Microneedling..no peeling. Is that a good thing?

Question

I have had two microneedling sessions for acne scarring with a registered practitioner. My face was very red after each session and I used CU3 Vaseline for the first few days. In my research into this procedure everyone seems to refer to the skin peeling after a few days and their noticing positive results. My skin has not peeled at all and I can see no improvement in my acne scarring, even for those scars that are moderately shallow. Is this because of the lack of peeling? Your thoughts please

Lindsay Sturm, DO · Answer

Great question, thank you.  Skin peeling is not a typical response after microneedling.  Sometimes it can dry the skin out and the skin can begin to flake, yet it is not a significant response.  Also, it is important to remember not all skin is going to respond to a treatment the same way and this doesn't mean you are not going to have a good response to the treatment.  With microneedling, it often times takes several treatments (3-4 or more) to see improvements in the skin.  Things you can add to the microneedling which may help improve your results are: ask your provider if he/she performs PRP with microneedling.  PRP, or platelet rich plasma, helps increase your collagen production and helps with healing.  Microneedling can also be performed with radio frequency, this too helps to improve your response to the treatment.  Both options are a bit more expensive than the traditional microneedling, yet well worth the money.  I would discuss all your concerns and goals with your provider!  Thanks again for your question.  Best wishes, Dr. Lindsay J Sturm.

John Spurlock, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! I understand your concern, however peeling skin is not a typical response to microneedling. It is possible for the skin to flake or be dry afterward. It may take 3-4 sessions of microneedling to start seeing results as the skin begins to rebuild itself. Sometimes a chemical peel is performed after the microneedling treatment as well. As for the acne scarring, particularly depressed scars, microneedling is an effective treatment option because the needles break down the skin and then through the body's natural healing process the collagen gets rebuilt, smoothing out the surface of the skin. I would discuss your concerns with your provider!

Michael Pedro, MD · Answer

Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience with such a beneficial therapy. Skin peeling is not a typical result of Microneedling. That said dryness and some flaking can be expected, especially within the first 48-72 hours. 
With regards to your acne scarring, it can take several more sessions to see a significant difference. In our practice, we highly recommend using PRP during microneedling to treat acne scarring. Lastly, the depth that your provider went can also impact results. If you just had mild redness where your acne scars are then the provider may not have penetrated deep enough.

Ahmad Rafi, MD · Answer

The skin peeling after Microneedling is not to be expected. Some providers do perform light chemical peel as part of the procedure. They call it "Micropeeling". Your provider performed Microneedling only. Micropeeling is usually a little more expensive than Microneedling alone.

Microneedling..no peeling. Is that a good thing?

Answers (4)

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