Microneedling is a more effective and permanent treatment option for comedonal acne compared with tretinoin. Patients' satisfaction with the improvement in acne severity is also higher with microneedling procedure.
3-5 DAYS BEFORE PROCEDURE: Avoid topical products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols, Retinoids, Glycolic Acid, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Vitamin C, or any “anti-aging” products. Also, avoid waxing, bleaching, tweezing, or the use of hair removal cream on the area to be treated.
Additional Microneedling Aftercare Precautions
To ensure the proper healing environment, do NOT use any Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Beta Hydroxy Acid, Retinol (Vitamin A), Vitamin C (in a low pH formula) scrubs or anything perceived as “active” skincare for one week post treatment.
You will want to refrain from using abrasive skincare products, such as retinol, exfoliants, topical antibiotics and acids, for at least 48 hours before microneedling. It is crucial to avoid harmful UV ray exposure from direct sunlight and tanning beds for the five days before your treatment.
The short answer is yes. It can offer benefits if you're looking to refresh your skin. The procedure helps treat damage from sun exposure, tightens wrinkles and can make acne scars less noticeable.
Microneedling can cause bleeding so it may not be suitable for people with clotting or bleeding disorders, or who take medicine to thin their blood. You may want to avoid microneedling if you have conditions that affect your skin, such as eczema or diabetes, or if you have a weakened immune system.
It is a good idea to start this type of treatment in your 20's or 30's so that the boost in collagen production is more significant. This is going to train the skin to produce collagen regularly and keep your skin looking younger longer.
Stop topical retinoids (tretinoin and retinoic acid (Retin-A, Renova, Refissa)) one week prior to treatment.
You may notice tretinoin starting to work within 2 to 3 weeks, but it can take 6 weeks or more to experience the full benefit. If you don't see improvement within 12 weeks, or if you have significant improvement and wonder if you should start using it less frequently, talk to your doctor.
Microneedling can be an effective treatment option for fine lines, under-eye bags, puffiness, hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and even stretch marks. The versatility of a microneedling treatment is what makes it beneficial for patients with varying skin tones and skin types.
Retinol and tretinoin are both retinoids, which means they are compounds that come from vitamin A. They're both commonly used in topical creams to treat a number of skin conditions. Though they're similar, tretinoin is more concentrated than retinol.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start. You should only use tretinoin as prescribed to avoid significant skin irritation, redness, and other side effects.
If you stop using the medication or are inconsistent with your treatment, any improvements you see may disappear over time. Always use the product as prescribed by your healthcare provider (Rodan, 2016).
Microneedling causes lax skin to tighten and appear less loose and aged. The boost of collagen, elastin, and healthy skin cells also means your skin is better equipped to resist further signs of aging.
Why microneedling is so effective
Your natural repair system also stimulates the growth of new, healthy skin cells. As new skin cells continue to develop in the weeks after treatment, they replace weak, old cells that no longer support your skin. As a result, your skin becomes firmer, tighter, and younger-looking.
Your results will last anywhere from three to five months, and many patients schedule follow-up treatments twice a year to maintain their results. Taking good care of your skin through a conscientious at-home beauty routine can help preserve your results.
Celebrity facialist and dermaroller advocate, Kerry Benjamin, strongly advises against using a dermaroller with needles too long as you have a higher risk of damaging skin. “If you want to do a deeper micro-needling treatment with a larger needle size, I recommend going to a professional,” she adds.
Discoloration caused by skin needling is rare, but can occur if the needle depth is 1.5 mm or deeper, and the procedure is done too frequently. This negligence can cause irritation in the skin which can be one possible cause to post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation.
When microneedling is used as a procedure to treat ageing skin and wrinkles, the needle length of 0.5 mm or 1.0 mm is usually recommended. [9] When the needles are only up to 0.5 mm long, the procedure is essentially painless, and the perception of pain increases as the depth of needle penetration increases.
The only skin care product that can truly provide a slight tightening effect with regular use is Retin A, or Tretinoin. This is because Vitamin A helps speed up skin cell turnover, helping to boost collagen production.
Tretinoin Does Not “Bleach” Your Skin
Contrary to popular belief, tretinoin is not a “bleaching agent” or medicine designed specifically to lighten your skin tone. While tretinoin can even out patches of hyperpigmentation and cause a mild change in your skin tone, it doesn't affect melanin synthesis.
On average, it takes eight to 24 weeks of treatment for tretinoin to produce noticeable improvements in wrinkles and other signs of aging. One short study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, which used a . 025 percent tretinoin cream, found a “statistically significant improvement” after just 84 days.
Tretinoin is an anti-cancer ("antineoplastic" or "cytotoxic") chemotherapy drug. Tretinoin is classified as a "retinoid." (For more detail, see "How Tretinoin Works" section below).
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.