When you notice the first line or crease, you head to the store for retinol creams. As more lines and creases appear, you may ask your dermatologist to prescribe retinoids such as Retin-A®.
However, no topical cream can completely address the underlying issue that causes your skin to lose depth and strength. When your skin starts to thin out, the missing ingredient is collagen. And collagen isn’t produced on top of your skin; it’s produced in your skin’s deeper layers.
At Enrich Family Practice in Odessa, Texas, we know how disheartening it can be to see signs of aging on your face and not know how to combat them. That’s why Kelly Burrows, APRN FNP-C, Lee Ann Garza, FNP, and our aesthetics team recommend SkinPen® microneedling.
How does microneedling with SkinPen help your skin produce more collagen with each 30-minute treatment? Here’s a brief rundown.
The FDA-approved SkinPen device has a single-use head with dozens of extremely thin, stainless steel needles. After we clean and disinfect your skin, we then use the SkinPen to create hundreds of vertical microwounds in your skin.
Don’t worry, though: The SkinPen is relatively pain-free. Most patients describe the sensation as “pinching.” We can also coat your skin with a numbing cream to keep you comfortable.
The tiny wound channels the SkinPen creates signal your immune system to start the healing process. First, blood rushes to the area to flush away debris and disinfect the area. The extra blood flow also helps to begin the healing and rebuilding processes.
The inflammation caused by the SkinPen’s tiny, controlled wounding sets your skin up to start producing more collagen. Your skin uses the collagen to repair the wound channels and build new skin.
As part of the healing process, your body creates new blood vessels to keep the wound channels supplied with nutrients. Your skin starts to create granulation cells, which are rich in the protein collagen.
Granulation cells get their name because they sprout tiny capillaries (i.e., blood vessels) that look like little grains. They form a type of tissue your body uses to rebuild the wound. One type of cell in granulation tissue is called a fibroblast. Fibroblasts are the cells that produce collagen.
Once the SkinPen triggers your skin to begin healing those tiny wound channels, your own skin is what brings you the results you want. Thanks to the remodeling process that takes place in the wound channels, you develop new dermal tissues.
The “new” skin is vibrant and contains strengthening proteins, including collagen and elastin. Elastin lends skin flexibility so that it can hold its shape over time and despite pressures such as facial expressions that could otherwise form wrinkles.
Once your skin has rebuilt itself, thanks to the “nudge” from SkinPen, it’s stronger, more elastic, and healthier than before. You notice benefits such as:
Unlike a topical cream, which you must reapply twice daily, SkinPen’s benefits last for months or years. You haven’t just changed the appearance of your skin. You’ve changed and improved its very structure.
SkinPen is safe for all skin types, no matter how fair or dark. You can continue to use it throughout your lifetime to maintain your benefits and encourage collagen production in your skin. Be sure to check with us about how often to space treatments to keep them effective and safe.
Are you ready to turn back the clock on your skin with SkinPen? Call our knowledgeable staff at 432-200-9052 or complete our online form for a microneedling appointment today.
