Key points
■ Microneedling involves the production of thousands of controlled micro-incisions to the papillary and reticular dermis
■ From manual devices, the trend is now moving towards automated devices, particularly as there are some
limitations with manual devices, including a fixed needle length, moderate to high patient discomfort, and the widespread availability of low quality and low cost devices
■ The mechanism of action of microneedling is the controlled mechanical stimulation of the wound healing response with rapid closure of the micro-incisions
■ Microneedling offers a treatment to improve skin appearance and quality, without initiating scar formation
enhanced skin architecture results in an improved
appearance of the skin. A notable increase in collagen and elastin fibres can be proven 6 months after a microneedling treatment1, 4
. Compared with scar tissue,
the collagen in the treated area is cross-linked and the stratum corneum is structured normally. Furthermore, a thickening of the epidermis by approximately 40% can be observed4
. The micro-incisions created during microneedling will
close approximately 10–15 minutes after the treatment, resulting in a low risk of infection9, 10
. Microneedling offers a treatment to improve skin
appearance and quality, without initiating scar formation. Owing to the low risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) compared with other methods of skin rejuvenation (e.g. laser, chemical peeling), microneedling can be used for all patients, independent of skin type and colour11
. As there is no heat (compared
with laser devices), this is most likely why there is limited inflammation leading to PIH. The fact that microneedling may have a reduced risk of PIH has been discussed by Aust et al8
. In their study, the
authors reported that percutaneous collagen induction therapy left the epidermis intact without any damage to the stratum corneum, any other layers of the epidermis, or the basal membrane8
reduction of epidermal thickness were evident 24 hours after the procedure. DNA microarray experiments demonstrated that interleukin-10 was increased in percutaneous collagen induction therapy-treated skin after 2 weeks. With regard to the melanocyte-stimulating hormone gene, gene expression microarray analysis indicated a faint down-regulation both 24 hours and 2 weeks after treatment.
Owing to the hyperpigmentation
low risk of post- inflammatory
(PIH) compared with other methods
of skin rejuvenation (e.g. laser, chemical peeling),
microneedling can be used for all patients,
68 ❚
independent of skin type and colour.
October 2013 |
prime-journal.com
Enhanced substance penetration Most molecules, like hyaluronic acid, are too large to pass the epidermis alone. However, if these substances are applied to the skin or filled into the cartridge of an automated microneedling device before the procedure, the penetration capacity and depth is more effective than that of needles alone. Indeed, skin penetration (stratum corneum) by microchanneling can result in the delivery of hydrophilic (e.g. flufenamic acid) and lipophilic (e.g. retinol)
substances, macromolecules (e.g. insulin, ALA)12–15
and .
A needle length of 150 µm is sufficient16
. The depth generally
depends on the depth of needle penetration, but this is mainly into the dermis. This means that the absorption of the substance would be almost uniform throughout the area of dermis treated. The distribution outside the needle incisions may be because it is carried in lymphatic channels by mechanical force, once the molecule hits such a channel, and
. No signs of dermabrasive
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100