I was a competitive swimmer for 11 years, which means I was exposed to a lottttttt of sun. To make matters worse, I never wore sunscreen. Why not, do you ask? Because I was one of those kids who hated wearing sunscreen. I know, I know. Anyway, because of my naivety, I received a great deal of sun damage to my face. I had copious amounts of discoloration and plus, I suffered (and still do) from acne and yes, I've picked many pimples throughout my lifetime inevitably leaving me with acne scars, or what I call acne holes.
Acne scars are deep indentations in your face. There are many different types of acne scars, whether it be rolling scars, ice pick scars, boxcar scars, or hypertrophic scars. I consider myself to have rolling scars and I have struggled with them ever since I became a teenager.
Rolling scars: broad depressions with a rounding edge
Ice pick scars: deep, narrow, pitted scars
Boxcar scars: broad depressions with sharply defined edges, square-shaped
Hypertrophic or keloid scars – thick, lumpy scars
So what happens when you mix 11 years of sun damage, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation? A woman who is unhappy with her skin and desires a change. This is where the fun part begins...
When I want a type of procedure done or am in need of a different skin or hair product, I go all out. I do an immense amount of research to make sure I understand exactly what I might need. With that being said, I made sure Microneedling was the best treatment for me. Whilst researching, I found other procedures like, TCA, Subcision, Laser Resurfacing, Chemical Peels, Microdermabrasion, and more. However, Microneedling fit more of what I was going for: Benefits include, reduces the appearance of acne scars, brown spots, hyperpigmentation, and large pores. It's more abrasive than Microdermabrasion but a lot less than Subcision and it wouldn't leave my skin discolored unlike TCA or Laser Resurfacing might because I am darker skinned.
Microneedling is a treatment that involves the use of tiny needles that produce micro-injuries to the skin. These micro-injuries stimulate the body’s natural collagen production – the substance that provides flexibility and strength to skin and body tissue. Benefits are usually seen after a few months and it takes about 2-4 sessions to receive the full effect.
There are two types of Microneedling. Microneedling with HA (hyaluronic acid) and Microneedling with PRP (platelet-rich-plasma) aka the Vampire Facial Kim Kardashian did. The PRP is obtained from drawing a small amount of your own blood, from which the plasma is separated to concentrate healing properties. Once the contents are separated, the plasma is applied onto your face and then the procedure begins; of course, after you've confirmed that the facial numbing cream has worked because girl, boy, they, you're going to need that numbing cream.
PRP is supposed to be more beneficial than HA since you are using your own rich-plasma rather than a serum. It is recommended to wait 4-6 weeks in between treatments and the downtime is minimal,
ranging from 2-5 days. The most common side effects are redness and peeling.
I did plenty of Yelp and Google searches to find a credible place. Luckily, I knew someone whose mom worked at TotalCare Wellness Center, where they preform Microneedling and I signed right up. I bought 2 sessions of Microneedling with HA for $400 because I hate drawing blood and it was a lot cheaper than PRP. My face benefited it from it so much they used me as a Before/After on their website and Instagram page. This photo was taken after the second session.
From these results, you already know I became hooked. Next, I wanted to try Microneedling with PRP because I wanted the extra benefits. I tried a different place called Beauty Medics Centre and bought 3 sessions for $550. Then I started to research for even cheaper and came across ENVY Aesthetics Center on Groupon. I ended up getting one treatment of Microneedling with PRP and one Mesotherapy treatment because your girl was dehydrated the first day and I couldn't draw blood, so Mesotherapy was the next best thing. Both treatments costed $464.
Mesotherapy is technique used to rejuvenate the skin by means of a transdermal injection of a multivitamin solution that is thought to improve the signs of skin aging. The Mesotherapy was cool but I definitely prefer and benefited more from Microneedling with PRP. I received some bruising and puffiness the day after from the Mesotherapy but it soon went away within the next couple of days.
Then I said, "Well, might as well do at least one more," and found Nu Bloom Esthetics owned by Mary Nunez. I ended up doing a DeepNeedling treatment for $105 (including tip), which focuses specifically on the troubled spots. She punctured each of my concerned areas and then I was left to heal. The punctured spots eventually became little scabs that I was told not to pick and they eventually healed on their own, leaving no signs of discoloration or further scarring.
Overall, I highly recommend Microneedling if you are unhappy with the discoloration or acne scars on your face. The first 3-4 treatments helped my skin tremendously. I noticed my face didn't look as sun damaged, the appearance of my discoloration reduced, and my acne holes became less prominent. However, the last 4-5 treatments did not make as big of a change but my skin did feel better afterwards and I had quite the glow. Also, my make-up went on smoother than it ever had before. Microneedling is known to help the skin absorb products more efficiently.
I did all 8 treatments within 9 months. From August, 2018 - May, 2019. I have yet to get another Microneedling session done but I do plan on getting a Chemical Peel soon, so stay tuned for that post(;
Update: I got a Chemical Peel!!!
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