What Does Needling Mean?
Needling is a procedure designed to improve skin texture. Tiny needle pricks stimulate collagen production in the skin. It can be used for skin with enlarged pores, wrinkles, stretch marks, or scars resulting from burns or acne. Under local anesthesia, a needle roller with needles up to 3 mm in length is rolled over the relevant area of skin. The treated area can cover up to 50% of the body’s surface.
Different needling techniques may be used depending on the indication.
- Cosmetic Needling (0.1–0.3 mm needles)
- Medical Needling (1–2 mm needles)
- Surgical Needling (3mm needles)
At the Cosmetic Needling No collagen induction occurs, as the needles used are too short. This treatment is designed to facilitate the transport of active ingredients through the skin. In combination with needling therapy, various cosmetics are used that have a very high concentration of vitamins A, C, and E.
At the Medical Needling slightly longer needle promotes mild new collagen formation. Small pinpoint hemorrhages may occur. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia. Mild redness resembling a sunburn may be visible after the treatment. A follow-up treatment can be performed after 1 week to 1 month.
At the Surgical Needling collagen induction occurs due to the 3-mm needle length. Bruising under the skin may occur. Due to the pain involved, this procedure should preferably be performed under general anesthesia. Depending on the size of the treated skin area, an inpatient stay may be necessary. The procedure can be repeated after approximately 3 months.
Information on the Surgical Procedure
Before surgery, the skin should be prepared for the procedure. To do this, specific ointments (e.g., AVST 1–5) should be applied twice daily starting one month before surgery; these improve wound healing and thus the outcome of the treatment.
Immediately after the procedure, the small blood crusts are removed with sterile water, and the wound area is treated with a vitamin lotion (e.g., AVST Gel). The skin is covered with moist cloths.
At the Medical Needling skin is only reddened, similar to a sunburn. As long as the skin feels tight, it should be treated twice daily with a cleansing lotion containing tea tree oil (e.g., ß-active) and vitamin-rich ointments.
At the Surgical Needling A significant amount of wound fluid is produced after the procedure, so the wound should be dressed with moist cloths. As early as one hour after the procedure, the wound fluid can be cleaned with the tea tree oil-containing cleansing lotion and then treated with vitamin-enriched creams. This procedure should be performed every 3 hours during the first 24 hours and then twice daily until the wound heals. The swelling subsides after about 4–7 days.
Hospital Stay / Anesthesia
Both the Cosmetische as well as the Medical Needling can be performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis. TheSurgical Needling depends on the size of the area to be treated. This determination should be made during a personal consultation.