than before.
I was told I would need 3 sessions in total to completely rid my skin of the scars.
You can get a session every 6 weeks.

Below I’ve outlined the treatment and post care

this was my skin before the treatment:

just after

they put me under the red LED light to stimulate collagen and elastin

my face was red after, but not as red as I had imagined.

POST TREATMENT

DAY 2
my skin was still quite red and sensitive to touch and stung slightly when I applied product. I was using really gentle Avene products and the Epionce medical barrier cream. Not even eye cream at this point. I made sure to apply (and re-apply throughout the day) SPF50.

this is the same morning, once my skin had calmed from being touched.

By the evening my skin was barely red, the skin didn’t go red from touch and products didn’t sting. It did start to feel quite dry.

DAY 3
you can’t see scratch marks on my neck and chest anymore (this is totally normal to have)
I used a hydrating sheet mask to add a boost of hydration before the medical barrier cream.
By the evening, my skin was extremely dry and flaky and I used a muslin cloth to very gently remove some of the loose dead skin on the surface and then applied a moisturising gel mask.

DAY 4
When I woke up my skin felt dry to touch so I used another sheet mask.

DAY 5
My skin felt a lot less dry but I used an essence to soften it none the less.

DAY 6
My skin feel back to ‘normal’ and I’m able to wear makeup (you can technically wear mineral makeup from day 2 but the texture wasn’t great so I just stayed clear of it)

1 Week After
My skin is PLUMP. I can imagine getting this treatment when I’m older and seeing even more of a difference! The scars have definitely faded and I can’t see them unless I really look for them. The quality of my skin is the best it’s ever been – bounces right back, not dehydrated, completely breakout free and full of bounce.