The thought of willingly allowing someone to run needles across your skin might sound incredibly unappealing.
However, percutaneous collagen induction therapy, aka microneedling, has so many benefits that once you get clued up on each and every one, you’ll likely be booking a session with Ricardo Vila Nova faster than you can say Ricardo Vila Nova.
“Born in the 90s it was discovered that microneedling – the act of puncturing the skin with small fine needles, was effective in treating scarring, and skin laxity. Over the years studies have also found this treatment to be equally effective when it comes to hair health,” shares Ricardo Vila Nova.
1. How does microneedling work?
As the name suggests this treatment involves using ultra-thin sterile needles (that measure anywhere from 0.5-1.5mm in length) to create micro-injuries that force the skin to produce more collagen and elastin in a bid to repair. This works wonders because, “like the skin on the face and body, the scalp also loses collagen with age, slowing down hair growth, while leaving some hair follicles dormant,” explains Vila Nova. “And dormant hair follicles can’t produce long, strong hair,” he adds.
Not only that, microneedling helps boost blood flow, which facilitates the movement of much needed hair building nutrients and oxygen to each and every hair follicle. It doesn’t end there, as according to Vila Nova, “studies have shown that our growth factors increase too as the body works to repair itself and stem cells in the hair bulge are also activated.”
2. Combination treatments
Stem cells and growth factors are key players when it comes to maintaining and restoring your locks as they help to stimulate activity in our cells, and in so doing they make marked improvements in hair density, growth and retention. This makes tag-teaming treatments like PRP, exosome and stem cell therapy with microneedling a match made in hair heaven. Why? Because not only do you stimulate your own stem cells and growth factors but the micro punctures the needles create are like little channels for anything applied to the scalp straight after.
3. Who benefits the most from microneedling?
“People with fine hair should notice more density overall. While those who have started to develop miniaturisation of the hair – which is essentially the production of thinner hair that sheds easily due to the hair follicle constricting – should also see a marked improvement after a course of microneedling, especially if used in combination with growth factors,” says Vila Nova.
In terms of which forms of alopecia can benefit from some needle therapy, studies have found that androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss), alopecia areata (smooth round hairless patches) and telogen effluvium (thinning around the top of the head) are all forms of hair loss that can be helped by microneedling.
4. Can you microneedle at home?
Microneedling has become somewhat of a DIY treatment trend, however, it’s worth noting that there is a very fine line between getting it right and getting it very, very wrong. “The size of needle used can greatly impact your growth rate, and the amount of passes one makes along the scalp also has an impact. Studies have shown longer needle depths and multiple passes yield the best results. However, if you go too deep you risk inducing scar tissue formation which can render your follicles useless, and then there goes any chance of improving growth, density, lustre and strength. This is why it’s best to see an expert anywhere from once a week to once a month who knows exactly what they are doing,” implores Vila Nova.
5. How long does it take to see results?
Improving your hair health can be a major test in patience and it takes a big dose of dedication to boot. “The consensus is that people will start to see a noticeable difference in their hair after six to ten weeks if they’re microneedling weekly, or by month six if they’re doing it once a month. However, because I like to combine microneedling with other hair boosting actives and devices, patients often notice major improvements in half the time,” shares Vila Nova.
To discover whether microneedling is right for you book yourself in for a consultation here
