I wanted to do a follow up from last Friday’s email.
In case you missed it, I asked if there was one thing about aging you could change … what would it be?
The answers were very interesting – you didn’t disappoint.
For those of you who took the time to write in … thank you again.
I really enjoyed reading all of your emails.
And believe it or not, your answers help me know what you’re interested in. And I like getting to know you better.
I may come up with more questions for you in the future. That was fun!!
But today I want to address the biggest concerns expressed in your answers … wrinkles and sagging skin.
You see, there is something that I have been doing to my skin for about seven or eight years now. Might even be nine.
And when I don’t do it for a while, I can see a difference in tone and texture. What I do also brightens and tightens. And best of all, over time, it has reduced the look of my wrinkles and fine lines.
What I’m talking about is microneedling. You may know it as dermarolling.
You might even have a dermaroller.
But … if you don’t have the right size needles you may as well do nothing.
I might actually be getting ahead of myself here. So let me back up and tell you a little more about this treatment.
Microneedling, aka dermarolling, is actually called Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT).
I’ve talked about it in my Anti-Aging Hacks before but I haven’t gone into depth.
For the home version you can use a roller with needles on it or a stamp/pen (I prefer the roller).
There are many different brands now. And they are widely available (not like eight years ago). I’ve gotten them on Ebay and the cost is under $10.00 including shipping.
It’s a bargain when you think of all the expensive treatments out there.
Here’s a picture of mine:
The key is to get the needles that are .5mm. Anything less will not work. And, in my opinion, the more aggressive needles hurt and I’ve found myself not doing it because of the pain.
But you can also get microneedling done in a doctor’s office or by an esthetician. That’s more intense then the home version and can be quite costly. Typically, you also need more than one treatment to see good results. Plus there can be downtime.
Besides the home version, there are two other types:
- Microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP), also known as the vampire facial made famous by Kim Kardashian. Your blood is drawn and then spun in a centrifuge and separated. Once the microneedling has been performed the PRP is applied.
- Microneedling with radiofrequency. With this treatment radiofrequency is delivered through the needles. There are many different machines so there are varying results and pain. This type of treatment gets down deeper than the other two versions.
There are also many different professional microneedling devices but they all use the same delivery method, which is piercing the skin with needles (sounds scary but it really isn’t).
I have done all three versions and I like the home treatment the best.
I can do it more frequently and I can target the areas that I want to target.
But let me explain a little bit about what microneedling is and how it can help you to lose the wrinkles, tighten up sagginess, and really brighten up your complexion.
You see, when the needles injure the skin the body goes to work to repair itself. This encourages new collagen to form.
And by creating aeration (holes) in the skin, whatever you use after your treatment is going to penetrate better.
After the treatment you can expect an initial tightening which comes from a little bit of swelling. Redness may occur too but goes away relatively quickly.
The long-term effects come from the new collagen. It can take up to three months to start seeing a difference. The best results will be seen at around six months and with continued maintenance.
I know it sounds like a long time, but it took a long time to get wrinkles and sagging skin. Trust me it’s well worth the wait.
And once you learn how to perform the treatment at home you’ll be able to do it watching TV or just relaxing.
But at first you’ll want to do it in front of a mirror so you can see what you’re doing.
The first step is to clean your face. Then, work in sections – the forehead, cheeks, nose, above the lip, the lips, chin, jowls and neck.
Next you’ll take the roller or pen and go up and down, then side to side, then on the diagonal to the left and then diagonally to the right. I run about eight passes each way.
In other words, what you are going to do is first a cross (+) pattern and then a criss-cross (x) pattern. In total it ends up being eight directions. It sounds like a lot; but when you get used to it, it really goes pretty quickly.
When starting use a pressure that is comfortable for you. You can apply more when you get used to it.
The forehead and the nose have thinner skin so you may want to apply less pressure.
The idea is not to draw blood. But if you do, don’t be alarmed. Your skin will eventually get used to the needles.
When you’re done microneedling apply a high-quality serum. Natural is best so that it doesn’t burn and cause any more redness. I use my Vitamin C Serum+ … click HERE for more information.
Rinse your microneedler with at least 80% rubbing alcohol and allow to air dry.
I microneedle for two-weeks straight then I take a week off. The only real rule is to give your skin a chance to heal and do take breaks.
So there you have it … the easy way to tighter, brighter, less-wrinkled skin.
And if you have any scars you want to lighten up apply the same technique.
If you have any questions at all feel free to email me.
For a younger you!
Sandy
Sandy DeRose
