We go through quite a lot to get our skin to produce better-acting
collagen, from topical products to lasers and every cream in-between.
But a new device called Dermapen may make collagen stimulation
easier than ever to achieve, says New York plastic surgeon, Sharon
Giese,
MD.
"Needling the skin is a very old technology that goes back to
ancient times," Dr. Giese says, in that inserting tiny needles into the
skin
will cause minuscule damage to it, in turn boosting collagen
production that can smooth away wrinkles or scars.
"What brings micro-needling into the 21st century is that with
this device, the depth of penetration of the needles is adjustable. With
a
twist of the knob, you can lightly prick the top of the skin to
help topical products seep in better... or go deeper with the needles to
stimulate collagen."
You may be familiar with dermal-rollers, which offer a similar
type of collagen reaction, but the needles on the rollers are five times
fatter and spaced 100 times further apart than those on
Dermapen, Dr. Giese says. "Roller pens are so crude compared to this
device, and
they look medieval," she explains. "The advancement is in the
finesse of [Dermapen]."
Fraxel lasers produce a similar type of micro-penetration,
however, the heat administered into the skin causes what Dr. Giese calls
"collateral damage" to healthy tissue that she doesn't see with
Dermapen.
Plus, because it's so small (it looks like a marker or
highlighter pen), Dr. Giese says getting into smaller contoured areas is
easier than
using a laser and definitely more efficient than a
dermal-roller. Plus, "It goes faster, so it's less painful," she says.
Depending on the type of treatment the patient gets, the
recovery from a Dermapen session can range from zero to four days. Dr.
Giese says
the lighter treatment will show results right away with more
radiant skin, while the deeper procedure will take three to six months
to
produce results. She anticipates those with acne scars, stretch
marks, smoker's lines and other wrinkles will see significant
improvement.
Since many specialists like Dr. Giese have been using Dermapen
for just a few weeks, we'll have to wait to see the final results. Stay
tuned
to New Beauty for the latest on this new technology.
