Microneedling: Benefits, Costs, Risks, Uses...

Microneedling (aka collagen induction therapy) is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure for your skin, that is used to encourage collagen production using small, sterilized needles. It may help smoothen, firm, tone your skin and improve the appearance of scars, acne and wrinkles.

Microwounds help stimulate your skin’s healing process, to produce more collagen and elastin. The purpose of this treatment is to generate new collagen and skin tissue to smoothen, firm and tone skin, skin elasticity.

Most people get microneedling on their face, but you can also get it on your legs, back, neck or other areas where you notice damaged or aging skin. You’ll probably need multiple treatments to achieve your desired results.

Microneedling procedure may also be combined with topical serums, radiofrequency and platelet-rich plasma. Our dermatologist can help you navigate the decisions regarding additional treatment options and their estimated costs.

Microneedling in Kenya has gained popularity for its growing list of benefits. It can help rejuvenate, plump your skin with minimal discomfort, with minimal downtime and it can be adjusted to fit each person’s needs.

Microneedling can help improve the appearance and texture of your skin. It can minimize stretch marks, scars, wrinkles and other skin imperfections. It doesn’t carry the risk of skin discoloration, unlike some facial rejuvenation procedures that use heat, light or lasers. This makes microneedling ideal for people with darker skin tones.

Microneedling is considerably less expensive than laser therapies and may even work better for some people.

Microneedling cost in Kenya varies a lot. At our Medical Spa the cost will be between KES12,000 and KES24,000 per session. Full Face microneedling procedure costs KES24,000, which includes an aftercare cream treatment. The total cost depends on the size of the area being worked on and the number of sessions.

Since microneedling is considered a cosmetic or aesthetic procedure, it’s usually not covered by insurance. In the rare event if doctor considers the procedure medically necessary, it might be recommended that you check with your insurance provider before your appointment.

Like all cosmetic procedures, microneedling carries some risks. The most common side effect is minor skin irritation immediately after the procedure. Some redness, skin tightness, dryness or swelling might also be present for a few days, usually that’s a sign of skin recovering.

Microneedling treatment is generally effective and safe, however it’s not recommended for people who take or have had radiation exposure within the past year, are pregnant, have a skin disease or have a history poor wound healing. It is also recommended that people with current infections or open wounds should wait until their skin heals before going for microneedling procedure.

It is important to choose a board-certified dermatologist. Trying out microneedling at home or choosing a specialist, who lacks medical training and in-depth knowledge of skin, increases the risks of developing side effects; such as scarring, infection or long-lasting skin discoloration.

You should also follow your dermatologist’s aftercare instructions to further minimize these risks.

Microneedling isn’t as invasive as plastic surgery and the recovery time is minimal. Most patients will require very little downtime if any at all. You may notice skin irritation and redness within the first few days after the procedure. This is a natural response to the small injuries made by the needles.

You can return to your daily activities after the procedure within a week. It’s advised to let your skin heal before applying makeup.

Your skin may also become more sensitive to the sun, so make sure to apply sunscreen. We recommended that you wait one week, before exposing your skin to direct sunlight and any chemicals.

After microneedling procedure, your skin recovers and rejuvenates new tissue fairly quickly.
To maintain the results of your microneedling, you’ll need multiple sessions and perhaps other complimenting treatments.

After microneedling procedure your skin channels are open and sensitive, it’s best to avoid the below during your first week of recovery:

These can help your skin heal after microneedling:

You’ll likely see some results from microneedling almost immediately. Very soon after the microwounds are created within the skin, the body’s wound-healing processes respond to heal them. Your skin may look plump and radiant for up to two weeks following the treatment. Optimal results, might take six to eight weeks to appear, this is when the increased collagen effects become evident.

In most cases you’ll need more than one session, but since everyone’s skin is different, during consultation, we will determine the best treatment plan for your skin. Fine lines, wrinkles, burns, stretch marks and acne scars will definitely need multiple sessions.

Like microneedling, chemical peels can improve texture, fine lines, pores and acne scars, and usually require multiple treatments. Laser treatments can provide similar benefits and could give you faster results than microneedling. Depending on the laser treatment, you may need more downtime but require fewer treatments.

Microneedling is a good alternative to laser skin resurfacing and chemical peeling because it offers significant results with a quick recovery and fewer side effects.

Sometimes we might advise you to combine radiofrequency treatments with microneedling. Combination of above could deliver significant results for treatment of acne scars and wrinkles.