Let’s Talk Microneedling for the Body
Here at Vancouver Wellness Studio we are passionate about Holistic Wellness. Patient concerns and health conditions are addressed and treated by different types of providers working together. This provides the highest potential for successful outcomes for each patient. This whole-person approach to health includes the expertise of various modalities such as naturopathic care, acupuncture, massage therapy and mental health counseling. Among the modalities included in holistic care is aesthetics.
Although some might believe that investing in aesthetics is superficial and unrelated to healthcare, the reality is that it takes healthcare to a deeper level. I’m Sabrina, the Master Aesthetician at the Waterfront Spa location. I have been studying and practicing aesthetics for many years, honing my knowledge and striving to provide the best care for my patients. I am particularly passionate about helping address patient insecurities related to their appearance. I have experience with many different techniques across multiple different platforms and modalities, but there is one that I find the most helpful for all of my patients: Collagen Induction Therapy.
Collagen Induction Therapy, more commonly known as microneedling, is a technique used to restore and regenerate the skin by working with our body’s own natural healing process. Microneedling is the act of applying concise, controlled, micro-channel “wounds” to the epidermis, or the outermost layer of the skin. The fact is that our bodies are incredibly efficient at healing. This technique is applied in the practice of aesthetics to boost and increase these inherent healing functions within the skin to ensure faster, stronger and even more efficient results.
Our bodies will always make the purest forms of collagen, elastin and platelet rich plasma. Using these natural, rich, and pure bodily substances to the advantage of each patient is where the most dramatic changes and best results are seen across the board in aesthetics. In fact, some of the best manufactured products available are merely mimicking the natural properties of our bodies (similar to how baby formula is manufactured to replace breast milk). But how does that relate to microneedling? The goal is to activate your body’s healing phase. The “healing phase” is when our body recognizes trauma or injury, sends signals to the brain in order for the “wound” to heal and then our body begins to do what it does best: heal itself. This treatment can multiply the level of collagen and elastin in the skin, help increase blood flow to the area and even begin to heal any scar tissue that has been formed. But what happens when there has been trauma in areas to our body where they can no longer heal itself? Is it damaged beyond repair? How can we continue to heal?
Microneedling is a tool that has been utilized for many years, its origin comes from East Asian Medicine and is used in both Aesthetics and Acupuncture. The primary benefit of microneedling is the ability to stimulate the patient’s own collagen production. Collagen is a protein responsible for maintaining the skin's firmness and elasticity. By encouraging the growth of new collagen fibers, microneedling helps to strengthen and rejuvenate the skin, leading to a smoother and more even appearance. This treatment is most commonly used to tighten laxity of the skin, treat enlarged pores, and increase the smoothness and texture of the face, neck and chest.
I have been witness to the vast improvement that microneedling has on the skin and want to grow and explore my technique from a holistic, medical perspective. If microneedling provides such profound healing properties to the skin, it seems logical to take full advantage of this technique and apply it to skin that has suffered physical trauma. What is trauma to the skin and how does it display itself? Trauma to the skin is when there has been abrupt and or forceful change to the epidermal layer to the skin. This can be both intrinsic and extrinsic. Examples of intrinsic trauma to the skin include acne scarring and stretch marks. Examples of extrinsic trauma to the skin include injury scars, surgical scars, and or self infliction scars. In both intrinsic and extrinsic, scar tissue can be formed in the epidermal layer of the skin. Sometimes scarring can be so severe the scar tissue passes through the epidermal layer and gets carried through the dermis, or the second layer of the skin.
Let's explore one of the most common forms of intrinsic trauma to the skin: stretch marks. Stretch marks occur when the skin is subjected to rapid stretching or contraction, causing the collagen and elastin fibers in the middle layer of skin (dermis) to rupture. This leads to the formation of sometimes discolored, textured lines on the surface of the skin. Stretch marks are most commonly formed during pregnancy, puberty, growth spurts or rapid weight gain. They can occur in all different geographical locations on the body, but most often form in the abdomen, upper and inner thighs, inner arms, and breasts. While I could personally make a strong case that stretch marks are natural and beautiful on our bodies, I understand that it is subjective and not the most popular opinion.
Stretch marks can sometimes be a reminder of a time of difficult transition in one's life. They sometimes tend to cause insecurity and distress in many of my patients. But there is hope. With the use of microneedling, I have provided help to many wonderful, beautiful people by camouflaging these visual memories. Stretch marks often have a textural difference compared to the surrounding skin. Microneedling helps to break down scar tissue and encourage the growth of new, healthy tissue. This can lead to an improved texture and a reduction in the noticeable depth of stretch marks
Unlike more aggressive treatments for scarring such as surgical or ablative procedures, microneedling has a relatively short recovery period, which makes it a very easy way for patients to start their skin’s healing journey. I use the word journey purposefully as I inform my patients that microneedling is a marathon; not a sprint. It can take several sessions and we cannot expect absolute perfection. I can never undo all of the trauma that has been done, but I can definitely improve the quality, texture, appearance of the skin and hopefully decrease the emotional insecurity that comes with it. Our skin is the largest organ in our body! We need to consider our skin when we think about our overall health and our approach to personal healthcare. When we seek holistic wellness, our skin deserves to be included in our care.
