Does Collagen Induction Therapy Really Work?

Textural and pigmented skin concerns are hard to deal with by yourself. Fine Lines, wrinkles, sun damage, stretch marks, and enlarged pores can make anyone feel self-conscious about their appearance. Fortunately, the skin experts at ICT Eye in Wichita, KS understand that a treatment like collagen induction therapy can reverse some of these visible skin concerns.

But what is collagen induction therapy? Also known as micro-needling, this treatment has quickly grown popular over the last several years as being one of the best minimally invasive aesthetic options to address a wide variety of skin concerns. This treatment is an ideal option for most people with mild-to-moderate concerns and can be used on the face, neck, upper chest, hands, and as a spot treatment on other parts of the body, such as the stomach.

Does Collagen Induction Therapy Really Work?

Micro-needling seems like a very simple treatment, so it’s understandable that many patients may be wondering whether or not this therapy works. Luckily, many clinical studies can attest to the efficacy of this aesthetic treatment. This treatment can help many people restart and refresh the appearance of their skin by inducing collagen and elastin production. With only a few treatments, it’s easy to reverse many of the visible signs of aging.

Elastin

One of the reasons why this treatment is so effective is because it can stimulate elastin production in the skin. Elastin is a special protein is that is related to the connective tissue in your skin. This protein gives your skin the ability to bounce back after stretching, like a rubber band. However, as you age, your skin will produce less elastin, which will make your skin laxer. Increased skin laxity is the leading cause of the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, and loose or sagging skin.

Collagen

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and is responsible for providing the skin with structural integrity. This protein helps your skin maintain moisture, firmness, and also aids in wound healing. Again, as your age, you will produce less collagen in the skin, which will then cause the volume of skin to deplete and will allow issues such as fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring to appear more visible.

The reason this treatment is called collagen induction therapy is that it induces the production of collagen. As a professional service, this treatment can greatly improve the appearance of the skin by significantly increasing collagen production deep within the subdermal layers.

What To Expect From Treatment

So, what can you expect from this treatment? You should expect this treatment will only take about 30 to 60 minutes to finish based on how many areas of the face and body you are treating. During this treatment, sterile needles will be used to penetrate the dermal layers to create controlled micro-injuries. These injuries will then stimulate the body’s natural healing response, which will include the production of collagen and elastin fibers.

Most people find this treatment very comfortable, particularly because topical numbing creams will be used to ensure your comfort for the duration of your treatment. Many of the treatment steps resemble a normal facial, and it’s not uncommon to combine this treatment with other aesthetic treatments, such as a hydrafacial, to produce the best results.

How Many Treatment Will You Need?

Most people will need at least two to four treatments to achieve their desired results. Stimulating collagen in the skin takes several weeks, so the more treatments you have, the better your results will be. Once collagen production starts with this treatment, it may take two to four weeks for collagen to mature and have a visible impact on the appearance of your skin.

Of course, the number of treatments you need will be determined by the severity of your skin condition and your aesthetic goals. People who have minor concerns may only need two or three treatments, while people who have moderate scarring or pronounced skin laxity may need four or more treatments.

What Should You Do Before Treatment?

Before your treatment, you should do your best to prepare your skin for your appointment. This means temporarily discontinuing blood-thinning medications and supplements at least three to five days before your treatment, as this will prevent bruising during your recovery. It’s also important to limit your exposure to the sun and to avoid chemical exfoliants that can irritate or dry out skin, including salicylic acid and retinol.

If you have an active skin condition like eczema before your treatment, you will need to reschedule your appointment. You may also need to reschedule your treatment if you have recently had a sunburn.

What Should You Do After Treatment?

After your treatment, you will need to take good care of your skin so you can get the best results possible. One important rule to follow is to avoid direct contact with the sun to reduce your risk of hyperpigmentation during the recovery process. Please wear SPF for two weeks when you plan to be outside.

You should also do your best to keep your skin moist after your treatment, including using products like aloe vera gel or simple moisturizers with ceramides. You should not exfoliate your skin or use chemical exfoliants, including retinoids for at least three to five days after your treatment. And you should be sure to drink plenty of water to help with skin heal.

How Soon Will You See Results?

For most people, it will take several weeks to see any results from this treatment. Most people will see results while they’re still having their treatments, which are spaced about one month apart. This means you may start to see an improvement in your skin appearance four to six weeks after your first appointment.

Your results will continue to improve as more collagen is produced within your skin. Your final results may be visible about three to six months after your last treatment.

How Can You Maintain Your Results?

Ideally, the best way to maintain your results is to have regular treatment appointments. The results of this treatment can last for about six months to one year at a time for most people. You can maintain your results with an annual appointment one to two times a year.

You may also be able to maintain your results with good skincare habits, such as protecting your skin from the sun to prevent premature aging from sun exposure and sun damage. Using high-quality anti-aging skin care products, particularly ones that contain collagen and hyaluronic acid, can also be beneficial to keeping the appearance of your skin firm.

Is Professional Treatment Better Than At-Home Treatment?

If you have heard of collagen induction therapy or microneedling, then you’ve probably heard about derma rollers. Derma rollers are the at-home version of micro-needling, but are they as effective as professional treatments? The simple answer is that no, at-home derma rolling is not as effective as at reversing the visible signs of aging as professional collagen induction therapy. If you want to improve skin laxity, fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring, then you will need to use a treatment like micro-needling performed by a professional.

The truth is that most people use at-home derma rollers incorrectly and that can cause more skin damage. It’s unlikely that at-home derma rollers will have deep enough needles to create any significant results. Incorrectly using at-home derma rollers can also cause skin infections if the rollers are not properly cleaned.

Is This Treatment Right for You?

This treatment is a great option for people who have mild to moderate skin concerns related to texture or pigmentation. This treatment can easily be used to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, dark spots and sun damage, acne scarring, and stretch marks. Because this treatment does not use any chemicals, there’s a very low risk of allergic reaction or other negative side effects.

The best way to determine if this treatment is right for you is to attend a consultation appointment with one of our skin experts. During this appointment, we will examine the condition of your skin and discuss your concerns, as well as go over previous treatments to have tried.

Rejuvenate Your Collagen Production

If you want to make a significant improvement in the appearance of your skin, then you may want to try collagen induction therapy. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your skin, but it depletes as you age and that has a visible effect on your skin appearance. One of the most effective ways to reverse visible aging is to drastically increase collagen production. Contact us at ICT Eye in Wichita, KS today to schedule your consultation.