I have loose skin on my neck, and was wondering if microneedling is a good option?

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to make a recommendation without at least a few photos. An in-person assessment to evaluate your skin’s condition and degree of laxity would be even better. That said, I can tell you microneedling is a type of collagen induction therapy that boosts collagen levels within the dermal structure. This process can lead to smoother, firmer skin over time. However, if your loose skin is substantial, you may not achieve satisfactory improvement without a surgical procedure. I encourage you to schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who can perform a comprehensive examination and discuss your concerns and goals in detail. Through this meeting, your surgeon can determine which customized treatment plan will meet your needs best. 

Our office has many different treatments for scars depending on the depth of atrophy or hypertrophy. Scars require a combination approach using our HI DEF protocol which uses a combination of lasers, topical scar modulation, and RF treatments to pixelate scars, improve contour, reduce hyperpigmentation, and improve the visibility of the scars so that they are no longer visible in ambient light. Everyone has a unique pattern of scarring and we employ our HIDEF technique to improve texture, color, contour, and topography. We often use a combination of treatments that begin with a careful examination to examine the micro texturing of the acne scars. Atrophic scars and indented scars can benefit from injectable fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra, and Restylane with or without subcision to remove tethered scars and atrophic depression. Hyper-redness in scars can be improved with V beam laser, Excel V, BBL, IPL, and Venus RF to improve the redness and reduce the visibility of deep scars. Fractional Thulium laser and clear & brilliant can also reduce the inflammation and redness of the scar when combined with topical therapy. Fractional lasers such as Fraxel, erbium, and CO2 laser can be combined with radio frequency and also fractional RF to improve textual issues and microtopography. Subcision and TCA cross are also used for deep ice pick scars and narrow valley scars in order to improve the micro texture. Above all, our combination approach with our clinical nurses and board-certified plastic surgeons can improve the quality of your skin by using at home Melarase creams combined with PRP treatments in our office to improve your skin quality and tone. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an experienced team of experts in order to reduce your scarring.

Finally, hyperpigmentation of scars can be improved with at-home Melarase AM, Melarase PM, and Melapads to help reduce active PIH and melanin deposition.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hi Kim, thanks for the question. Microneedling does stimulate collagen which will cause some tightening effects. But we do see a significantly greater amount of tightening with microneedling that has RF technology such as the Morpheus8.

Hello Kim.  We don't offer Ultherapy for exactly the reason you mention.  Most often it fails to deliver any benefit.  We also don't offer microneedling for the same reason.  Microneedling seems to be sold for every skin issue under the sun. While there may be some benefit for acne scars (mild texture improvement), it has no ability to help with loose skin on the neck.  If loose skin is your issue, then a surgical necklift is your best option.

With significant neck sagging you would need a facelift / neck lift with muscle tightening (platysmaplasty). At the same time, I would recommend lasers (Fraxel, CO2, or Erbium) and microneedling RF (Fractora, Morpheus8, Intensif) to improve the crepey skin and wrinkles. Overall, the neck can be treated with a combination approach:
1. Microneedling and laser treatments for texture
2. Botox, Dysport, Xeomin or Jeuveau to help platysmal bands
3. Intensif, Fractora, or Morpheus8 microneedling RF for crepey skin and lifting
4. Injectable fillers like Belotero, Restylane Silk, and Juvederm Volbella to improve lines and folds
5. Face/neck lifting if sagging is prominent or premature, with or without platysmaplasty (muscle tightening)
6. Renuvion (J-Plasma), ThermiRF, and InMode FaceTite/AccuTite for internal tightening
7. Ultherapy and Thermage for external tightening
8. Regular Venus Legacy, Exilis Ultra, or InMode Forma treatments with facials to maintain tightness
9. PDO NovaThreads or Silhouette InstaLift cone threads for lifting and long-term collagen production
See an expert for a formal evaluation and to develop a personalized treatment plan based on your individual situation and goals.
Best, Dr. Emer

Hello there,
    Microneedling is not going to tighten your neck skin. It is too superficial. I would recommend consulting with a surgeon who specializes in neck and facelifts to see if surgery is a better option. If you did not see good result with Ultherapy, it is unlikely that other non-invasive treatments will help you. That being said, doing additional Ultherapy may give you some improvement by building on the collagen stimulated by the previous treatment. I hope this helps.
Sarah RN BSN 

Hi Kim, this is a great question. As for microneedling alone, you'll find it doesn't give you the tightening effect that you're most likely looking for. The best treatment for this is called Profound RF; it uses microneedling plus radio frequency at a very specific temperature. The result is your body's own production of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid, giving you a lasting tightened look to the skin.

Thank you for your question. Microneedling is a great treatment for collagen stimulation to help tighten skin and improve scarring.  I recommend Vivace because it includes radio frequency and LED to further enhance results. Another option to consider is Exilis, which includes radio frequency and ultrasound (the only one on the market). This  combination works together to help with skin tightening, unwanted fat and cellulite.  Surgery would be the option if you’re concern is to tighten very loose skin. All the best!

I love treating my patients with microneedling as it is a safe and effective way to stimulate collagen and elastin production
I think adding radiofrequency (Morpheus8) or PRP is a great way to have added benefit for a tighter lift 
I would recommend a face to face consult to discuss your concerns