Dermapen Micro-Needling Vs Chemical Peels

Chemical Peels

When having a chemical peel, a chemical solution is applied in order to exfoliate the skin, removing the upper layers.  This offers a targeted solution for conditions such as acne, pigmentation disorders and textural concerns.  Dependant on the solution and parameters of the treatment, peeling can also stimulate a regeneration or natural healing response within the skin to target superficial ageing concerns and scarring.

Chemical peeling has been around for hundreds of years, in ancient practices naturally found peeling solutions were applied following manual abrasion or exfoliation, then came harsh formulas which weren’t easily controlled with some even requiring general anaesthetic before application. The later held high risks, even in recent decades peels such a as glycolic were offered so deeply that the down time and skin shedding lasted days if not weeks. Peeling this deep leaves the skin open to the risk of infection, post inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, post inflammatory hypo-pigmentation and even scar formation healing.  Luckily skin science has moved on and the need for severe deep peeling is more or less in the distant past, the formulas being used in regular modern peeling are much more advanced and controlled. There are some that require a few days of down time yes but often incredible results can be achieved by performing low level peels over a course of treatments with minimal or no down time at all.

The most commonly used peeling formulas contain AHA’s such as mandelic, lactic, glycolic and BHA’s such as salyiclic, at different concentrations. Peeling will leave the skin more sensitive to light, particularly UV so aggressive peels should be completely avoided during the summer months and correct sun care practices should be adhered to daily/365.

Micro-Needling

Micro-Needling is now a leading advanced skin treatment with the ability to work superficially treating acne, pigmentation and overall skin health or into the deeper layers of the skin in order to correct skin function, address more advanced ageing concerns and even soften severe or surgical scars. The practice was first pioneered globally by Dr Des Fernandes, leading cosmetic surgeon and founder of Environ Skin Care.

When professional micro-needling first entered the market it was solely performed using a roller of needles between 1-3mm in length dependent on the area of the face or body being treated. Professional rollers are not used for superficial treatment protocols they are used solely with the aim to stimulate new collagen & elastin production,  which is why Dr Des aptly named it Collagen Stimulation Therapy or CST. When using rollers the skin will be numbed to ensure treatment comfort, the roller is then cross hatched across the skin with the aim of getting a bleed on the skin. By getting a blood response clinicians can be sure that the correct layers of skin have been accessed and they then have the best chance of treatment success. Unfortunately this form of micro-needling does create more surface damage which can extend down time but not in any way that is detrimental to the skin.

In more recent years mechanical micro-needling pens have been launched and become extremely popular, with Dermapen being a world leader.  Dermapen micro-needling pen can be used at depths of 0.1mm all the way up to 3.5mm for surgical purposes. Due to the incredibly fine needles and high oscillation, treatments can be performed quickly, relatively painlessly and down time can be reduced due to reduced surface damage. The depths applied will be decided by the practitioner in order to efficiently treat the client’s main concerns.

Micro-needling can also be paired with and enhanced by the use of active serums as a form of advanced meso-therapy and chemical peels. A course of treatments is recommended with the amount and their frequency being dependent on the issues being treated.

It is important to note that professional or medical micro-needling is not the same as cosmetic micro-needling.  You can now buy micro-needling devices across the internet with varying needle depths, these are great for enhancing product penetration at depths of up to 0.2mm but it is not safe or wise to perform any type of micro-needling to yourself any deeper than this. Advanced micro-needling must be performed in and on a sterile environment to avoid infection and it’s important to understand the inner workings of the skin to treat safely and effectively. The type of product put on the skin after micro-needling, even at very superficial depths is also extremely important. Products that are not suitable and recommended for deeper penetration can create mild to severe reactions within the skin and even cause potential long lasting damage.