CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A treatment that uses tiny needles to heal the skin is gaining popularity.
What You Need To Know
- Microneedling is a procedure that uses small needles to help the skin heal and look younger
- Infinity Medspa esthetician Daniel Simonetti says it can help with acne scars, wrinkles, enlarged pores and stretch marks
- One Charlotte woman says the procedure helped clear her cystic acne
Caroline Winchester has been doing makeup since she was a teenager. For several years she would load on concealer, foundation and anything else she felt she needed.
“It was so bumpy and so red and inflamed,” Winchester said of her skin. “I was loading on products just to hide and camouflage as much as I could.”
Winchester used to deal with cystic acne, which can cause deep, painful bumps under the skin. She said she tried all sorts of products, but nothing ever worked.
“I think I was at a rush event,” Winchester said, showing a picture of herself in college. “I remember feeling so self-conscious because I had all this acne.”
At the age of 30, Winchester accepted the fact that she might live with this skin condition her whole life. She was comfortable in her own skin, but one day an esthetician told her to try microneedling.
“I think I saw differences immediately,” Winchester said. “The cystic acne was healing and not only in a place where it was preventive, but it also healed it. It just changed the appearance of my skin within a matter of days.”
Infinity Medspa esthetician Daniel Simonetti says the procedure involves pricking the skin with tiny little needles.
“When those needles penetrate the skin, your skin produces collagen to heal it in a more even-textured, healthier way,” Simonetti said.
Simonetti uses a small tool that looks like a large pen to penetrate the skin. She moves from side to side of the face. The process usually takes about 30 minutes per session. Winchester said it didn’t hurt and the result speaks for itself.
“I have tried every over-the-counter product, every option my dermatologist gave me,” Winchester said. “If you name it, I have done it and nothing fixed it like this did.”
Even though over-the-counter microneedling devices are available, the FDA recommends receiving treatment from a health care provider who is trained to perform microneedling procedures. They also say that some over-the-counter products are not considered medical devices since they don’t penetrate the living skin layers.
To learn more about the risks involved click here.