How to Get the Best Results from Micropenning

At SkinSpirit, we love micropenning and microneedling for their ability to reveal amazing-looking skin. Not only are these great treatments to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but they also have a positive effect on uneven skin tone and acne scars—improving the skin’s overall appearance to give you a fresher, younger look.

For those looking to elevate their skin care game beyond facials, but who are not quite ready for laser and light treatments, we find these treatments ideal. But, we also like to set realistic expectations to make sure clients new to penning get the best outcome for their skin. When it comes to micropenning and microneedling, Aesthetic Director Karen Fernandez has found that it works best on those who are already taking great care of their skin, and she’s got some advice to help you get the most from your treatment.

What Is Micropenning? What Is Microneedling?

Micropenning creates controlled micro injuries that stimulate the body’s natural healing process, resulting in improved texture, elasticity, and softened wrinkles. Many people love it because it’s a simple, topical process - no heat, no chemicals - that yields great results.

With multiple treatments (3-6 generally recommended), performed about a month apart, a very effective skin repair cycle will form - so that your skin will look its best and feels its healthiest. Micro-needling is a deeper form of micropenning, that helps to address deeper scarring in the skin. You’ll experience more dramatic results from micro-needling, but it also comes with a longer recovery time (more info on after-treatment care below).

Prepping Your Skin for Micropenning

The best candidate for micropenning has already acclimated their skin to really great products and has had a deep cleaning or resurfacing treatment recently. Your results are just going to be amplified with the use of targeted, medical grade skin care.

On the other hand, if your skin is congested and you’ve never had a facial, or haven’t in a very long time, we recommend starting there. You may not always get the best outcome and can even end up breaking out with skin that is not optimally prepared. Keep in mind as well that to treat deeper issues with micro-needling, such as pockmarks and divets, more preparation time is advised.

For the safest treatment results, you may need to use a pigment correcting product for 4-6 weeks before treatment to ensure optimal results. Though micropenning and microneedling are not FDA-approved for pigment correction, there can be some improvement when combined with proper home care. When you come in for your complimentary consultation, we’ll get you all the information you need on recommended pre-care and products or treatments for your skin.

What to Do After Your Treatment

The healing process can take between 1-3 days. During this time, you can expect to look and feel a little sunburnt. Some may also experience flaking for 1-2 days. This is perfectly normal - a result from water loss that occurs with penning. To help with flaking, our resident aesthetics guru, Karen, recommends the combination of Jan Marini Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme Mask and Skinceuticals’ Biocellulose Mask. In fact, the Skinceuticals Biocellulose Mask is great for anyone to alleviate that second-day dryness. A couple of days later, and you’ll be left with healthy, glowing skin!

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