SkinPen by Crown Aesthetics is the first FDA-cleared microneedling device on the market and is clinically proven to improve the appearance of wrinkles of the neck and acne scars in patients ages 22 and older. In as few as three minimally invasive treatments spaced 30 days apart, you can improve your appearance and step out with confidence.
It creates thousands of microchannels that stimulate your body’s natural wound healing process while minimizing cellular damage. This rejuvenates your skin from the inside out. The result is effective remodelling of scar tissue while keeping the overall structure of the skin intact.
There are three phases to the wound repair process:
- Phase I: Inflammation. Piercing the skin triggers your immune system to cleanse the wound, remove debris, increase blood flow and begin to create new tissue.
- Phase II: Proliferation. The wound is re-built with new granulation cells, which are part of the extracellular matrix. Additionally, a new network of blood vessels develops.
- Phase III: Remodeling. The wound is replaced with new dermal tissues and blood vessels.
Best of all, SkinPen works. Ninety per cent of subjects in the clinical trial would recommend the procedure to family and friends.
Collagen and elastin are the essential protein fibres in the skin that give it support and elasticity. As we age, those fibres break down leading to fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin and larger pores.
Regenerating collagen and elastin can also help in giving you a more youthful appearance. Collagen plays a key role in scars, such as those formed from acne. Improper signals in pigmentation lead to dyschromia such as melasma, vitiligo and sun or age spots (solar lentigines). Skin remodelling can have an important role in improving these conditions’ appearance.
SkinPen procedures are performed in a minimally-invasive and precise manner, with the use of the sterile needle head. This houses 14 stainless steel, surgical-grade needles with a reciprocating motor to allow the creation of 98,000 microchannels in the skin per minute.
The skin is usually numbed with a topical anaesthetic cream and a gliding gel placed on the skin to enable the SkinPen to move smoothly over the area treated.
The microchannels in the skin induce the natural healing response allowing for deposition of new collagen and elastin, improved functioning of pigment-producing cells and remodelling of scar tissue.
Numbing for 20-30 minutes
Treatment takes 20-30 minutes
Minimal downtime, mild redness for 24-48 hours, mild skin flaking
Best results are seen 3 months after third treatment
Course of 3-6 treatments, every four weeks recommended
Topical anaesthesia required
Complications are rare
What can we treat
FINE LINES AND WRINKLES
AGE OR SUN SPOTS
VITILIGO
MELASMA
ACNE SCARRING
SURGICAL SCARRING
STRETCH MARKS
ENLARGED PORES
TREATMENT PRICES
Acne scars or surgical scars (from 8 weeks post surgery)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Am I suitable for SkinPen microneedling?
The SkinPen Precision system should not be used on patients who:
- Have active skin cancer
- Have open wounds, sores or irritated skin in the treatment area(s)
- Have an allergy to stainless steel or anaesthetics
- Have a bleeding or clotting disorder
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Are taking medications with the ingredient isotretinoin e,g. Roaccutane
- Have a systemic bacterial, viral or fungal infection
Safety and effectiveness for settings greater than 1.5mm have not been evaluated.
Universal precautions are necessary during SkinPen treatment.
SkinPen should not be used within the orbital rim of the eye, such as the eyelids.
The SkinPen precision system has not been evaluated for use in the following populations:
- Actinic (solar) keratosis
- Active acne
- Collagen vascular diseases or cardiac abnormalities
- Diabetes
- Eczema, psoriasis and other chronic conditions in the treatment area or in other areas of the body
- Immunosuppressive therapy
- History of contact dermatitis
- Raised moles in the treatment area
- Rosacea
- Keloid scars (a scar that grows outside of the boundaries of an original scar)
- Patients on anticoagulants
- Scleroderma
- Wound-healing deficiencies.
Patients on anticoagulant medication or any other medication known to increase coagulation time must be made aware of the potential increased risk for bleeding and haematoma following treatment.
We will also discuss the suitability of treatment, having considered your medical history and any medications you currently take, as appropriate. As such, it is imperative that you disclose such medications at the time of your treatment.
It is important, to be honest about your medical history, previous procedures, skincare products used and any medication is taken so that you can have a safe and effective treatment.
How is this treatment different from my dermaroller at home?
Dermarollers are popular because they can be done at home and it is easy.
However, we would strongly advise against this home treatment.
Our in-clinic microneedling treatment has a single-use cartridge with sterile needles to ensure we are not introducing infection to your skin with each treatment. It also means the needles stay sharp in order to create the least amount of trauma to the skin.
Home derma roller devices are often not correctly sterilised and will dull over time, resulting in a huge infection risk and more tearing and trauma to the skin.
Home dermarollers also rely a lot on how they are used. It is easy to apply a lot of pressure when using one, which can again lead to more trauma than necessary.
The SkinPen microneedling device requires no pressure at all, as it uses a reciprocating motor to do all the work.
Home devices have a limit on the depth of needle penetration, so you are less likely to see actual results with a shallower needle depth.
We can use the SkinPen to treat to 1.5mm on the face and 2.5mm on certain areas of the body. This has been clinically proven to produce superior results with less risk or complications.
It is by far the safer and more effective option to have your microneedling treatments done in the clinic.
When will I see the results?
Best results are seen with a course of at least 3-6 treatments spaced by 4-6 weeks. It is often recommended that treatments span the autumn and winter months as the UV radiation from the sun is much weaker, and your skin will be more sensitive to the sun after the treatment.
After an initial course of treatments, you can follow a maintenance protocol where you have a treatment once or twice a year to keep your collagen topped up!
I'm so nervous about the downtime, when will my skin feel normal?
This is a very common question before the first treatment!
The truth is we don’t know how your skin will react until we do the treatment. But of all the patients I have treated, no one has suffered from side effects that lasted more than 3 days, which were redness and a dry sensation on the skin.
During the treatment, I can be responsive to your skin changes and adjust the treatment accordingly.
What areas can you treat with SkinPen?
We can treat the following skin concerns with microneedling:
- fine lines and wrinkles
- melasma
- vitiligo
- sun or age spots (solar lentigines)
- enlarged pores
- surgical scars
- acne scars
- stretch marks
SkinPen microneedling can be performed on any part of the body where you have concerns. For larger or multiple areas, prices may be higher.
How do I prepare for SkinPen microneedling treatment?
2 weeks before your treatment:
- Avoid IPL or laser procedures, unprotected sun exposure and sunburn for 2 weeks before your treatment.
1 week before your treatment:
- Stop taking any supplements that may increase the risk of bleeding or bruising such as fish oils, St John’s wort, vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, 1 week before your treatment.
- No waxing, depilatory creams or electrolysis to the area being treated
3 days before your treatment:
- If safe to do so, and with the advice of your doctor, stop taking ibuprofen or aspirin 3 days before your treatment as this can also increase the risk fo bruising.
- Stop using topical agents which may increase the sensitivity of skin: retinoids, topical antibiotics, exfoliants, acids that may be drying or irritating to the skin (such as alpha hydroxyl acid (AHA) beta hydroxyl acids (BHA), exfoliating masks, salicylic acids, hydroquinone, and benzoyl peroxide acne products)
2 days before your treatment:
- If you are prone to cold sores, then you may have been given some anti-viral medication. Please take this starting from 2 days before your treatment. Continue to take it on the day of your treatment and for up to 5 days afterwards.
- If you need to shave the area to be treated, please do so 2 days before your treatment.
When can I wear make up again?
After the microneedling treatment, we ask you only to use the products we give you for the first 48 hours.
The aim is to prevent infection and dryness and allow the microchannels to close before applying any other products to the skin.
After 24 hours, you can safely wear make-up and sunscreen without worrying that microparticles are travelling down the microchannels deeper into the skin then they were intended.
Are there any side effects or long term effects?
Generally, side-effects are uncommon from microneedling and if they do occur, they are often mild and usually resolve within a few days after treatment.
SkinPen Precision’s patent and single-use sterile needle cartridge is built with safety in mind. The ultrasonically sealed SkinPen is also surrounded by a proprietary BioSheath that acts as a barrier to prevent cross-contamination between procedures only SkinPen Precision is validated in over 90 clinical studies.
Does the treatment hurt?
Some people may tolerate the procedure without any anaesthesia, however, we recommend that you have some local anaesthetic cream applied to your skin before your treatment.
After the numbing cream has been left on for 20 minutes, your skin will be cleansed. During the procedure, it is common to feel a buzzing or vibrating sensation. If we are treating areas on the face, particularly near the nose this can make you want to sneeze, or your eyes water. This is nothing to be concerned about.
It should not be painful, however, if you feel any discomfort please let your practitioner know.