As if having acne wasn’t bad enough, some people must also contend with scars that pimples leave behind. Acne scars can linger for months or even years. If you’ve used creams and other over-the-counter products without success, it may be time to try DermaPen®.
What is DermaPen?
DermaPen is a form of micro-needling that dermatologists recommend for various skin conditions, including depressed acne scars, surgical scarring, wrinkles, stretch marks, and more. The procedure involves puncturing the skin with tiny, sterile needles in a unique, spring-loaded needle tip for safe, controlled treatment and enhanced results.
How Does DermaPen Work?
Inserting micro-needles into the skin causes minor trauma that promotes the deeper layer of skin, known as the dermis, to rebuild itself by producing more collagen. Collagen is a protein that makes your skin appear firm, elastic, and youthful. You lose collagen as you age, as well as when your skin is injured by acne, surgical incisions, or over-stretching from pregnancy or weight gain.
The DermaPen tip can be adjusted from 0.25mm to 2.5mm to cater to individual skin conditions and treatment areas, providing an innovative, effective, and affordable skin rejuvenation option for patients.
It’s important to understand that DermaPen is not a quick fix. While you may notice your skin starting to look and feel younger after just a few days, subtle improvements will continue to appear for several weeks and even months. You may require multiple treatment options to achieve optimal results.
Benefits of DermaPen
Many people try DermaPen because they want to create a more flawless skin appearance. Here are the benefits of choosing this treatment option for acne scars:
- Safe for all skin types, textures, and pigments: This includes thin and sensitive skin as well as dark skin that may not be eligible for some laser treatments.
- Minimal discomfort: DermaPen’s vertical stamping needles penetrate the skin without creating damaging trenches that rolling micro-needling devices leave behind. This reduces pain, bleeding, and recovery time.
- Virtually no downtime: While you may experience minimal tenderness and redness for one to three days, you can return to work within an hour, wearing makeup as a camouflage until your skin fully heals. This differs from other more invasive skin therapies that require longer recovery times.
- Only minor aftercare required: Avoid direct sun exposure, vigorous exercise, and exfoliating products for a few days. Other than these tips, simply follow your usual skincare routine as the treatment area rebuilds itself with increased collagen production.
Risks Associated with DermaPen
The medical community agrees that micro-needling is safe and effective, but you should be aware of these possible side effects of DermaPen:
- Swelling
- Discomfort
- Redness
- Bruising
- Dryness
- Flaking
Although rare, more serious side effects may include:
- Infection
- Skin pigment changes
- Additional scarring
- Reaction to the numbing cream used during treatment
If you’re ready to treat acne scars with DermaPen, please contact Arlington Dermatology in Rolling Meadows, IL at (847) 725-0824 for more information.