My Microneedling Experience For Acne Scarring And Uneven Skin Tone (Day 23)

#30dayglowup - Day 24

Is professional microneedling worth it: cost, pain, effectiveness against acne scarring

Since hearing about microneedling a long time ago I knew it was something I wanted to try for my acne scarring and hyperpigmentation. For me it seemed like the perfect balance between an effective yet not too expensive treatment – I can’t afford the splurge on laser reconstruction but wanted something a bit more consistent than getting facial peels.

 

I’ve had a lot of issues actually getting my treatments and fitting them in my life. Firstly it’s not recommended that you get microneedling within a year of taking Accutane so as not to cause damage to your skin, which meant since I finished my round of Accutane in October, I had to wait until I was home from university in December of the following year. Since you’re only supposed to wait a month between treatments this meant that I either had to commute home to see the consultant that I trusted or wait until my Easter holidays. And then COVID struck and everything was shut down anyway. So despite my treatments being a 18^th birthday present from my family in 2018, in the two years since that time I’ve only actually got one treatment done.

 

There are worse things however and I don’t want to sound ungrateful since it was a very generous present from my family. I won’t be able to go into detail about how the treatments get stronger or show the final results from the full round of treatments, however I am going to be discussing my experience so far so that if you’re interested in microneedling you know a little more about it. So if you’re wanting to learn more about if this is going to be something that will be effective for you, keep reading.

 

 

My skin history

If you’ve read any of my other skincare related posts, you’ll know that my relationship with my skin has been turbulent to say the least. I had persistent acne throughout my entire teenage years which was only cleared by an 8-month round of Accutane. I now get the occasional breakout which I can normally attribute to something I’ve done which had irritated my skin, but for the most part my main skin concerns are acne scarring and pigmentation.

My current pigmentation and acne scarring

 

When I get a spot no matter how it heals, I will get lasting discolouration which takes a long time to fade. Even when I use hydrocolloidbandages and leave the spot entirely alone, I’ll unfortunately still get these marks on my face, and it’s something I’ve just accepted as a disadvantage of my skin. This means I dedicate a lot of my skincare to increasing the rate of healing these scars to achieve an even skin tone and texture. I’m fortunate now that I don’t seem to get any of the textured scarring that I used to get in my teenage years so for the most part I’m aiming to heal those residual scars and reduce my hyperpigmentation.

 

What is microneedling and how does it work?

Microneedling is using small needles to create tiny wounds in the skin. It’s commonly associated with using a roller however in my experience and as per my practitioner’s recommendation we used a pen to get a more even penetration all over my face. It’s very highly recommended that you get it done by a qualified professional to make sure you don’t permanently damage your skin and since they can use deeper needles to get more effective results.

 

The idea of microneedling is to create tiny wounds which stimulate your skin to produce collagen and new skin tissue. This rejunivates your skin and can help to increase the rate of healing pre-existing skin conditions such as scarring and cellulite. This can make skin firmer and help heal injuries since collagen is lost in when your skin is damaged. The idea of microneedling is similar to many principles of healing scarring and reducing pigmentation by increasing the rate of skin cell turnover.

 

Microneedling should provide very quick results as well as working continually during the course of your treatment. It also shouldn’t be used on open wounds so isn’t the best if you’re a current acne sufferer.

 

Cost for me: £80 per treatment

 

Recommended number of treatments: 6 +

 

What to expect from microneedling

I had my consultation before my treatment to discuss the process with the practitioner and make sure my skin was suitable for the process. My skin was then thoroughly cleansed, cleaned and a numbing cream applied which was left to do its thing for around half an hour. As for the sensation, it wasn’t painful, but it wasn’t exactly fun either. On my fattier areas of my face like my cheeks it was absolutely fine, and the sensation was more of a tickle, but when it came to the bonier areas like my forehead and chin it did get a lot more uncomfortable. However, there was no point where I had to stop and it was very tolerable, and it didn’t last too long.

 

Afterwards the numbing cream was removed and a soothing mask applied to my face, which was a very pleasant, cooling sensation. My face did feel very raw and tight for the rest of the day however, and I looked like I had a terrible sunburn.

 

All in all, the treatment itself was pretty painless and not nearly as painful as I expected it to be, nor was it too time-consuming or inconvenient.

 

How long did it take my skin to recover?

Since the treatment does put your skin through quite a lot it’s important that you take care of it afterwards. I didn’t use any skincare the evening after the treatment, and over the next couple of days I used a very gentle cleanser and moisturiser. I definitely wouldn’t recommend using any active ingredients until about a week after your treatment. Also, your skin is at an increased sensitivity to sun exposure so be sure to use SPF on the days following your treatment (Which you should be doing anyway!)

 

The night of the treatment my skin looked very red and raw, which gradually faded over the next couple of days. I didn’t experience any peeling like some people do and the tight feeling of my skin went away very quickly. I’d say my skin way completely back to normal around day 3, however I continued to treat it very gently over the following week.

 

Would I recommend it?

Since I’ve only been able to have one treatment due to my university term times and lockdown I don’t think I can give a full review of whether microneedling worked for me – once I’m able to fully finish my treatment I’ll come back with an skin update on this post, but that’s definitely a long way off.

 

However, I did see a positive difference after my one round of treatment and the experience wasn’t too uncomfortable that I wouldn’t want to go back. In combination with my skincare routine I have seen my scarring become less noticeable, however at this point I can’t narrow it down to how much just the microneedling has helped me. But if you have the means to do it and you have the type of skin issues which would have the most benefit from this, I would recommend you giving it a go.

 

Tips for if you’re getting the treatment

• Wear a strappy top so the practitioner can get to your neck
• Go to a qualified professional
• Don’t use activates the week before your treatment – you want your skin to have as little sensitivity as possible
• Take someone with you to stop you getting bored in the process
• Try and avoid taking public transport home as you look a bit ridiculous
• Keep you hands clean after your treatment and try not to touch your face
• Make sure you have some way to tie your hair up

 

In conclusion

I’m excited to continue with my microneedling treatments as part of my ongoing journey to heal my acne scars and get as smooth of a skin texture as I can. If you’ve read any of my other skincare posts, you’ll know how much my bad skin has affected my confidence and how my acne scarring is such a big insecurity of mine. Hopefully when I’m able to carry on with this procedure it will be part of the process to me feeling happier within my skin and more comfortable going out without makeup.

 

Skincare is such a big portion of my glow up journey and I feel that I have so much more to share about my experiences in terms of my self-confidence and image in relation to acne. Remember if you have issues with your skin you’re not alone and there are options out there to help you. I hope that this post was helpful if you’re considering microneedling or if it’s a wholly new thing to you, and if you have any questions be sure to comment them down below and I’ll get back to you.