Have you heard of laser microneedling? With so many facials and skin treatments available, it can be a lot to know what’s what and what’s best for your skin needs. I tried the mircro needling laser treatment because I heard it improved skin quality. And by improving skin quality I mean minimizing pores, redness, uneven skin tone, acne scars, and reducing wrinkles.
I’ve had cystic acne and there were scars on my cheek that I was mostly concerned about fixing. So I did the treatment in LA at Restoring Health Medical Institute. Watch what happened at Dr. Moossazadeh’s office as he explains the process in this video. He’s the best, really! Totally cleared up my acne completely by prescribing spironolactone. But that is for another blog post. A rundown on what laser microneedling is and what you should do for after care below.
What is Laser Microneedling?
Two treatments, laser genesis and microneedling. You can do them separate, but it’s best to combine for maximum results.
- Laser Genesis – a non-invasive laser that heats your skin. It builds collagen, kills bacteria that causes acne, treats scars and rosacea, and makes your face look fuller. It literally feels like polka dots are being put on your face by a heated light and doesn’t hurt at all. The laser may burn off your peach fuzz during the process, causing a slight burning smell. But don’t worry, your skin is not being damaged. This part is super quick and takes 20 minutes, which is why it’s known as the lunchtime facial.
- Microneedling – a pen with small needles that poke the barrier of your skin. Builds collagen, treats acne scars and hyper pigmentation. Yes, this process does break your skin, but forces a fresh layer of skin to grow. There is numbing cream applied beforehand so you don’t feel the needle penetrating your skin. If you’ve heard of a derma roller or at home microneedling pen, those needles aren’t as long. So they don’t fully penetrate the skin. I would recommend going to a professional for this and stick to doing facials and masks at home.
Aftercare Tips & What to Expect
You should treat your skin like a baby the three days following. Breaking the skin opens mirco-channels, so it’s super sensitive and quickly absorbs what you put on it. You’ll see some redness and your skin will feel dry and tight. Although you can wear makeup after, I personally wouldn’t to let your skin breath and recover. If you absolutely must, I would do light coverage.
- Apply a serum to feed your new skin. The first 24 hours is most important since micro-channels are open. There are different types: mineral, peeling, growth factor serum. I used the Biopelle Growth Factor Serum and applied a capsule 4 times for day 1 & 2, and 2 times for day 3.
- Don’t use any skin products with active ingredients or chemicals like silicone, dimethicone, artificial color, artificial fragrance, sodium lauryl sulphate, propylene glycol
- Avoid direct sun exposure for 1 week. Use sunscreen with no chemicals if needed. Avoid sweating during exercise and sauna and no swimming for 4 days after.
- Wash face with hands and water. No brushes or exfoliating soaps.
- Redness will disappear after 3-4 days and skin will peel
Is It Worth It?
I say yes! It’s totally worth it and a lot more effective long term compared to other resurfacing treatments like Microderm or peels. I definitely saw improvements in my skin within 4 days. I wouldn’t say it’s a quick fix facial for deep acne scars and wrinkles because you need a few treatments every 2-4 weeks. The number of treatments needed depends on where you skin is at currently. I suggest consulting with a skin care specialist for that answer.
Check out the before/after picture at the end of the video to see the difference after 3 days. My skin felt rejuvenated, smoother, and my minor breakouts were cleared up!
Post your questions/comments about laser microneedling below.