Skincare and skinhealth make up a large part of our practice at Aviva Plastic Surgery, and Alla Fishman, medical aesthetician and key member of our expert team, recently spoke to us about the benefits of microneedling.
“I have been a medical aesthetician for 28 years, and skincare is my passion,” says Alla. “Skin health is so important, and I love helping people make their skin look and feel its best.” Skin is the body’s largest organ, and it reflects everything—stress, physical illness, hydration—that happens inside of our bodies, Alla says.
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy or CIT, is one of the more common procedures Alla does in our practice. It is not a new treatment, but it has certainly enjoyed an upswing in popularity in the last 5-7 years. Alla is Russian, and the concept of microneedling and mesotherapy are both very popular with Russian patients. Alla says, “I think this treatment is so effective—and popular—because it stimulates new collagen formation and has very little downtime. I like to do microneedling at least once a season for my patients—and I do this treatment on my own face.”
How does microneedling work? During a microneedling treatment, Alla cleanses the face and applies a thin layer of numbing cream. The numbing cream is left on to work for about 20 minutes before treatment, and this way, the procedure is very comfortable for most patients—it really feels like just a little bit of pressure. After the numbing medicine has had a chance to work, Alla removes it and cleans the skin thoroughly with an antimicrobial cleanser. She then uses a device called a microneedling pen with a sterile microneedle tip—the tip has 12 or 20 or 36 tiny needles on it—to do the microneedling treatment. The microneedling pen allows the tiny needles to go into and out of the skin many, many times a minute; Alla varies the depth of penetration of the needles, and does several passes of treatment with the pen all over the face, neck, or whatever tissue she is treating. After she finishes the treatment, Alla again cleanse the skin and applies a calming, hydrating mask. After this, Alla sends patients home with instructions for gentle cleaning and hydration with post-treatment products.
In terms of recovery, most patient are red—like a moderate sunburn—for about a day after treatment. Alla says the vast majority of patients can return to work within 12-24 hours after treatment. She allows makeup on the treated skin after approximately 24 hours. Some people, including both Alla and Dr. Fishman, peel lightly for 2-3 days after treatment, but this light skin shedding is generally not very noticeable.
Who is a good candidate for microneedling? Alla says most people can really benefit from this treatment, as it makes the skin look brighter, smoother, and just better. “I do microneedling quite a bit for acne scars and surgical scars, as well as fine lines and wrinkles, and dilated pores. It is a procedure that both of my daughters—who are in their 40s—enjoy. It is also something that helps me battle acne in a lot of my patients,” she says.
Do you want to know more about microneedling? Give our practice a call at 678-974-8435 and get on Alla’s schedule for a consultation. Here’s to healthy, glowing skin!