Skin Needling is a minimally invasive procedure that rejuvenates the skin naturally with the use of a device with many fine needles. The needles in the skin needling device are used to create a controlled injury on the skin’s surface, which forces the body to fill every single microscopic wound created and, in turn, produces new elastin and collagen.

The process of skin needling rejuvenates and improves the texture and firmness of the skin’s surface and is commonly used to reduce pore size, scars, fine lines and wrinkles, even stretch marks. It is a great alternative to laser resurfacing and peeling as it can be done in areas where these types of treatments are not advisable.

Being a non-invasive procedure, the epidermis remains intact, which allows the needling process to be repeated every 4-6 weeks without any risks. A lot of skin practitioners also do maintenance treatments at intervals that range from 6 to 12 months. A course of needling is recommended for optimal results. Some practitioners use anesthetic cream to keep patients comfortable, but the treatment is certainly tolerable.

The history of skin needling

Skin needling was pioneered in the late 1990s by Dr Andre Camirand, a plastic surgeon from Montreal. He began by experimenting the use of tattoo guns without ink, attempting to treat postsurgical scars. Years later,  in 1996 at the Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Taipei, a plastic surgeon from South Africa named Des Fernandes introduced skin needling with the use a roller to treat perioral wrinkles.

Since then skin needling has been growing in popularity due to its effectiveness and the industry and its consumers now have a wide variety of skin needling devices available for purchase, ranging from 0.5 to 3 mm in needle length. Each length serves its own purpose and effectiveness of treatment on the skin. Naturally, the homecare range is easier to use and shorter in length, in comparison to those used within a clinic, intended only for skin care professionals.