I’ve been dealing with acne scars for many, many years. So when I heard about microneedling and saw before and after pictures of others who had tried the procedure — I was all about it!
**WARNING: Some of the pictures & video may be disturbing to some readers**
I battled with two cases of severe acne during my early adult years. I’ve always had bad skin, but it wasn’t until after high school that my breakouts turned from mild to severe.
I suffered with painful, deep cystic acne and it took such a toll on me. Not only was it debilitating to my self esteem but it destroyed my skin.
My breakouts have really calmed down, but the damage has been done. I’ve done a few chemical peels in the past but never saw the dramatic results that I was seeking.
I heard about microneedling consequently while researching hydrafacials. While hydrafacials are great for fine lines, hyper-pigmentation and clearing up existing acne, I didn’t find anything about acne scarring.
Microneedling uses tiny needles to puncture the top layer of your skin which creates “micro-injuries.” When skin is damaged, your body starts to produce more collagen and elastin to repair the damage.
This in turn, will plump up your skin greatly diminishing fine lines and scarring. Sounds like a dream, no? So I had to try it out!
During my consultation, the esthetician mentioned that my skin would be red for 24 hours and that I can expect for my face to get dry and eventually peel. Peeling helps uncover new skin which will look and feel incredibly soft and glowing.
Microneedling Procedure
To begin, the esthetician applies a numbing cream all over my face. This stays on for about 30 minutes. This is not painful at all and you will start to feel some numbness as time goes on. After the 30 minutes, she wipes off the cream and we are ready to begin.
The device is similar to a pen with an opening on the end where the needles will pulse in and out. Think about a tattoo gun (makes the same sounds too). She starts at the forehead, which she advises will be the most painful (it is) because it’s sitting on bone.
The numbing cream decreases the pain factor, but does not erase it altogether. The pain is tolerable, but uncomfortable.
She then moves along the temples and then unto the cheeks. My cheeks have the most noticeable damage, so she spends a little more time there. At this point, she can jackhammer that section because I just want them gone! As you can see, there is blood but it’s not painful.
After Microneedling Procedure
After she goes all over my face, she applies a collagen-infused serum. She advises against washing your face for the first 24 hours and only using mild cleansers, such as Aveeno or Cerave, after that.
She recommends no moisturizers or other serums until after 72 hours. The esthetician also advises against sun exposure as your skin will be very vulnerable to sun damage once skin starts to peel.
The entire procedure lasted about 45 minutes. I paid $300 for the procedure and it’s recommended you get a few session for better results.
Don’t get this procedure done if you have an event you plan to attend as your skin is going to be red, flaky and a bit swollen.
This was done in November 2019 and I am currently planning to get another round soon. Although, it is recommended that you space out your procedures 4-6 weeks apart.
Here are a couple of pictures taken nearly a year after. As you can see, while there is still some scarring, it is greatly diminished. I believe 3-5 sessions would have given me better results and am trying to get back into it.
Lately, I’ve been using these products in my daily skincare routine and they have helped me maintain healthy, balanced skin.
If you have any questions, shoot me a DM on instagram or email me at maria@bellastyleliving.com. If you’re currently suffering from acne, I recommend your read my post on how I FINALLY cleared my cystic acne. It has changed my life!
