Is Microchanneling the Next Big Thing in Non-Surgical Facial Rejuvenation?
- Posted on: Sep 11 2024
“Skin needling, microneedling, microchanneling – could someone please explain to me the difference?” said one of our patients in exasperation. “Beth” – a beautiful woman in her fifties – had never really taken good care of her skin before. She had the typical level of sun damage that we see on our Southwest Florida patients for a woman her age, as well as some deep wrinkling around her eye and mouth areas.
We know that when you do an Internet search on a treatment or procedure, the amount of information you can find is overwhelming. And it’s not always correct! Here is some of the information we shared with Beth.
Understanding Different Types of Skin Needling
First, “skin needling” is a general term used to describe any minimally invasive aesthetic treatment that involves a device utilizing fine needles. Both microneedling and the microchanneling treatment fall under this category. They use a device to puncture the skin’s epidermis with fine needles, creating tiny micro-injuries. Each micro-injury creates a channel that triggers the body to heal these microscopic wounds, producing new collagen and elastin.
Here’s where we go into a bit of science to discover what microchanneling and microneedling is at a deeper level. Through neovascularization and neocollagenesis (say those ten times fast!), the skin’s texture and firmness improve. At the same time, scarring, stretch marks, and skin pore size are all reduced.
Once the skin has these micro-injuries, your aesthetician will typically apply a topical serum with growth factor to help accelerate results. This enables the product to reach deeper into the skin’s dermis, supplying your skin with the nutrients it needs to boost regeneration.
How Does Microchanneling Work Exactly?
Microneedling and microchanneling treatments do have some key differences. These relate to the various ways each device administers treatment. But before understanding their differences, we need to know how they work.
Microneedling typically uses a roller or handheld wand that glides across the skin. While this method delivers the skin needling effectively, it can also cause additional drag on the skin and microtears. Just like the treatment can be used for treating scars, it also has the potential to cause unnecessary trauma when misused.
This brings us to the question: “What is microchanneling?” To put it simply, this type of treatment is like the next generation of microneedling. Instead of pulling the device across the skin, the needles are precisely administered to the skin using a “stamp” type pattern – which doesn’t cause tearing or any additional trauma to the skin.
Recovery time is accelerated, but what are the results? Well, we’ll let you be the judge of that. For the most part, patients notice that their skin has fewer dark spots, with the wrinkles less pronounced with time.
Looking at the Results of a Microchannel Treatment
To understand the effect better, look at these images taken of our patient. These were taken before, immediately after her microchanneling treatmnet with us, and then 30 minutes to 10 hours later. The last two photos are 10 hours later, without and with make-up.
Microchanneling can be performed on all skin tones and types, and repeat treatments yield even better results. We recommend you get around three to four treatments, spacing them out every six weeks to achieve the best results.
Enjoy the Benefits of Microchanneling!
Microneedling and microchanneling are two treatments that can help you obtain smooth, blemish-free skin and an even skin tone. However, microchanneling is a more popular option nowadays, as it causes less trauma to the skin. You can get a microchanneling treatment with us at any time, and you’ll be able to enjoy younger-looking skin! Contact us for a consultation!
If you’re ready to see if microchanneling might help you achieve the results you’re looking for, please call our office at 239-747-1148 or visit our website at www.azulbeauty.com, to arrange your complimentary skin consult!
Posted in: Facial Rejuvenation