Microneedling may be a low-tech solution, but that doesn’t mean the at-home experience is going to be the same as what you get at a clinic.

That’s according to Tina Alster, a Dermatology Professor at Georgetown. Microneedling should be handled by a professional, she insists.

Why’s that?

The Importance of Sterile Equipment

No matter what, you’re still puncturing the skin with microneedling. Which means that regardless of the seeming simplicity of the procedure, it should be handled by a medical professional. 

So what’s the at-home version? The fact is, at home needles don’t penetrate the skin. Their needles are shorter and duller.

This doesn’t have the same effect of puncturing the skin just enough to stimulate collagen production. 

Not to mention, the more skilled the person performing it, the better results you’ll generally see from microneedling. 

Does Platelet Rich Plasma Make the Procedure Work Even Better?

Microneedling has many advantages over other skin rejuvenation techniques–not the least of which is its quick recovery time and its lack of reliance on light, which can cause pigmentation issues.

The only drawback is if you have acne, or any other form of inflammation or infection, it can be exacerbated by microneedling.

It gets even better, however, when you consider the addition of PRP to the procedure. After all, microneedling opens up the channels for the PRP to be absorbed by your body, and PRP provides the necessary growth factors to make the healing process even more efficient.

Therefore you’re seeing some great results that you’d only usually see from higher tech and more involved skin rejuvenation techniques, with the same fast downtime that microneedling always brings.

Overall, it creates a better procedure due to the synergistic effects of both the microneedling and PRP. 

When it comes to cosmetic treatments, everyone knows the classic jazz standards.

That means your Botox, your dermal fillers, your breast augmentation, and even your neck lift.

But there’s a whole world of cosmetic treatments out there, some treatments either so new or just a little bit odd enough that they’re small secrets of the celebrities. Here are some of those crazy treatments.

The String Lift

Properly known as The Silhouette InstaLift, the doctor takes a literal string and sutures it into your jawline. The kicker? The string is made of… sugar.

The string is fitted with cones that tighten the skin on your face — and over time the string promotes collagen production. Then, over the course of six to eighteen months, the string dissolves.

Hand Injections

This one might make you chuckle if you’ve ever watched Zoolander. Some patients actually go for filler in their hands.

It might seem odd, but when you think about it, hands are, right after the face, some of the most obvious locations to look for aging.

If you go in for Botox and have a wonderful youthful face, but older hands, it’s sometimes a tell to others.

PRP and PRFM

Platelet Rich Plasma’s a fairly well known procedure in which your own blood is used to take advantage of the body’s healing properties.

But you might not have heard of Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix, wherein the PRP is combined with a clotting factor to create what’s called a natural filler. 

Take the PRFM and use it as a filler on your face. You know. A filler made from your blood.

Nose injections

Perhaps this one’s not so odd.

Rather than get a rhinoplasty, some might opt for a nose injection, wherein filler is injected into the bridge of the nose to sculpt out the unevenness. 

Want to know more? Call your local cosmetic dermatologist or plastic surgeon today to schedule an appointment.