Microneedling & Topical Growth Factors

Automated Derma FNS™ microneedling is much safer and more effective in piercing the skin than Needling Rollers. It has a superior effect on collagen and elastin rejuvenation. Active ingredients are directly supplied to deeper layers of the skin without epidermal damage.

Derma FNS™ uses a multi-speed piercing action allowing the needles to puncture the skin layers at 90 degrees and improving the effectiveness of treatments by increasing the absorption of products. On the other hand, it reduces pain and patient downtime.

Microneedling can be safely performed on all skin colours and types. There is a negligible risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation as the melanocytes remain intact, like the epidermis, during skin needling.

Most patients describe experiencing a tickling or stroking sensation during the treatment.  The spring mechanism means that even as the pen glides over your skin, there is rarely a sensation of scratching. This results in a very positive patient experience.

We have incredible testimonials from patients who rave about the results they have personally experienced on deep acne scarring. However, we wish to set appropriate expectations for our patients.  We are aiming for scar reduction rather than removal.

After the procedure, your skin will be red and flushed in appearance in a similar way to moderate sunburn. You may also experience skin tightness and mild sensitivity to touch over the treatment area. This will diminish greatly after a few hours following treatment and most patients’ skin appears normal by the next morning. 

This will vary depending on the starting state of your skin. 1-2 treatments may be sufficient if you are looking for simple skin rejuvenation but for scar treatment, you may need more sessions. At your consultation with one of our trained Aesthetic Therapists, you will be given a clearer idea of how many sessions you are likely to require to achieve your desired result.

There is a minimum of 2 months waiting time in between each treatment. We want your skin to get the full benefits from one treatment before performing the next session; the collagen repair cycle takes many weeks.

Skin needling procedures are performed in a safe and precise manner with the use of a sterile Derma FNS™ needle head. The procedure is normally completed within 15-30 minutes depending on the required treatment and anatomical site.

Before the procedure commences, a topical anaesthetic is applied to your skin to ensure you have a comfortable experience. After your skin is numbed, the Therapist will gently move the Derma FNS™ over your skin to create micro-holes in your skin.

You should notice a visible improvement in your skin within just 6-8 weeks; with further improvement over a longer period of time. Ongoing treatments will help to achieve optimum results, however, just one treatment will provide noticeable results in over 95% of patients. We would encourage you to couple these treatments with home care products that are prescribed by your practitioner. 

Yes. Skin needling does not involve injections and therefore allergic reactions and side effects are unlikely to occur. It is minimally invasive, involves minimal downtime (usually <24hrs), rapid healing and requires simple after-care. 

Derma FNS™ has proven to be effective in all manner of acne pitting and scarring, burn scars, injury scars and surgical scars. Ice pick scars following years of acne are managed by combining the Derma FNS™ with the TCA CROSS technique. 

Absolute contraindications include:

Scleroderma

Collagen vascular diseases or cardiac abnormalities

Rosacea and Blood clotting problems

Active bacterial or fungal infection

Immuno-suppression

Relative contraindications and precautions include:

Keloid history or raised scarring

History of eczema, psoriasis and other chronic conditions

History of actinic (solar) keratosis

History of Herpes Simplex infections

History of diabetes

The presence of raised moles, warts or any raised lesions on a targeted area

The Derma FNS™ will induce collagen synthesis on its own, but skin remodelling is significantly enhanced by combining skin needling treatments with the topical application of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid stimulating products such as CellDerma GF5 and Collagen restore cream. 

Here at Perfect Skin Solutions, we tend to move towards the Derma FNS™ mainly for indented acne scars or chicken pox scars alongside a 2-week prep regime at home using 2 products recommended to you by your therapist which will help accelerate healing and enhance treatment results. We also have a multi-layer platform called the Harmony XL Pro which can be used in conjunction with the Derma FNS™. We have seen some great results with combining iPixel resurfacing and Derma FNS™. 

Microneedling is also especially effective for the following concerns:

• Signs of ageing such as wrinkles, lines, folds and crow’s feet
• Stretch marks
• Pigmentation
• Dull or lax skin

We have adopted one of our scar management protocols directly from one of the world’s foremost authorities on acne and scar treatment, Professor Chou. Although most types of scars respond very well to the DermaFNS™ device alone, certain scars will need more. With box scars and ice-pick scars, we employ DermaFNS™ combined with an EnerPeel® TCA CROSS (Chemical Reconstruction Of Skin Scars). The 40% TCA in an Enerpeel carrier solution is delivered into the scar ‘hole’ and causes the scar to scab over and the ‘hole’ fills with scar tissue. The scar tissue can then be revised using dermal needling. (See also Chemical Peel FAQ on how Enerpeels work). Needling the skin just prior to the TCA CROSS initiates skin matrix degradation and rebuilding and then only needling is repeated after four to six weeks.

Scars which are tethered or depressed (due to being held down by adhesions or ‘tethers’) will not respond without releasing the scar tissue from its ‘tethers’ allowing the skin to lift and flatten. Thus,  subcision is the standard practice before needling these scars and delivers excellent results. See separate FAQ on this.