Skin needling (or Microneedling) works by gliding the device over the skin’s surface and using tiny needles to create small perforations or ‘micro-channels’ in the skin. These tiny wounds stimulate your body’s natural healing response and encourage your skin to make new, collagen-rich tissue. These micro-channels also allow the active ingredients in your skincare products to penetrate deeper into your skin, delivering even more powerful results.

The number of treatments required will depend on your individual requirements and this will be discussed during your initial consultation. Typically, we recommend a treatment course of 3-6 sessions, at monthly intervals.

- Avoid alcohol & caffeine 48 hours before - Avoid excessive sun exposure and burn 2 weeks before - No waxing on the area to be treated 1 week before - No cosmetic facial procedures 2 weeks before - Avoid blood thinning medications 1 week before - Avoid topical anti-biotics, retinol and exfoliants 3-5 days before - Avoid anti-inflammatory medication 3 days before

Following your treatment, you can expect some redness and slight swelling around the areas that have been treated. Your skin may feel warm to touch, like a mild sunburn sensation. This should last no longer than a day or two. Three to five days after your Skin Needling procedure you may notice that your skin becomes a little dry and flaky. This is a completely normal process due to the dead skin cells being stimulated upwards. Avoid picking the skin and apply moisturiser 2-3 times per day. Once this process is finished your skin will feel softer and look radiant, as though you have had a great exfoliation.

Skin Needling stimulates your body to produce natural collagen and elastin, which continues for up to 12 weeks after your treatment. Individual results vary, with some patients noticing a discernible difference within a few weeks and others needing several treatments. However, your results will continue to improve months after your initial treatment and will last until your skin goes through its natural aging process.

The Skin Needling procedure will leave your skin in a highly sensitive state, so we recommend that you avoid all skin care products that contain any kind of ‘active ingredients’ such as retinol, alpha hydroxyl acids and Vitamin C. You can incorporate these products back into your regime 3-5 days after your treatment, or as recommended by your experienced therapist.

Don’t apply any kind of makeup for at least 24 hours to 48 hours after the procedure as it’s important to allow your skin barrier to heal over. Using make up brushes can irritate the open skin, and if there’s any bacteria on the brushes you run the risk of developing a skin infection. A Skin Needling procedure will cause heat in the skin as a natural stage of healing. If you sweat or partake in any activities that make you hot, it will create further unwanted heat in the skin. It may also allow bacteria to penetrate the skin. This can lead to infection, extended redness or an adverse skin reaction. Prior to and immediately after Skin Needling procedures you should avoid the use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen, as they will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is needed for optimum skin rejuvenation. In place of active products a very mild cleanser and barrier cream is recommended to keep your skin clean and soothe any resultant dry skin and flakiness. We can advise on the best kinds of cleansers, moisturisers and healing products to use to avoid irritation. You may experience some skin irritation following skin needling, therefore we recommend the use of a cooling face mask to reduce inflammation and redness, and to make your skin feel more comfortable. At Contained Beauty we always recommend that you drink plenty of water both before and after the procedure. Keeping well hydrated will assist in faster healing and skin rejuvenation. While it’s important to give the sunscreen a miss for the first few days following the procedure, we do advise that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen once your skin has healed, to prevent unwanted pigmentation and sun damage.