May 3, 2017 5 min read

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Sticking needles in your body may not sound like the most pleasant experience, but acupuncture has millions of devotees who use it to treat many ailments. Now, dermatologists are using tiny needles to treat all sorts of skin issues, including acne scarring and sun damage. The procedure is called microneedling and it’s a new favorite of Hollywood celebrities and models world-wide. “It feels like an electric toothbrush just rubbing against your skin,” says Ashley Adams, who just had a microneedling treatment done at the Washington offices of Vujevich Dermatology Associates. “It was tickling my nose.” Adams, 26, knew just what to expect from the treatment because she also works as a certified surgical technologist there with Dr. Christie Regula, a Board Certified Dermatologist specializing in surgery and aesthetics. Regula just began offering microneedling and Adams wanted to see how it would help treat some areas of concern on her face. “I have acne scarring and we needed someone to practice on,” says the Midway resident. “So I thought she may as well use my face!”

How does it work? Regula says that microneedling is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that uses very small needles to create tiny holes in the skin. “As the skin repairs these small injuries, it stimulates the body’s natural ability to produce collagen,” she explains. “Collagen is a naturally-occurring protein in our bodies that keeps the skin plump and youthful. Increasing collagen production helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles while making it more firm, elastic and youthful.”

Unlike injectable facial fillers or Botox, microneedling uses the body’s own repair systems to improve appearance – and that means results are not instantaneous. It takes a series of treatments to obtain the maximum benefit and most patients need three to four treatments to see the full benefits. “It is not painful,” Regula says. “A topical numbing medication is applied to the skin for 20 minutes before the procedure. Patients feel the device on their skin and vibration – most compare the feeling to having an electric toothbrush run over the skin.”

Adams describes the microneedling device as looking like a big, jumbo oversized pen with one end that holds the disposable cartridge that is changed for each patient. That cartridge contains the tiny needles that pierce the skin. It’s held at a 90-degree angle to the skin and moved in various directions to get full coverage.

Microneedling can treat acne scarring, repair scar tissue, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and also repair sun-damaged skin on the chest or rejuvenate the look of aging skin on the back of your hands. It works differently than microdermabrasion and superficial chemical peels, which help to brighten your skin tone by removing the top layer of skin. However, they don’t go deep enough to stimulate collagen growth and improve deep scarring and wrinkles. The other plus is less recovery time, which is minimal compared to more aggressive laser resurfacing treatments.

After microneedling, a patient’s skin may be red for the first 24-72 hours. “The redness is comparable to a moderate sunburn and is easily covered with makeup after 24 hours,” Regula says. “There can also be minimal bruising and skin peeling during the first week.”

Here’s the benefit: Since microneedling stimulates new collagen production, it actually changes the physical structure of your skin and results can be permanent. Regula says the technique can be used on virtually every body location. On the face, it can treat lines around eyes and lips and works well on sun damaged skin on the chest. On hands, it increases skin elasticity and improves the “see through” appearance of aging hands.

“Microneedling has really been a game-changer for acne scarring as well,” Regula adds. “It allows for a shorter recovery time than traditional resurfacing lasers, and can be more cost-effective for patients and works on new and old acne scarring.” It also works well for people with darker skin tones since it doesn’t carry the risk of post-treatment hyperpigmentation that can be associated with laser skin resurfacing treatments.

Adams has had two microneedling treatments so far and is hoping to see results soon. “Mine was done on both of my cheeks only because that’s where I have acne scarring,” she says. “I was a little swollen and red but not as bad as the first treatment. She had to go a little deeper on one section last time where my scarring is a little bit deeper, but she didn’t have to do that this time.”

The only recovery time is not wearing makeup for 24 hours after treatment because the skin’s pores are still open. Adams says that’s a small price to pay to get rid of her acne scarring and that she’s happy to be one of Dr. Regula’s first microneedling patients.

“We have photos from when I first started, so we can ballpark how many treatments someone with my level of scarring may need based on my results.”