My Experience w/ Microneedling & Why I’m Obsessed

I just recently started getting microneedling done and I’M OBSESSED!! The main reason I’m doing microneedling is to improve acne scars and fine lines that I’m getting from aging. After just one 1.0mm microneedle treatment, I’ve seen amazing results!! I know my skin better than anyone and I also take close up photos almost every single day so I see every change that is happening with each passing day. Not always the best part of my job. But with just ONE treatment, my skin looks more plump, the lines around my mouth have diminished some, and my acne scars have improved. And that’s just from ONE treatment. I’m so damn pumped about it! I go to Marcy Tarango at Cherry Hills Facial Aesthetics (720-459-7960) for my botox, cyro t-shock (more details about that coming in the future), and now microneedling. She is amazing and you will be in awe of her absolutely stunning skin!

I asked what kind of questions you guys had on instagram stories so hopefully I answer all of them below! If I didn’t, feel free to leave a question here and I’ll answer it right away!

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How do you know if you’re a candidate for microneedling?

You talk to a professional! I am NOT a professional. I am just a person who now loves microneedling and all I can share is my own personal experience. Find an esthetician, find a dermatologist, or find another skincare professional who can see if microneedling is right for you!

What is microneedling and what is the purpose?

Maybe you’ve heard of at-home miconeedling that you can do with your own microneedle, but professional microneedling is on another level (from my experience). In a professional setting, microneedling involves the use of a needling device to create micro-injures in the skin which triggers the repair response. The  puncture of the needle creates a microscopic channel which makes the body begin to produce collagen and elastin to repair the “damage”. This results in better skin texture, firmness, reduction in scars, fine lines, and pore size, it diminishes the look of discoloration, and even helps with stretch marks!

How much does it cost?

At my esthetician’s office, it costs $250 per session for the entire face. The price will range depending on where you live and the esthetician you work with, along with the amount of surface area you are covering with your treatment.

How many treatments do you need?

It totally depends on the person and the results you are looking for, but they recommend 4-6 treatments about 4 weeks apart.

Do you have to continue doing these treatments long term?

You can’t just do one treatment and expect results. Think of it like this – you wouldn’t go into the gym and do one workout and expect to put on 20 pounds of muscle or lose 20 pounds. You wouldn’t even expect that after 6 times in the gym. Skincare is the same way. You’ll see some great results from 4-6 treatments, but we are always getting older, which means the skin is always getting older. Consistently keeping up with your skincare routine will help you see results long term. Consistency is always key.

What is the pain like?

It totally depends on the needle you use. I’ve done one treatment with the .5mm microneedle and could barely feel anything. But my second treatment with the 1.0mm microneedle was definitely more annoying. You’ll numb up before which helps, but it does tend to get a little painful towards the end as the numbing wears off. On a pain scale of 1-10, I would rate it a 5. I still think profractional is much more painful.

How long does it take to heal?

The recovery process for microneedling is pretty damn easy. Your face will be red the first day then for the next week or so, you’ll have tiny little dots on your face. But you can wear makeup by day 3 and it covers most of the tiny dots. I promise you, you’ll notice it more than other people. It took about 10 days for my skin to completely heal and show true results. But this is definitely a treatment you can do on a Friday and be good to go for work by Monday with a little makeup!

Can you do it while pregnant?

It’s not recommended. You pretty much can’t do anything when you’re pregnant.

Can you do it with active breakouts?

No. They can work around one or two breakouts, but if you have active cystic acne, it’s not recommended.

What are the perks if you don’t have acne scars?

Aging gracefully!! Even if you don’t have acne scars, you’re always aging which means your skin is constantly aging, too. Microneedling will help improve your skin’s texture, fine lines, and discoloration!

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Now I wanted to walk you through what the process visually looks like. Below is during the treatment. After you numb for a bit, she will wipe the numbing cream off, then use the microneedle on you, wipe away the remaining blood, add a stem cell product or other product, then move to another area. This blood wipes away and doesn’t continue bleeding since the holes created from the needle are microscopic.

Below is a 7 day breakdown of what the skin looks like –

• Day 1 – after the treatment, you skin is red with some dots.
• Day 2 – the redness has mostly gone away and now you just have tiny little dots throughout your skin.
• Day 5 – the redness is gone but the dots are slightly darker as they heal, but you can easily wear makeup at this point to cover it up.
• Day 7 – a week out, the skin is beginning to fully heal with only a little discoloration throughout.

I also wanted to show you what the skin looks like with some makeup on. This photo below is from day 3 and I only have some tinted moisturizer and bronzer on. The tinted moisturizer covers most of it up with only some discoloration and dots showing through.

These comparison photos below are 10 days apart. I took the first photo right before my microneedling appointment then the second photo is 10 days after. For me, I can see a huge difference since it’s my own skin. The acne pockmarks on the cheek have improved and the fine lines around the mouth are looking more plump and less defined. And that’s just after ONE appointment. I cannot wait to see what my skin looks like after 6 treatments!

UPDATE – Below is a photo taken 10 days after my second microneedling treatment. The scarring on my cheeks has improved a TON and the parentheses lines have become more softened and less defined.

UPDATE – Below is a photo taken 10 days after my third microneedling treatment. My skin is looking a little different when it comes to color since I have melasma and it was triggered by being in two hot countries back-to-back. I even wore a hat every time I was outside, but melasma is triggered by hormones AND increase of internal body temperature so it’s tough to get away from. But if you can look past the color change, you’ll see a huge improvement in my fine lines and scarring on the cheeks. I’ve been so incredibly happy with the changes in my skin’s texture and how much the deep smile lines (parentheses lines) have diminished with each treatment. I’m SO happy with the results.

UPDATE – Below is a photo taken 10 days after my fourth microneedling treatment. I could not be happier with the results from microneedling! I continue to be surprised each month with the progress I see! The lines around my mouth continue to improve and the scarring on my cheeks is barely visible at this point. This will definitely be a treatment I will be doing on a regular basis!

To conclude – I LOVE MICRONEEDLING! The results after just one treatment have me hooked and I cannot wait for my next one. I’m planning to do 6 treatments 4 weeks apart, then I’ll decide with Marcy how often I should continue getting them. After 6 treatments, I’ll also add more photos to this post with an update on my skin! If you’re in Denver, I can’t recommend Marcy Tarango at Cherry Hills Facial Aesthetics (720-459-7960) enough! She is a miracle worker! Again, if you have ANY questions, I’m happy to answer them below! I hope this post helps and gives you a little insight into what this skincare treatment is like! I seriously can’t recommend it enough and can’t wait for my next appointment next week!