Skin needling is celebrating worldwide popularity for good reason: it’s fast, effective, affordable and has limited downtime.
When Angelina Jolie espouses the benefits of microneedling, you know you’re onto a good thing.
Celebrity endorsements aside, skin needling can affect significant changes in the skin, and some studies have gone so far to say the anti-ageing benefits are comparable to laser skin resurfacing.
The Dermaroller Difference
Like all other medical-grade aesthetic equipment, there are superior and inferior choices on the market. The market leader – and pioneer of collagen-induction therapy (CIT) – is the Dermaroller.
German engineered and designed, the Dermaroller was launched in Europe more than 10 years ago, revolutionising the concept of skin needling and CIT and transforming it into an accessible, restorative and rejuvenating treatment.
Skin needling using the Dermaroller has been shown to promote neocollagenesis by stimulating Transmitted Growth Factors (TGF), without causing a wound-healing cascade – an advantage unique to the Dermaroller. The means no damage to the skin, preservation of the epidermis, a short and scarless healing phase, and the deposition of normal woven collagen rather than scar collagen.
A study into skin needling found one Dermaroller treatment induced on average a 206 percent increase in new collagen and elastin fibres in the skin. This was determined using biopsy, where a control biopsy was taken adjacent to the site of skin needling and a second biopsy was taken six to eight weeks later at the skin-needling site. The greatest improvement recorded in this study was a 1,000 percent increase in new fibres.
Further, a review of the available literature from 2001-2010 regarding 1. the use of Dermaroller for trans- dermal delivery of active substances into the skin, and 2. treatment of skin alterations by means of neocollagenesis was evaluated. The effectiveness of the Dermaroller to breach the stratum corneum barrier and deliver active substances into the epidermis and/or deeper layers of the skin was confirmed in the 13 studies evaluated.
For the treatment of skin alterations by means of neo- collagenesis, 14 publications demonstrated the efficiency of the Dermaroller. The clinical improvement of scars (reduction of scar depth, normalisation of skin structure), especially acne and burn scars, resulting from Dermaroller treatment was confirmed by objective measures.
Histological findings proved an increase in the amount of collagen as well as a re-orientation of collagen fibres that is similar to that in normal skin. A thickening of the epidermis was also observed.
Listed by the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as a collagen induction device that can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and scars, the Dermaroller can also be used to treat stretch marks and pigmentation/melasma.
In a 2011 study published in Plastic Surgery International by Fabbrocini et al, 20 patients were treated with combined skin needling and depigmenting serum on one side of the face and with depigmenting serum alone on
the other side. The outcome was evaluated periodically for up to two months using the Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI) score and the Spectrocolorimeter X-Rite 968.
The side with combined treatment (skin needling and depigmenting serum) presented a statistically significant reduction in MASI score and luminosity index (L) levels compared to the side treated with depigmenting serum alone, and clinical symptoms were significantly improved. On the right hemi-faces treated using both skin needling and depigmenting serum, the baseline mean MASI score of 19.1 decreased to 14.4 (P<.001) one month postoperatively and to 9.2 (P<.001) two months post operatively. On the left hemi-faces treated using depigmenting serum alone, the baseline mean MASI score of 20.4 decreased to 17.4 (P<.05) one month post operatively and to 13.3 two months post operatively (P<.05). AMP
Dermastamp and Dermaroller are distributed in Australia by Clinic Care. Visit www.cliniccare.com.au or call 1300 799 709 for more information.
Dermastampthe next level Skin needling has taken another leap forward with the introduction of Dermastamp. The next evolution of the Dermaroller, it differs from the traditional design and instead uses a vibrating stamp of microneedles, affording greater control in a clinical setting. Unlike the Dermaroller, the Dermastamp is completely automated, which means practitioners can select how many channels are made in the skin per second and the degree of penetration for each facial site, according to the condition being treated. Fifty to 150 micro channels per second can be selected and, with six needles on the tip, this can result in 900 perforations per second. This differs to the Dermaroller, where the number of channels is dependant on manual application and a different roller is used for different areas of the face. The Dermastamp needles are supported on a ball and socket joint, meaning their positioning is continuously attuned to match the contours of the face. The depth of the Dermastamp needles can also be adjusted, meaning practitioners can vary the depth according to the area being treated. Although the Dermastamp treatment is more thorough than the traditional Dermaroller treatment, the fact it vibrates means the Dermastamp is more comfortable than its predecessor. Company research has shown that it is 70 percent better tolerated than the Dermaroller. The procedure will usually result in some blood spotting during treatment and most patients will leave the clinic with mild erythema which generally subsides 12 to 24 hours later. Three treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart, are recommended for those wanting to see an overall improvement in the appearance of their skin. For those with scarring, the number of treatments will vary. As new skin cells are generated, and blood flow enhanced, patients can look forward to an enhanced appearance within six weeks. Suitable for most skin types including fine and sensitive skins, the Dermastamp is a cost-effective procedure with an excellent safety profile. The results speak for themselves – significant improvement in skin texture and quality, scarring and wrinkles. Just ask Angelina. |
