Microneedling – Get rid of acne scars, hair loss and stretch marks with this treatment

6-8 sessions of 20 minutes each is all you need to say goodbye to these beauty problems.

Some of the most common beauty problems that Indians have these days are the appearance of acne scars (which are a constant reminder of the pesky acne phase you had), hair loss which is getting more common in young men and women these days and stretch marks the whitish-purplish lines on thighs, buttocks, arms, etc. that constantly make us feel conscious about our appearance. In order to get rid of these, there is a treatment called miscroneedling. We ask Dr Jaishree Sharad, a celebrity cosmetic dermatologist to tell us more about it in detail.

What is microneedling?

Microneedling is a treatment done with an instrument called dermaroller. A dermaroller is a plastic hand-held device with a drum shaped head which has 192-540 needles all around it. These needles are 0.5-3 mm long. Also read how to get rid of crow's feet.

The patient s skin is cleansed and a numbing cream applied for about an hour. The skin is cleaned with sterile aseptic solution. The roller is then rolled on the skin till small dots of bleeding appear. The skin is cleaned again and a vitamin C serum or hyaluronic acid is applied on it.

The patient is advised to go home with strict sun protection. The dermatologist decides on the type of roller i.e. number of needles and needle length depending on the condition and area to be treated. For example 0.5 mm needle length is used for under-eye area because the skin here is very thin. On the other hand, 2 mm needles are used for the treatment of acne scars.

What are the benefits of microneedling?

It is an office procedure the treatment takes about 20 minutes once the anesthetic cream is wiped off. It does not require any hospitalisation or surgery and the recovery time is also very quick (mere 3-4 days).

Microneedling is also an inexpensive procedure as compared to laser treatments for the same beauty problems. And it is also safe for people with dark skin where some laser treatments are ineffective.

Who is best-suited to undergo the treatment?

Microneedling shows great results for people who have problems such as:

• Acne scars
• Traumatic scars
• Stretch marks
• Skin ageing
• Platelet-rich plasma or mesotherapy for hair growth is also done with microneedling.

How long does it take to see results?

At least 6- 8 sessions are required with a gap of one month between every session to see the final results. So the entire treatment takes about 6-8 months.

Does it have any side-effects?

There are a few temporary side-effects. These include:

• Redness and swelling for 2-3 days after the treatment.
• Temporary darkening of skin if adequate sun protection is not taken after the treatment. It is best to avoid direct sunlight for 2 days.

What is the cost of microneedling treatment?

The cost varies on the number of sessions involved and the kind of rollers the patient opts for. Original German rollers cost Rs 6000 8000 per roller; while Korean and Chinese rollers cost around Rs 1500-3000.

Dr Jaishree Sharad is the pioneer of Dermaroller in India. She first introduced it in India in Dec 2006. She has trained various dermatologists in India and abroad including London on microneedling with dermaroller.

Image source: Getty Images

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