For Men: Microneedling Vancouver

Microneedling is minimally invasive, requiring no downtime. It’s considered safe for almost all people who are in overall good health. You’ll experience minor redness and irritation for a few days after the procedure. We do not recommend the treatment during pregnancy or when our clients are on certain oral acne medications like Accutane.

At Sparrow MD, we use advanced, medical-grade automated microneedling devices that help stimulate the skin’s self-repair process for a natural boost in collagen and elastin production. As each fine needle punctures the skin, it creates a channel or controlled micro-wound. The microchannels created spontaneously close after 10 minutes so that epidermal barrier integrity remains intact. The needles injure superficial dermal collagen strands and small blood vessels, triggering a controlled cascade of substances naturally produced by the body which promotes the production of new collagen, elastin, and capillaries. This whole process, through neovascularisation and neo-collagenesis, leads to healthier and stronger skin with a reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, pore size, and scars and an improvement of skin texture, firmness, and hydration.

Microneedling is intended to be used as a treatment to help with skin rejuvenation and improve overall skin quality. It is also called CIT (Collagen Induction Therapy). It works to:

• rejuvenate your skin
• reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
• reduce pore size
• improve pigmentation
• improve scars and stretch marks
• improves overall tone and texture of your skin

If you are using any medical-grade topical treatments such as those containing retinol or exfoliating acids, we recommend discontinuing it for a week before your microneedling treatments. We also recommend avoiding direct sun exposure a few days before and following treatments. It would be best if you arrived at your appointment with clean, dry skin. If not, our technician will wash your face so it’s clean before the procedure.

At Sparrow MD, we believe in the essential benefits of microneedling. We use it as one of our foundational treatments for maintaining skin health. We understand starting this treatment could be anxiety-provoking. Therefore, we put in every effort to ensure we deliver the safest and most relaxing experience possible.

Pre-treatment, our clients are prepared with a medical grade numbing cream in our clinic. This process usually takes around twenty minutes. While our clients wait, we ensure the treatment environment is kept quiet and calm for the most relaxing experience. After proper numbing, our patients generally report no to minimal discomfort.

While some areas of the skin are more sensitive than others, the speed of the reciprocating tip of our medical-grade microneedling pen keeps treatment brief and comfortable. The procedure itself is usually only 15-30 minutes, depending on the area we are trying to cover. After the microneedling procedure, some side effects are to be expected. When you leave your appointment, your skin may be flushed or bright red, as if you have spent the entire day out in the sun and have a mild to moderate sunburn.

Our professionals will always provide detailed instructions on what to do after microneedling. The instructions may be based specifically on your medical history or skin type, so make sure to follow them carefully.

• Avoid make-up, especially with a makeup brush that has been used before, in the 24 hours following microneedling.
• Follow instructions on medical-grade facial skincare for post-procedural care.
• Wash your hands before you touch your face.
• You’ll also need to avoid swimming pools, saunas, and situations where you might sweat heavily, including intense workouts at the gym, to protect your newly treated skin. After 72 hours have passed, you may be able to resume these activities.
• Avoid prolonged time in the sunlight for 7 days post-treatment.
• For the month after microneedling, make sure to apply sunscreen anytime before you go outside.

There is no significant downtime with microneedling. Most patients report noticing a redness to the skin following the procedure. The redness that you experience from microneedling will mostly fade within 48 hours. Other symptoms, such as peeling and breakouts, might take slightly longer to resolve.

There are many reasons why microneedling at home can be riskier than you think.

One is that cosmetic (epidermal-needling) and clinical (dermal-needling) are two very different treatments. Typically, an at-home device would vary between 0.1mm-0.3mm in needle depth and is primarily designed to enhance skin-care ingredient absorption. With professional treatments in our medical clinic, the depth increases to 0.5mm-1.5mm or even deeper, as the goal is to create a wound to trigger skin regeneration.

Sanitization is also important during the microneedling process. The risk of infection is very high when using unregulated devices in an environment that is not clinical or sanitary. Such rollers often harbour bacteria very easily.

At Sparrow MD, each treatment uses a new, single-use sterile cartridge per client which is subsequently disposed of, whereas those microneedling at home often reuse rollers multiple times. Using alcohol does disinfect the tool, but it is difficult to sterilize it completely, so not all harmful microorganisms are killed. The needles also become blunt when reused, which severely compromises the technique. Not only can you create bruising and track-mark lines from using too much pressure, but the wrong technique can easily cause micro-tears in the skin, leading to scarring and hyperpigmentation.

Furthermore, not everyone is a suitable candidate for microneedling. There are times when the treatment simply isn’t recommended, which is why clinical microneedling should only be performed by a professional following proper medical consultation and skin assessment.