What SkinPen microneedling does to your skin [Thai Becker, RN, Portland]

Eva Sheie (00:00):
You're listening to Where Before Meets After.

Thai (00:03):
Hi, my name's Thai. I work at MD Beauty Lab with Portland Plastic Surgery Group, and I am a aesthetic nurse here.

Eva Sheie (00:11):
What is Microneedling, Thai, and how does it work?

Thai (00:14):
So we have the SkinPen. It's a microneedling pen and it actually creates micro injuries in your skin, and what that does is your body then is signaled to repair the skin and helps stimulate and promote collagen and elastin production.

Eva Sheie (00:31):
What kinds of treatments do you do with microneedling? What are the specific use cases for recommending that kind of treatment?

Thai (00:39):
Anybody that's like, oh, I have some fine lines, or I feel like my face is looking a little bit dull. I would suggest microneedling or if they have a lot of texture. Enlarged pores is one thing or a scar. It can help with scars too. I think it helps break down the scar tissue and then help repair.

Eva Sheie (01:01):
Is there anything that's different about SkinPen from just an typical microneedling device? What makes SkinPen different?

Thai (01:10):
What drew us a SkinPen is it's FDA cleared. That was very important to us. I think we received a lot of studies about SkinPen and the needle heads are very safe to use. I mean, they come sterile. You can only use 'em once you take it off, they actually lock and you can't put it back on. That's the one thing that scares me when people are like, oh yeah, I bought a pen online and I just do it at home. It's like, do they come with different heads? Are you just repeating the needles? I think that's where we can differentiate ourselves, where we're using safe, fresh needles that are not dull and that are clean. Yeah, it comes, I mean, and it comes, the system comes all together so it's easy for us to use. There's even a protective sheath on the SkinPen, so you just know that even though it can be used for multiple people, it's a safe tool to use.

Eva Sheie (02:04):
How would microneedling compare to other skin quality treatments like a chemical peel or a laser treatment?

Thai (02:14):
I would say the biggest difference in draw is the downtime is so minimal, but you're still getting fantastic results. So for some people that's a game changer.

Eva Sheie (02:27):
Is there anyone who can't have microneedling? When would you tell somebody this is not the right treatment for you?

Thai (02:34):
I think if somebody was having active acne breakouts, it's probably not a good time to do it because then your potential of spreading that bacteria around is greater.

Eva Sheie (02:46):
Can anybody with any skin type get microneedling?

Thai (02:50):
So with SkinPen, it's any Fitzpatrick, so any skin tone can do it. It's safe and approved for any Fitzpatrick and all year round, so that's a draw because with peels and lasers, a lot of times we don't do that in the summertime and we say wait until the fall and the winter. But microneedling is all year round.

Eva Sheie (03:13):
Thanks for listening. I'm your host, Eva Sheie. Follow the show and submit questions for our experts at wherebeforemeetsafter.com. Where Before Meets After is a production of The Axis.