Time takes a toll on our skin, but you don’t have to live with that toll.Skin Microneedlingis about tricking the body into returning to those youthful levels of production without causing any actual injury. and the vampire facial are great ways to rejuvenate your face. AtYour Skin RN in Kitchener, Ontario, we offer both these treatments to help you look like your youthful, bright self.
What Is the Difference BetweenMicroneedlingand the Vampire Facial?
The short answer to this question is that the Vampire Facial takes the power ofSkin Microneedlingis about tricking the body into returning to those youthful levels of production without causing any actual injury. to the next level.SkinMicroneedlingstimulates collagen production and facial rejuvenation. TheVampire Facialuses the power of your body’s own healing and growth factors to super-charge that rejuvenation.
Microneedling
This treatment, which is sometimes referred to as collagen induction, only takes about 45 minutes and involves minimal downtime.
About Treatment
When you arrive, we’ll first numb your skin with a topical numbing cream. It takes about 30 minutes for this to take effect, and this is actually the most time-consuming portion of your treatment! During your treatment, we use a small handheld device to deliver micro-injuries to the skin. We do this using the MD Pen.
Small needles make microscopic punctures in your skin, and we can adjust the needles so they work at the right depth for each area of the face, depending on skin thickness. We can also adjust for varying skin tones and textures.
Once we’re finished, we’ll apply a soothing and rejuvenating moisturizer featuring vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. Once treatment is over, you just need to pamper your skin for a few days by keeping it out of the sun and giving it plenty of moisturizer. Most people return to their regular activities in the following day or two.
How It Works
While the microscopic injuries are too small to injure you, they are just large enough to signal to your body to ramp up the production of collagen and elastin, as well as other healing factors, and rejuvenate your skin.
Most of our skin issues start toshow as our body naturally stops producing collagen at the levels it did when we were young. Since collagen serves as a foundation to keep skin strong, with elastin chipping in to keep our skin elastic and responsive, loweredcollagenlevels allow the skin to fall into wrinkles and start sagging.
As we get older, the only time our bodies produce collagen at youthful levels is when they sense an injury.Skin Microneedlingis about tricking the body into returning to those youthful levels of production without causing any actual injury.
About Results
It takes about five to seven days for you to start seeing a difference in your looks, and you’ll see far more about a month after treatment. It takes time to see the effects, and that’s simplybecause your body is naturally repairing everything at the cellular level. It needs time to do its work!
A few weeks in, you will start tosee brand new, strong, and youthful skin developing. This treatment is perfect for addressing:
- Acne scars
- Dark spots
- Sun damage
- Wrinkles
- Hyperpigmentation
- Enlarged pores
- Uneven skin texture
For most people, the best results come from three treatments spaced a couple of weeks apart. Once your skin is looking radiant and youthful, occasional maintenance treatments will keep it that way!
The Vampire (PRP) Facial
This facial ramps up the power ofSkin Microneedlingby applying platelet-rich plasma, which is extracted from your own blood. It only takes a moment or two longer than the collagen induction treatment on its own, but the results are far more significant.
About Treatment
When you come in, we’ll start with a blood draw. We don’t need much, and we’ll take that blood off to spin it in a centrifuge while your numbing cream takes effect. The purpose of the centrifuge is to separate the parts of the blood we don’t need, like the red blood cells, from the parts we do.
Your treatment will go just like any ordinary collagen induction treatment, but we’ll also be applying a layer of your own platelet-rich plasma to your skin. The plasma and platelets will have access to the deeper levels of your skin because of theSkin Microneedling, so they can get to work right away.
You’ll wash off the PRP whenever it’s right for you. It can happen as early as 20 minutes after your treatment or you can wait up to 24 hours if you want to get the best possibleeffect. It’s up to you and your schedule.
How It Works
Platelet-rich plasma has three to five times more growth factors and active, injury-healing proteins than your blood normally does. That’s because we’ve concentrated those factors with the centrifuge. Essentially, the PRP signals to your body to get to work rejuvenating your face faster than it otherwise would.
PRP does more than just signal for cellular growth, though. It also facilitates growth by acting as a messenger between cells and growth factors. Old, damaged or aged skin is replaced with healthy, refreshed skin as the PRP speeds the process along.
About Results
As with collagen induction, it does take some time for your body to accomplish all this work. But with PRP, the process is sped up. In just a few weeks, you’ll be amazed at your more youthful face. This is a great addition to collagen induction for anyone who wants to:
- Brighten skin tone
- Tighten sagging skin
- Reduce lines and wrinkles
- Improve mild volume loss
- Treat rosacea
FAQ About Treatment
What Are the Benefits?
Both of thesetreatments are very safe and involve no surgery or incisions. They’re also suitable for people of all skin types and textures. This is in contrast to some light and laser treatments, which may not be suitable for those with darker skin.
Another important benefit of both these treatments is that they use the power of your body’s own healing factors to do their work. This means you aren’t in danger of an allergic or rejection reaction to the treatment.
Can I Do This At Home?
There are at-home dermal rollers available that claim to mimic the effects of collagen induction with the MD Pen. But these treatments can never be as effective, comfortable, or safe as collagen induction by a professional, and certainly,they aren’t as effective as combining treatment with PRP.
Safety
Whenever you puncture the skin, even with the smallest of microneedles, infection is a possibility. With the MD Pen and our professional training, we’re able to ensure your safety throughout the process. The MD Pen is completelysterile, and we’ll ensure your skin is, too, before we start.
Effectiveness
A physician-grade device like the MD Pen in the hands of a trained professional is very effective. It can be adjusted to just the right depth to treat areas where the skin is thick, such as the cheeks, and areas where it’s thinner, such as on the forehead. At-home dermal rollers can’t be adjusted, so you can’t get the same effective treatment everywhere.
Pain
At home, you don’t have access to the numbing cream we use. And since the needles on at-home dermal rollers aren’t as fine as those on the MD Pen, you’re facing a painful treatment with nothing to relieve the discomfort!
PRP
Obviously, the greatest downside to at-home collagen induction is that you’re not able to extract and use platelet-rich plasma to make the treatment work more effectively and more quickly.
How Long Do Results Last?
You can expect to see rejuvenated skin and enjoy more collagen for about a year. After that, maintenance treatments will let you keep your new, youthful look. The first time you seek treatment, you may need about three treatments to get the results you’re looking for, but you’ll only need one treatment for maintenance.
Am I a Candidate for Treatment?
Nearly everyone who is concerned with the signs of aging on their face is a good candidate for these treatments. There are very few risks and no chance of an allergic reaction. It’s suitable for both men and women and can be performed on those who are suffering from premature wrinkles or high levels of sun damage, or on those who want to preemptively ramp up collagen production to avoid aging signsin the first place. It’s also perfect for people with any skin color, tone, or texture.
If you have a blood disease or a bleeding or clotting disorder, PRP is probably not right for you. However, there are other ways we can help you get the rejuvenated skin you’re looking for. Set up a consultation with us and we’ll help you find the right treatment for you.
Do I Need a Consultation?
A consultation allows us to fully understand your needs, goals, and concerns. It’s very important since it gives you a chance to ask questions and allows us to learn more about your medical history and skin concerns so we can find the right treatment or combination of treatments to get the results you’re hoping for.
I Have a Big Event: When Should I Schedule My Vampire Facial?
We all want to look our best for a big event, and if you have one coming up, we recommend scheduling treatment at least a month beforehand. For the first week after your treatment, your skin will be healing and rebuilding.
It will take a few weeks to see your first results, and your best results will start toshow about a month after treatment. If you need a series of three treatments, it’s a good idea to schedule your facials about six months before your big event.
Is Treatment Safe at Your Clinic?
Your Skin RN was founded by Denise Schaefer, RN. Denise started her career as a hospital RN in 1980 and has been working full-time in Medical Aesthetics since 1992. She now has 10 years of experience as a medically directed clinic practitioner and regularly attends workshops and educational events to keep on top of the latest techniques, products, and safety regimens.
Our clinic is overseen by Dr. Frank and employs other RNs and Nurse Practitioners. Your Skin RN is not a run-of-the-mill medspa with inexperienced aestheticians providing treatments they don’t fully understand. We’re a skilled clinic staffed by highly trained professionals dedicated to helping you achieve healthy skin and discover your inner beauty.
