I had dermal needling on my face and not sure if it was done properly?

Microneedling should be done properly and for the right reasons. A provider should not use this modality if there is an active acne breakout. There should be different settings used depending on how thin the skin is. To get best results a provider should use a touch-release approach on the skin, not drag to needles side to side. To promote collagen more affectively a tiny amount of bleeding should happen. Also using PRP (platelet rich plasma) topically can give best results. Look for a provider that follows this approach. Hope this helps. JB

This is difficult to answer without pictures. I recommend following up with your practitioner about any concerns you have about your treatment. It is normal to have swelling and/or redness after microneedling for a few days and this is due to inflammation and histamine release. If it doesn't resolve in a few days, please consult your Doctor.  I find adding PRP decreases redness and swelling more quickly and we like to do microneedling with lasers to get better outcomes.  Best, Dr. Emer

Hi, freefly.  As with most procedures, experience combined with nuance is important.  Most protocols for microneedling will suggest horizontal, vertical, and diagonal passes over the skin.  But there is also the issue of depth of penetration and speed of the microneedling device.  With experience, one learns these things.  For example, if I am treating pitted acne scars on a woman's cheeks, I am likely to be a bit more aggressive with my depth of needle penetration than I am on her forehead, which tends to have thinner skin than the cheek.  I am trying to cause an inflammatory response without causing permanent damage to the skin.  Again, it can be a nuanced procedure.  As for product, I have used hyaluronic acid, PRP, and (my favorite) AnteAGE MD Stem Cell Cytokines and Growth Factors.  The AnteAGE solution is made from products produced by REAL human stem cells.  It is also more cost effective than PRP.  The small holes in your face should remain open for several hours, leaving opportunity to continued application of proper product.  I tell those that I treat NOT to shower, or wash off, whatever serum/solution that I have placed on their faces.  I will gently clean the skin after procedure, then apply product in office.  I suppose that the moral of the story is that you want to be fully informed about the procedure before your provider ever touches your skin.  If that provider cannot answer all of your questions, I would advise you to look elsewhere.  

Hi freeflychick, My clinic performs another protocol for face microneedling. We spread it on the face before microneedling and also after. Some inject the serum but we do that only for baldness. When you say vertical and horizontal passes did they drag the pen along that direction - which shouldn't be the case. We normally leave the serum for a few hours.All the best, Justin Harper, M.D.