MICRONEEDLING - FAD OR FAB?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been rather wary of claims about beauty treatments that will take years off you. There’s no way I’d have a face lift (I’m too much of a coward and don’t have the money either), but when you have a special event on the horizon – a wedding perhaps, there are other options.

With my daughter’s wedding booked, I obviously wanted to look my best. Luckily I’d met Seema Bhardwaj a few months prior, and she said she could help with a course of microneedling.

About Seema

Seema is a qualified Microneedling instructor and she trains dentists, doctors and medics. She is also a trainer for Doctor (Dentist) Brian Franks

Now, I’m pretty bad with needles, but I was very pleasantly surprised at how painless the process was.

And there’s hardly any risk of cross contamination: Seema provides customers with their own set of microneedling ‘heads’ which they take home for safekeeping between treatments.

So what is microneedling?

It’s a cosmetic procedure. It involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilised needles. The small wounds cause your body to make more collagen and elastin, which heal your skin and help you look younger.

You might also hear it called collagen induction therapy. There has been a degree of concern about some of the microneedling radio frequency (RF) devices, so I was wary at first, until I found out more about the technique used by Seema.

Seema’s company, Luxury Innovative Skincare Limited, distributes and retails the Onyx17 system.

This uses radio-frequency, a minimally invasive, non-surgical skin rejuvenation technique, that can treat a variety of skin concerns such as uneven skin tone and texture, fine lines and wrinkles, large pores, and poor facial skin laxity.

How does it work?

The RF energy is delivered through the focused tip of the microneedles, leading to far less trauma to the surrounding epidermis.

This leads to significantly decreasing the discomfort and down time for the patient compared to conventional fractional lasers.

Insulated microneedles are more effective and take care of both epidermal and dermal problems without the need for additional superficial fractional RF treatments (SFRs).

If needed, there’s also an Acne pen that delivers energy into the pustules killing the acne-causing bacteria and reducing inflammation. This is great for teenagers and/or folk with acne scarring.

How Long Does the Treatment Take?

There’s no need for any topical anaesthetic cream prior to treatment, and the treatment takes 30 to 45 minutes, including after care.

How Does the Treatment Feel?

Seema controls the energy, thus tailoring the treatment, and she keeps asking if you’re in any discomfort.

The area around the eyebrows (where obviously there is little flesh) was very slightly uncomfortable, but on the whole, the treatment was pain free and rather relaxing.

There is a gentle prickling of the skin and a warming sensation.

How Long is Recovery after Treatment?

Initially, you may experience a rash (transient erythema) on the treated areas for 3-4 hours.

The downtime involved with treatments are significantly reduced due to it targeting the deeper layers of the skin.

Acne patients don’t need any down time.

I hardly had any rash at all, but my skin was pink, and felt as if I’d been in the sun for a while, which in winter, was rather nice!

How Many Treatments Does One Require?

The typical interval between sessions is once every 6 weeks. Most patients see excellent results following 2-4 treatments, however, this may vary according to individual skin condition, and further treatments may be required once an assessment has been made.

Serums can be used to take the treatment to another level. Acne patients can be treated weekly if required.

So What Did Seema Actually Do to me?

Seema started the process by a ‘resurfacing’ treatment. What this does is correct typical signs of ageing: pigmentation; wrinkles and dull, sallow appearance of the skin. It’s a cream that improves one’s complexion and removes dead skin.

Then the RF microneedling (with heated needles) took place, followed by serums.

Seema also used an additional treatment on me called Mesoline Tight, a range of science-based anti-aging products for aesthetic mesotherapy treatments. Specially selected ingredients target specific problems of the face, hair and body. Mesoline Tight is used to restore firmness and skin density.

With every treatment skin becomes smoother, brighter and more plump, stretch marks become less visible, and fine lines and wrinkles are reduced. The key active ingredients: DMAE; Coenzyme Q10; Ferulic Acid; Silicum and Vitamin B5.

Results, amazingly, are noticeable from the first session, but become more noticeable as treatment continues.

For best results she recommends weekly application for four weeks and a top-up every 2-3 months.

She also used a polynucleotide. They are basically salmon and trout DNA and RNA, used to stimulate and rejuvenate the appearance of skin.

Some say it is a subtle form of Botox, and is used in the under eye area and the folds between the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds). It gives similar ‘plumping out’ results to those of Botox, but without being invasive.

After this, Seema used the needles again, without any heat, to administer the serums back into the treated area.

Million Dollar Questions: Does it Work and is it Worth it?

Without a doubt – yes!

I had people commenting on how good my skin was within a few weeks of my first treatment. These were people who knew me, but had no idea I was having microneedling.

I would recommend it in a heartbeat, especially if you have a big event coming up.

What Other Things or Areas Can it Help?

Bingo Wings’ can be helped considerably – as can can necks with lots of creases and stomachs with folds of flesh (perhaps after childbirth or weight loss)

What Does it Cost?

In all I had four sessions with Seema at Onyx17.