Looking Like Myself Again

Microneedling is a popular cosmetic treatment you can have done at a medspa. A professional treatment is safer and more effective than the microneedling you can do at home with a roller. You want to protect the skin on your face so it stays tight, clear, and young-looking. That's why it's important to be careful with at-home treatments. You may even want to ask an esthetician if home microneedling is right for you. Here's how home treatments differ from professional treatments and why professional treatments can get better results.

1. Professionals Use Larger Needles

The needles used by a dermatologist are larger than the ones used on home equipment intended for your face. This allows the needles to reach deeper layers of skin and make larger areas of controlled damage so you get better results with collagen production. Larger needles can be more painful, but you'll receive a numbing agent at a medspa so the treatment is easy to tolerate.

2. A Professional Setting Is More Sanitary

The needles used in a professional setting are sterile and for single use only. You'll get new needles when you have microneedling done at a dermatologist's office or medspa, and the needles will be thrown out after your treatment.

When you use a home device, you use the same needles for several treatments. This creates a risk of infection if you don't sanitize the device properly between uses. Plus, there's a risk of the needles rusting or becoming dull and scratching the skin. You'll need to replace the roller regularly to keep the needles sharp and sanitary.

3. Complementary Treatments Can Be Added At A Spa

Microneedling can be done alone, but it's often combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments or radiofrequency (RF) waves to enhance its effects. A dermatologist also has access to the best serums to use with the treatment so the serums get absorbed deeply and have an enhanced effect. You might buy serums to use at home, but they won't get absorbed as deeply with smaller needles, and you won't be able to add RF or PRP to your treatments.

4. Professional Treatments Have A Lower Risk Of Side Effects

Professional microneedling is usually done with a pen rather than a roller. A roller that's used for home treatments can scratch your skin since the needles go in at an angle and are pushed across your skin. A pen device is held upright so the needles go straight in and eliminate the risk of scratching. Even though the needles go deeper, there is a lower risk of injuring your skin beyond the controlled damage that's desired. A professional treatment gets better results and lowers the risk of skin damage. 

Contact a local spa to learn more about microneedling treatments.