Will derma pen cause scarring or damage my skin?! (photo)

Question

I have shallow acne scars. I have like 5 main ones. Will it help plump them up? And will this procedure make me break out?

David Stoker, MD · Answer

Micro-needling is an effective treatment for acne scarring. It should greatly improve the look of the scars with very little down time. It does require at least 3 to 6 treatments spaced about one month apart to get optimal results. It can cause things to surface during the healing process but being placed on a good skin care regimen should help between treatments. Thanks for the question and good luck.

Hooman Khorasani, MD · Answer

Wonderful question.  Microneedling can stimulate collagen regeneration and when combined with PRP it can improve scars in a variety of skin types.  This includes acne scars, chickenpox scars and surgical scars. The dermapen is a commonly used microneedling device.  The expectations of treatment are pinpoint bleeding and localized irritation.  Side effects are rare when the correct technique is used.  I have never seen this but possible rare side effects include infection, hyperpigmentation or worse scarring.  It is also possible that there may be no improvement in your scars if the correct depth is not used.  Please see an expert in scar revision.

Kaveh Alizadeh, MD, MSc, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question and photo. Microneedling is a great choice for acne scarring as it helps to stimulate collagen and even out the texture of the skin. We also like to put our patients on appropriate skin care prior to help “prepare” the skin much as you would prepare your body by working out regularly. To improve your results, I recommend adding growth factors with your treatment, such as PRP (platelet rich plasma) – which will also decrease your healing time. We have not had any reports of patients breaking out after a microneedling treatment. Ensure you seek treatment from a Board Certified provider. Good luck!

John L. Burns Jr., MD · Answer

Dermapen is an automated mechanical microneedle device which allows the user to control the depth of penetration.  Depending on the number of passes and depth of penetration into the skin the Dermapen can be used as a superficial treatment or can be quite aggressive.  Discussing the desired results and expected downtime before each procedure is necessary to meet expectations.Dermapen is a medical procedure but can be done by physician extenders such as nurses, physician assistants, or aestheticians.  Medical laws will vary from state to state on how these physician extenders are supervised.  Informed consent should by done prior to any Dermapen procedure.Patients should ask about the experience of their Dermapen provider.  Dermapen does provide certification via hand on training or online courses.  Avoiding complications in this type of procedure is best done by ensuring that your provider is experienced, adequately supervised, and is willing to listen to your expectations of both result and downtime.

Chien C. Kat, MD · Answer

Hi Microneedling treatments will help reduce the depth and size of your scars and make the skin tone more even.This is something that can be achieved over a course of 3-6 treatments at 4 weekly intervals. We use SkinPen which is the only FdA approved needling device. We recommend using a topical Vitamin A cream 6 weeks prior to treatment and also long term.Hope this helps

Vitality Natural Wellness and Medspa - Mansfield · Answer

I think that microneedling would have great benefits to your acne scarring! It may take a couple treatments to reach your desired result but overall I think that the scarring could be improved drastically. Microneedling works by breaking down scar tissue and rebuilding collagen.

Anshul Gambhir, MD · Answer

Thank you for your message! Microneedling, or collagen induction therapy, is a great option to help with acne scars, though in order to see a better and safer result, it should be done by a medical professional. Typically multiple treatments of microneedling are needed for full results, spaced about 6-8 weeks apart. Microneedling can flare up active acne though the area can also just be avoided to help ensure this does not happen. I would recommend a consultation with a provider in your area for further assessment!

Eugene Nowak, DO · Answer

Thank you so much for your question & included photo - this is so incredibly helpful when answering your question!  Microneedling is definitely a very safe treatment for acne scarring.  Essentially, the controlled micro-trauma of the microneedling procedure will stimulate collagen production & encourage your skin to remodel the scarred tissue.  Because acne scarring can affect multiple dermal layers, it can require multiple treatments at maximum depth penetration (and the addition of PRP [platelet rich plasma] for the best results. Usually, I recommend a minimum of 3 treatments - 1 each month - with a medical grade or prescription strength skin care regimen in order to achieve maximum improvement.  Some of our packages even include post-procedure skin care in order to minimize recovery time - keep this in mind when researching your procedure!
It is important to have the procedure performed by a qualified clinician who can penetrate to these levels.  Note that NOT all microneedling procedures are created equally.  For example, there are laws enforced by state medical boards (which also vary from state to state) dictating who is qualified to perform microneedling procedures and to what depths the practitioner can penetrate to - which can greatly affect your outcome.  So when researching your procedure, keep this information in mind so that you can best find a clinician who can help you achieve your desired results.  Good luck!

Ariel Ostad, MD · Answer

The Dermapen microneedling technology works by penetrating the outer layer of the skin, creating micro-skin channels. This stimulates your skin’s natural healing, while also speeding up the collagen production process. The needles do not penetrate the deep layers of your skin, resulting in a painless experience without a long recovery process. This treatment will help to improve your acne scarring by stimulating collagen rebuilding. For optimal results, please consult with a board certified dermatologist. Thank you for your question, best of luck to you!

Laura Phan, MD · Answer

Dermapen should not cause scarring or damage to your skin. Instead, the act of penetrating the skin with micro-needles will stimulate collagen and growth factor, which help heal the skin from within. Dermapen is safe and effective for all skin type. In addition to Dermapen, I like to inject PRP (platelet-rich plasma) under the skin to further stimulate collagen production. Platelet is a very potent growth factor. To collect the PRP, 10-20 cc of blood is drawn and centrifuged. The blood cells are discarded, while the serum is collected into syringes for injection, which is also safe as the serum comes from the patient. This treatment should be repeated 3-5 times one month apart and done every 12 months. Meanwhile, patient should have a home regimen to continue the collagen stimulation. A decent home regimen should include retinoid, growth factor, anti-oxidant serum, hyaluronic acid moisturizer, and SPF of at least 30.

Will derma pen cause scarring or damage my skin?! (photo)

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