Microneedling (with PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma)
Microneedling is a stimulus (much like exercise) to the skin, causing the body to replace old stretched out collagen with new collagen. This helps texture, radiance, and with repeated use, fine lines; some are also blessed with some color improvement, reducing browns and reds.
Microneedling and PRP are safe in all skin types with proper medical protocols and require little or no sun avoidance. Treatments can be customized for the amount of downtime you have available. With the lightest treatments, you will probably be a bit pink and sensitive for less than a day - many find it comparable to a facial, but with greater results. PRP greatly enhances results and at the same time, speeds healing.
If you can tolerate a bit more pink and flaking, we often offer more aggressive microneedling - even with this, most will only need to avoid the sun for a few days, during which they may have some light peeling coverable with makeup. For this reason, many of our patients use these as great ‘pick-me-up’s’ much as they used to do facials: for short term glow and improvement for events, while also bringing in blood flow, oxygen, nutrients and stimulating collagen for lasting benefits.
Microneedling also creates channels into the deeper skin layers creating a path for PRP and some medications. It is very important that you not go to someone who treats this process casually. You are effectively injecting a substance into the skin and only researched and safe products should be used. If you wouldn’t put a serum in a syringe and inject it into the skin, it should not be placed on freshly microneedled skin to wick into the deeper tissue levels. Any topicals used in the setting of microneedling will be selected by the physician to maintain your safety while addressing your skin (and hair) improvement goals.
We have seen great success using Harvest (the highest concentration validated and FDA approved kit, also, the only double spun brand) regenerative PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma - full of growth factors). This is drawn from you, isolating your own growth factors are isolated to optimize skin rejuvenation and health. These are the same growth factors which would stimulate you to grow new skin cells if you cut yourself, or new hair follicles after some fell or were pulled out.
In addition to the well-researched use of PRP for hair regrowth, Latisse, the eyelash medication, has also been researched and safety validated for use both on and within skin tissues. We have our own unique protocols that we offer at the same time as microneedling which can help maintain, and even improve eyebrow hair growth at the same time you’re improving your skin!
Call Tahoe Aesthetic Medicine at 775-298-1750 to see if this might be a treatment to help you love your skin!
