Poking hundreds of teeny-tiny holes into your skin is probably not the way you were hoping to look #flawless, but I discovered first-hand that there really is method to this madness. Like most people, I first discovered microneedling on the internet. And like most people, the word ‘needling’ put me off initially.
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But Gunther Dippenaar, aka The Skin Medic (and the man behind getting Demi-Leigh Nel-Peter’s skin Miss Universe-ready), convinced me to go under his needle to give my skin the boost it needed…
Wait, What Exactly Is It?
Essentially, by creating superficial ‘micro-injuries’ in the skin, you put your skin into repair mode, which kick-starts collagen production and increases blood flow. Furthermore, “your skin not only works to break down the damage created by the treatment, but it also has an effect on other damage, like pigmentation, scarring and wrinkles,” explains Guntherto. The result? Brighter, plumper and healthier skin.
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The Big Q – Does It Hurt?
It may sound too good to be true, but I can happily report that it doesn’t. Before we got down to skin needling, Gunther slathered a generous layer of anaesthetic cream to my face, which we left on for about 20 minutes. Once the needling began I felt a little bit of pressure, but that was it. I’d say some areas were a little more uncomfortable than others (hairline and under-eye area), but I really didn’t feel any pain.
Downtime?
Microneedling does effectively create little injuries to your skin, so it’s important that you don’t put any make-up on after a treatment. “Needling is an extremely safe procedure, but good sun care in the days post and prior to the treatment will be beneficial… Those who are prone to cold sores may also need to take medication prior to the treatment,” explains Gunther. If you plan on exercising that day, make sure you do it before your treatment to protect yourself from the sun, getting sweaty or getting any unwanted dirt on your face.
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I have fair skin, so I was pretty red post-treatment – probably a little too red to head out anywhere in public, if I’m honest. But that evening I had a friend’s birthday party and I decided to brave it and go make-up-free. It was as if the beauty gods were on my side – the restaurant had an unexpected power cut and as we sat eating pizza in candlelight, everyone at the table marvelled at my “glowing skin”.
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Washing my face the next morning it felt incredibly smooth. I almost didn’t recognize the touch of my own cheeks because my skin texture had changed so much. A week later, I really noticed the results. I saw a significant reduction in the pigmentation and fine lines under my eyes and a serious reduction in the redness, which I generally cover up with BB cream.
The Benefits?
“I’ve had incredible results treating patients with scarring and even loose skin after weight loss,” says Gunther. “Needling is also fantastic for treating burn wounds (once healed), as well as surgical scars, pigmentation, dark circles and wrinkles – the neck area responds really well to the treatment as well.”
Find The Skin Medic, Gunther Dippenaar in Parkmore Johannesburg or at one of his pop-up clinics in Cape Town.
