Beware of the Risks of Microneedling

I wanted to add an update for people who are struggling with not healing from this procedure. There is a complication which can occur in some people - low grade infection (inhibiting the skin's ability to heal) or a condition called granulomatous dermatitis. This will also prevent your skin from healing. You need to go to a dermatologist's office and get a biopsy done to see whether it is the later but it is treatable with antibiotics.

Like many of you, I was lead to believe that microneedling was a safe treatment with minimal downtime and side effects. The main risks I read about included infection and in some cases "tram track" scarring (although this was very rare). I had a course of 4 microneedling treatments done with a device from reputable brand (Environ, invented by Des Fernandes who is meant to be a pioneer in the field of microneedling) in a reputable skin clinic. And honestly, it completely mucked up my skin and aged my skin significantly. It did not benefit my skin AT ALL. The barrier of my skin was totally damaged for months after the treatment, I had dehydration lines/fine lines all over my cheeks when I smiled (which weren't there before), my skin lost all its plumpness, all of its radiance and it looked constantly dull. Makeup made my skin look worse. In certain lights I had strange lines on my cheeks. The texture of my skin like an orange peel, huge pores and a weird sheen to it. I also had scratch marks and funny scar-like indentations. Existing minor scarring on my face worsened and became visible when it wasn't visible before. Because my skin couldn't retain any moisture, my skin started to sag a bit and my face looked a lot older. Of course my provider tried to say that there was no way the treatment could have damaged my skin because there is robust research behind it, but the before and after photos spoke for themselves.
Fortunately with a LOT of effort (I will explain what I did further down the page for those who are suffering from the same problem and who want some solutions) my skin is finally starting to go back to normal 4 months after the treatment. I was very lucky that I was not left with more significant scratching and scarring as is the case with some people on this site. I managed to heal most of the scarring although I can still see some of the damage and small indentations when I look up close at my skin in certain lights. I'm hoping in a couple of months time these would have improved.
The thing about microneedling is that there are a huge number of variables as to whether it will be successful or not. The idea is that your skin suffers micro-injuries which then heal (stimulating collagen and elastin production). But this relies on the micro-injuries being sufficiently small AND your skin having a healthy healing response. Is the provider skilled at what they are doing? Is the correct after-care being provided (after care is EXTREMELY important with this treatment)? Is dietary and lifestyle advice being given (yes your diet will affect your results). Is the device a device from a reputable company? And is your body/skin up to the task of repairing itself? Are you unwell? Do you have sensitive skin? If the treatment is overly aggressive and/or your skin and body is not up to the task of healing the micro injuries caused by the microneedling then serious damage can be caused to your skin.
I am a 31 year old woman with pretty decent skin which I have looked after all through my 20s. I have always worn sunscreen, stayed out of the sun, lived a healthy lifestyle and used good products. I have also tried a number of cosmetic treatments including fillers, IPL, LED light treatment and botox which have all gone pretty smoothly. However, my provider was quite aggressive with my treatment. I wasn't getting enough sleep around the time of the treatment. I was stressed. And I have sensitive skin. So my skin did NOT recover at all well from the treatment. The skin barrier was damaged for MONTHS which is what caused the fine lines, orange peel texture and loss of plumpness.
Do you have damage from microneedling? Chances are your skin barrier has been impaired by it. How you do you repair the skin barrier? You give your skin the best chance it can to recover by using gentle products with ceramides and barrier repairing ingredients (no peels or retinols at least until the skin starts to improve). BABY YOUR SKIN!!! No fragrances or irritating ingredients! No peels! No aggressive treatments. Be careful about using peels and vitamin A at first (your skin is already inflamed from the treatment, it doesn't need more inflammation). Rosehip oil and sea buckthorn fruit oil are a great help for barrier repair as well. Tamanu is excellent for scarring. I used Dermaviduals brand cleanser and moisturiser but any brand which is not irritating and barrier repairing will be beneficial (check ingredients in a cosmetic ingredient database before using). Use a heavy moisturiser at night. Drink lots and lots of water - 8 or more glasses per day minimum. Take supplements that improve digestive health, promote skin healing and help repair the skin barrier: Omega 3 (fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose), bone broth, hydrolysed collagen with Vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, zinc, glucosamine, turmeric, probiotics. Fresh squeezed lemon juice with hot water in the morning. Try rebounding and dry brushing the body to get the lymphatic fluid moving. This is very beneficial for the skin. And very important REDUCE STRESS - gratitude diary, meditation, yoga. Don't worry about the damage!! This will only delay healing. At least 8 hours of sleep every night. Antioxidant rich, fibre rich, low GI diet with lots of fruits and veggies and minimal refined sugar. Stay away from refined carbohydrates, fried foods and unheathy oils. And have PATIENCE. Don't stare at yourself in the mirror everyday and scrutinise it. After 3 months of babying my skin, I used Juice Beauty peel for sensitive skin twice per week. Finally 4 months in it's starting to look normal again.
If you have scarring there are options to fix it such as TCA cross and Bellafill but I would advise against doing anything dramatic until you have tried for at least 6 months to let the skin repair itself and supporting it as best you can and especially improving your gut health. Whitney Bowe has some good books about how to do this and the connection between skin and gut.
Better yet, just don't get microneedling in the first place. There are other options to stimulate collagen production in the skin which don't involve the risk of scarring and permanent damage, such as gentle peels and certain formulations of retinols. I advice against it.