SkinPen Precision Wirral

Clinical advances in micro-needling mean that automated devices offer much-improved results and a more comfortable experience compared to roller-type devices first used for micro-needling treatment.

SkinPen Precision is the world’s leading skin remodelling, micro-needling medical device. As the special head containing the needle cartridge moves across the skin, it creates temporary microscopic channels to a pre-determined depth (up to 2.5mm) depending on the aim of treatment (scarring often requires a deeper penetration, for example). The action of causing this micro-trauma tricks the body and kick starts a natural wound healing response, with collagen and elastin production being increased in the area to regenerate and rejuvenate tissue. Over time, this healing will become visible as fresher, healthier-looking skin, reducing lines, scarring and other imperfections. SkinPen Precision can be used on the face and body, including the neck, chest, and scalp, and is suitable for all skin types.

To further enhance micro-needling treatment and collagen induction therapy, we can use Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy to add stimulating growth factors found in the plasma of your own blood, which is harvested in the same way as a blood sample at your GP practice. This is like adding fertiliser to the ground after breaking up the soil to increase the health of your garden; only this is for your skin health!

SkinPen Precision is a great treatment for skin regeneration either on its own or in combination with other treatments available at BU Aesthetics™, including Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP Therapy. PRP uses plasma extracted from a small sample of your own blood, which is rich in growth factors to further stimulate the natural healing responses to the SkinPen treatment.

SkinPen Precision can be used to improve and reduce,

• Fine lines, wrinkles, and signs of skin ageing
• Enlarged pores
• Acne scars, including ice pick, boxcar and rolling scar types
• Chicken pox scars
• Stretch marks or striae
• Surgical scars and traumatic scarring caused by injury, including hypertrophic, keloid, and contracture scar types
• Dyschromia or pigmentation concerns including mottled areas of hyperpigmentation, which result in brown spots, and sun or age spots (solar lentigines) caused by UV damage from sun or tanning bed exposure, melasma, or hypopigmentation with pale areas of skin such as vitiligo.

Combined with PRP, SkinPen Precision is offered as a Vampire Facial for anti-ageing and the improvement of acne scarring or as a scalp treatment for hair restoration. Vampire Facial can also include the application of hyaluronic acid for increased skin hydration.

Clinical studies have shown that combined treatment with micro-needling and PRP is more effective than micro-needling without PRP for those patients with acne scars* or those who suffer from male pattern baldness (Androgenetic Alopecia)$.

* Kang C, Lu D. Combined Effect of Microneedling and Platelet-Rich Plasma for the Treatment of Acne Scars: A Meta-Analysis. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Feb 14;8:788754. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.788754. PMID: 35237616; PMCID: PMC8882957.

$ Muhammad A, Iftikhar N, Mashhood A, Saleem Z, Sundus M, Khalid AA, Khan S, Naveed S, Shahid W, Ajmal U, Akbar A. Comparison of Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) With PRP Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia. Cureus. 2022 Oct 18;14(10):e30418. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30418. PMID: 36407242; PMCID: PMC9670661.

Your skin will be cleansed, and a numbing cream will be applied before treatment. The SkinPen device is moved slowly across the surface of your skin, and the needles within the tip penetrate rapidly in and out to a maximum of 2.5mm deep, which you will feel as a vibration.

If you are having a combination treatment with Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, a blood sample will also be taken before treatment starts with the SkinPen device. This is the same process as you may have experienced giving a blood sample at your GP or in hospital, whereby a needle is used to draw a vial of blood from the vein in your arm. This blood sample is then placed in a special centrifuge device, which spins it at high speed to separate it into its constituent parts. We will use the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from the blood, which is gold in colour and often called ‘liquid gold’. The PRP contains platelets, growth factors, stem cells and proteins that make a rich soup of your own cells used for enhanced healing. The plasma can then be placed on the surface of the skin and drawn into the tissue as the SkinPen creates the microchannels within the layers, drawing the PRP into the area where wound healing will be stimulated.

PRP TherapyAlthough some people get great results from a single micro-needling treatment with SkinPen Precision, ahead of a special event, for example, we recommend a course of four to six treatments spaced four weeks apart for optimal skin rejuvenation or a reduction in scarring.

Each treatment will take approximately 30 minutes or up to an hour, depending on the size of the area being treated, and will certainly take longer if combined with PRP Therapy.

To determine your suitability for treatment you will have a thorough 30-minute consultation with Independent Nurse Prescriber Caroline. She will take a full medical history to determine if you have any underlying medical conditions or known allergies or are taking any medication that could make you unsuitable or contraindicated for treatment.

Micro-needling is suitable for men and women of all skin types, so if you are generally in good health, you should be able to have treatment.

If you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding or are under 18 years old, you cannot have treatment. Similarly, if you have damaged or broken skin in the area to be treated or an active bacterial, fungal, or viral infection, this must be resolved before treatment.

It is important that you discuss what you hope to achieve from treatment with SkinPen Precision so we can evaluate if it is the right treatment for your concerns. You may be recommended an alternative treatment or additional adjunctive, including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy, depending on the type and severity of your skin concern.

All aspects of treatment, including any risks, will be fully explained during your consultation, allowing you to book your treatment appointment or have some time to go away and think about it. Few treatments are performed on the same day as your consultation appointment.

Everyone’s sensitivity to pain is different, and each micro-needling treatment varies according to the depth of penetration of the needles and the area being treated. Some areas are more sensitive than others. It is vital that you are comfortable during treatment, therefore, we will apply a topical local anaesthetic or numbing cream to the area 30 minutes before we start to ensure you have a pain-free treatment.

The cartridge at the tip of the device contains very thin needles which move in and out of the skin during treatment. You should only feel a sensation of vibration as this happens due to the speed of the needles, and they only penetrate between 0.25mm and 2.5mm deep into the layers of the skin.

SkinPen Precision is regulated in the UK and Europe with a CE Mark for a Class II medical device. This certification means that it is intended to treat facial acne scars in adults aged 22 years or older, to help improve the cosmetic appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, stretch marks, surgical scars, enlarged pores and pigmentation conditions (dyschromia). It was also the first micro-needling device to be FDA-cleared in the USA.

It is suitable and safe to use on all skin types, including light and dark skin colours, all year round. It can be safely used on the face and body, including the scalp, neck and décolletage or chest area.

The device is fitted with a single-use needle cartridge head to ensure safety and sterility as a new head is used per patient. The handpiece the practitioner holds during treatment is also fitted with a special plastic cover that is changed after every treatment. These safety measures avoid any potential for cross-contamination.

Downtime is minimal from micro-needling treatment; you can return to your normal activities immediately afterwards. However, you should expect to appear a little red/pink for a day or two, depending on the depth of treatment, as if you have a mild sunburn. If you have a deeper treatment to target scarring, for example, you may experience small, pinprick-sized spots of bleeding immediately after treatment, which form very small scabs that naturally slough off after a day or so. This is completely normal.

During the first 24 hours after treatment, the micro-channels will remain open, and you will be advised to only cleanse with water. It is important not to rub, scratch, exfoliate, or pick your skin or apply any non-recommended skincare products during the first week after treatment to avoid causing infection, inflammation, or damage, including new scarring or pigmentation changes. We also advise you not to wear make-up for 48 hours and avoid exposure to the sun for 48-72 hours, using approved sunscreen as directed.

You may also experience slight swelling of the skin as a natural reaction to the mild trauma; this will resolve quickly. Most people find that their skin returns to normal within 24 hours. Full aftercare advice will be given.

Results from SkinPen Precision are not immediate because they rely on stimulating the skin to naturally repair itself. You will notice continued improvements 2-3 weeks after each treatment session spread over a 3-month course, with the full result visible 4 weeks after your final session. Your body is stimulated to continue producing new collagen and elastin to improve skin quality and health over approximately 3-6 months.

Significant scarring or sun damage may require more than one course of treatment to correct. Similarly, you may be suitable for micro-needling combined with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy to further enhance the improvements achieved with the micro-needling treatment.

Micro-needling aims to induce a wound-healing response and stimulate new collagen and elastin production in the skin, creating a natural rejuvenation which can be long-lasting. It triggers your body’s reparative actions, the extent of which varies by individual, bearing in mind that skin ageing continues and can be affected by age, lifestyle, diet, smoking, sun exposure etc. We will create a treatment programme to optimise the results for you, your skin type and concerns.

If SkinPen treatment is being used to address scarring, it can be very long-lasting at repairing the skin damage.

Results for anti-ageing treatments and skin rejuvenation are expected to last up to 6 months after a course of treatment. We recommend repeat, maintenance or top-up treatments every 3 months to continue the turnover of new collagen to prolong results and keep ageing at bay.