What is MicroNeedling?

What is MicroNeedling?

MicroNeedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a minimally invasive treatment
which is used to treat acne scarring, burns, and common signs of aging that happens with the
depletion of collagen in the skin.

MicroNeedling is a medical treatment which utilizes micro-needles of a depth of 0.5mm or more.
This penetrates beyond the epidermis into the deeper dermal layer of the skin, causing pin-point
bleeding while triggering the bodies natural healing response. It is by breaching the outer layer
of the skin into the dermis that allows for a pathway of topical substances to be infused at a
higher rate into the skin.

The substance which we use here at Renu U is sterile Hyaluronic Acid (Hyaluron). It is applied
to the skin throughout the treatment. Although it is not necessary to the microneedling treatment,
as your own body will be stimulating its own healing process, it does provide added benefits
which will assist the renewal of your skin cells and increases moisture absorption of up to 80%. 

Safety

Safety and proven results are two main factors in choosing who will be doing your micro-needling treatment. Here at Renu U Aesthetics, we only use Health-Canada approved eDermastamp
Medical Grade equipment, and the Hyaluron is 100% sterile. Microneedling by eDermastamp is
also used in Sunnybrook hospital on burn victims to aid in the process of generating new and
healthy skin cells. 

Needles

Results are dependent on the sterility, and effectiveness of the needles used when microneedling.
eDermastamp needles are sterile, and single use which means that after treatment they are
disposed of to ensure there is no cross contamination. They are also atraumatic (non traumatic),
which is essential for collagen induction therapy. When using improper needles, which have blunt tips
(this can be seen at the microscopic level in the picture below), not only will you not see the desired
results, but you may also make your skin worse. Instead, emergency healing is triggered and can
create scars and divets in the skin, either immediately, or over the course of months after treatment.
eDermastamp needles are also powered through an outlet, and not batteries, which ensures a
consistent supply of energy to ensure that the needles are rapidly piercing the skin. This prevents
dragging of the needles against the skin for the most optimal outcome. 

Post-Treatment

After treatment it is very important to follow the instructions given to make sure you get the best
results and your skin heals properly. Stay out of the sun and do not use makeup. This is very important,
because of the increased ability of your skin to absorb product, and sensitivity. Before micro-needling,
your skin is only able to absorb 7% of topically applied products. After microneedling, your skin is able
to absorb up to 80%. That is a huge difference which is why it is so necessary to be conscious of what
you are applying topically to your skin.

Don’t forget to make sure you have a proper facial regimen worked out for at home with your
esthetician to get the most out of your treatment. You will also get your own mini aftercare package
to take home.

Sources: 

https://www.needlingguide.com/bb-glow-microneedling-risks-benefits/

https://theaestheticsnurse.co.uk/blog.php?p=28

Getting Married? Skin Care Prep Tips for the Bride

My wedding day in 2011 was fabulous! Here is my six month plan to ensure the glow on your wedding day.

6 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING:

Find a reputable skin care professional. Six months is the perfect amount of time to ensure that your skin is clear, smooth and glowing for the big day. It’s important to find a trained skin care professional that is able to give your skin everything it needs.  Let RENU U Aesthetics make a plan to get your skin glowing for your wedding day.

Schedule a consultation. What may work for your friend may not be right for you, everyone's skin has different needs and reacts to stress differently. Be sure to ask a lot of questions; particularly the cost of treatments, side-effects and the results they can guarantee.

Fit it in the budget. Generally, a good skin care plan (both professional and home-care products) can range from $500-$2000. Tip: If the budget is tight, let your maid of honor know that getting your skin in good condition for your wedding day is a priority and she may plan a shower where everyone pitches in to give your skin care services as a gift…

Patch test your skin. When starting a new skin care program, be sure to do a patch test if you’re trying out new skin care products as allergic reactions can take up to four weeks to heal. Rub a small amount of product on the side of your neck and wait 24 hours. If redness or irritation occurs, avoid using the product.

Follow the plan set forth by your skin care professional. A variety of skin care procedures such as facials, microdermabrasion, photo facials, and chemical peels will all be beneficial in getting your bridal glow.

IF YOU HAVE BREAKOUTS:

-Exfoliate well. This will keep off dry skin cells to lessen clogged pores and blemishes, and help fade post-breakout scars. Look for products with exfoliating acids and enzymes.  For an at-home exfoliant to smoothe and clear your skin, try Thalgo's exfoliant best suited for your skin from RENU U Aesthetics.

-Keep the skin clear of bacteria. Products using ingredients such as Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree help to eliminate bacteria and prevent the spread of breakouts. Regular High Frequency treatments at RENU U Aesthetics can also help minimize bacteria presence on the skin.

-Be sure to keep the skin hydrated. If you’re prone to blemishes, your skin needs water-based moisture to keep cells healthy to discourage dead skin cell buildup. Make sure to use an oil-free lotion such as Thalgo's 24H Source Marine Gel Cream.

IF YOU HAVE DISCOLORATION AND BROWN SPOTS:

-Use a skin lightener. By combining exfoliation, skin lighteners and daily use of sunscreen, the pigmented cells will slowly start break down and fade their color. Exfoliation is beneficial for breaking up the pigmented cells while a skin-lightening agent like Vitamin C or Kojic Acid will suppress the melanin cells and accelerate the fading process. 

IF YOU HAVE REDNESS AND ROSACEA:

–Avoid washing your skin with hot water. Cooler temperatures will keep reduce redness and keep the skin calm.  

–Use soothing ingredients in your products. Chamomile, Azulene and Sea Whip all help to comfort the skin and reduce redness.

-Make sure you get facials that cater to sensitive skin. Although facials can be extremely calming for red skins, you must make sure that your esthetician has experience in caring for this very delicate type of skin. Avoid strong chemical peels as they will only exacerbate redness. Also, avoid use of hot steam during a facial and use a Lucas Pulverizer.

3 MONTHS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Make a commitment to not pick at your skin. Acne breakouts usually last just 3-5 days, but when you pick at a blemish, the red mark that lingers can be there for three months! We know it’s tempting, but you can make problem skin much worse by forcing bacteria deeper into the skin, resulting in scarring and further break outs. A better solution for problem skin is a regular facial schedule, where your pores can be cleaned professionally. 

Cut back on the invasive skin treatments. If you have been having IPL treatments or a series of skin peels, now is the time to start cutting back on those. You need to start going into maintenance mode. Hopefully, those aggressive procedures helped to clear up break outs, post-breakout acne scars and discoloration and now the focus is on maintaining the results. Get a professional facial every 3-4 weeks for the remaining three months.

1 MONTH BEFORE THE WEDDING

Go easy. Now that you’re on the home stretch, it’s not the time to be experimenting with new products or services. Keep everything gentle by backing off aggressive professional treatments.

Avoid dairy products if you’re prone to acne cysts. Many people have heard that greasy foods and chocolate cause breakouts. Breakouts, especially those that are cyst-like in the chin and jaw line area, most often are related to too much ice cream, yogurt, milk and cheese. Try cutting back and watch your skin clear up!  

Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Sleep is not only important to keep dark circles at bay, but it is also the time when your body is most metabolically active, ridding itself of toxins which would otherwise wreak havoc with your skin. Sleep also reduces stress, the #1 aggravator of acne!

Keep your skin care products cold. When nerves are at their highest, it can cause increased blood flow to the skin. Try keeping your skin care products in the refrigerator. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing with cool temperature products keep the skin calm and soothed.

2-3 DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING

Get your final facial. The facial should focus on skin smoothing via exfoliation and hydration. Keep extractions to a minimum to avoid unnecessary redness.

Don’t experiment with any new products. You don’t want to risk having an adverse reaction to anything—stick with tried and true.

Avoid shell fish. Especially for those who have traveled to a tropical island for their wedding, you’ll be tempted with all the wonderful seafood that is there. Many people are allergic to iodine commonly found in shell fish which can result in very serious skin and body reactions, so now is not the time to be eating foods you have not tried before.

Limit your intake of alcohol. Alcohol leads to skin and under eye puffiness, so for every alcoholic drink, follow it with a 4-8 oz glass of water. This will help prevent unnecessary morning puffiness.

Avoid crying (if possible). With all of the celebratory speeches that are given, it’s only normal that a few tears may be shed. If at all possible, try to avoid crying since it causes the eyes to swell resulting in excessive morning under eye puffiness. (Do cucumber slices on the eyes help reduce puffiness?)

WEDDING DAY

Apply a hydrating mask. Thalgo's Marine Source Masks are water-based so they won’t add any oil to the skin and interfere with wedding day makeup. They calm the skin from wedding day nerves, and gives your skin a smooth, healthy glow.

Drink a lot of water. To prevent skin from puffiness due to shedding tears or alcohol intake the night before, drink cold ice water throughout the day. This will also help prevent your mouth from getting dry due to nerves.

Practice deep breathing. There is nothing better to calm the nerves than frequent deep breathing. Relax. Enjoy. Your day is here.

Photo Facials: Keeping your face beautiful

Intense Pulse Light Photo Facials and their Benefits

I have noticed that Photofacials are a service many people may have heard of but are unaware exactly what is it and how it can benefit them. So here are a few things you need to know about what they are and how they work.

What is skin rejuvenation used for?

Skin rejuvenation (IPL- Intense Pulsed Light) laser treatments are most commonly used for:

• Lightening and removing "sun spots", "age spots",  and brown blotches on the face, neck, chest, hands and other areas of the body
• Lightening and reducing redness, rosacea, dilated blood vessels and "broken" blood vessels on the face, neck and chest
• Helping to control flushing
• It also has a lesser effect of improving skin texture through collagen stimulation and improves pore size minimally by temporarily reducing oiliness

Skin rejuvenation, when done properly, almost always consists of a series of 3-5 treatments, usually one every three to six weeks. The benefits of photorejuvenation treatments are achieved with little discomfort and minimal risk. 

Some will refer to IPL skin rejuvenation as a Photofacial or Fotofacial. 

How does the laser treatment improve the appearance of blood vessels, rosacea, and age spots/freckles? 

The laser/IPL device emits a range of lightwaves that are then tuned and targeted at hemoglobin (the red blood cells in the blood vessels) or melanin (the brown pigment in freckles and age spots). The light beam passes through the skin and is absorbed by either hemoglobin or melanin resulting in damage to the vessel wall or fragmenting of melanin pigment. These tiny vessels and the melanin pigment are then absorbed by the body, rendering them less visible. 

How long does it take for laser skin rejuvenation treatments to work?

Most people need 3-5 months, which consists of a full series of 3-5 treatments about 1 month apart.  You can see some improvement with each treatment, but it's common for your response to be slightly different to each treatment. The more sun damage or redness you have, the more likely you are to need a full five treatments.  Some cases of severe redness or brown spots require more than 5 treatments. Expect to see gradual clearing over time.

Do IPL Photofacial treatments hurt and how long will they take? 

There may be mild discomfort during the treatment, but most clients tolerate removal of dilated blood vessels or age spots/freckles and fine lines very easily. The first treatment is usually the "zingiest." As your skin begins to clear, the treatments usually become even more comfortable. Treatments usually take 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the treatment area.

What are the IPL Photofacial treatments like? 

When you come for your treatment, your technician will put special glasses or eyepads over your eyes to protect them. A cool gel is then placed on the skin being treated. The smooth glass surface of the handpiece is gently applied to your skin and pulses of light flash. You may feel a very slight sting, like the snapping of a small rubber band. 

At the end of the treatment, the gel is wiped off, the area is cleaned with a warm cloth, and a moisturizer with sunscreen is applied. If there is any mild swelling, you might be given a cold pack to apply for five or ten minutes. 

What will I look like right after the IPL treatment, and what is the healing time? 

For veins, generally, the skin looks slightly redder after the treatment for two to five days. Makeup can be used starting right after the treatment, as long as it is applied and removed very gently. Rarely, there is bruising, which can take 1-2 weeks to resolve. 

For freckles and age spots, the spots generally look darker for 3-7 days. Crusting can occur, which may last up to ten days. The lesions will then begin to clear and will generally be resolving at one month. Remember, it takes an average of 3-5 treatments to clear age spots.

How much do skin rejuvenation treatments cost? 

A single full face treatment costs $200 and can be upwards to $500 depending on where you live and who does the treatment. So a series of 3-5 treatments will usually be $600 to $2,500. A face, neck, and chest treatment runs from $400 to over $1000, for a series total of $1,200 to $5,000. Treating the hands is usually around $99 per treatment.

Be suspicious of low cost "specials." They are usually low cost for a reason.  The treatment timeframes may not be correct and therefore not as effective, or the technician doing the treatment may not be properly trained. 

What results can I expect from skin rejuvenation treatments? 

After your first treatment, you can expect to see some redness, darkening of brown spots, and light swelling. These symptoms will resolve in several hours to one week. Makeup can be immediately applied, if desired. After the treatment, your skin will feel smoother and have a more even tone. A gradual decrease in overall redness, flushing, age spots, and fine lines will be more visible after each treatment. 

How long will the results from a photofacial last?

Tht depends on how much sun exposure your skin gets after your treatments.  If you are in the sun a lot and do not use sunscreen, the underlying issues, whether they are redness or brown spots, will return.  But if you take good care of your skin and keep it protected from the sun, your skin will continue to look good with annual maintenance treatments. 

If you want to maintain collagen growth, we currently recommend a treatment every 6-12 months. Other conditions are more variable. If you are very red, once or twice a year may be needed.

How does an IPL treatment increase collagen? 

The light bypasses the outer layer of skin (the epidermis) and gently heats the cells in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). These cells, called fibroblasts, start to produce more collagen, which improves texture and fine wrinkles. 

Will the IPL Photofacial treatment make me more sensitive to the sun? 

No, it does not. You can have the treatments done any time of the year but summer is more difficult if you pick up color easily in the sun. The good effects of the treatments won’t last very long if you are getting much sun exposure. You can wear a sunscreen every morning and wear hats to protect your skin and decrease redness, brown spots, wrinkles, and skin cancers.

What should I do prior to my photorejuvenation treatment?

Your technician will give you their instructions prior to your first treatment but here are some of the basics.

1. For 2-4 weeks before your treatment, avoid self-tanners and excessive sun. 
2. You may be asked to discontinue minocycline, tetracycline, doxycycline or Retin-A/Renova several days prior to each treatment. 
3. You may be asked to avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen, or Aleve one week prior to treatment unless medically indicated to help prevent bruising. 
4. Protect your improved skin with sunscreen every morning. Hats and sunglasses are also good protection from the sun.

Who should not get these treatments? 

• Pregnant Women or Breastfeeding 
• People with Darker Skin Complexions
• People with recent sunburn or suntan
• People with Cancer and/or undergoing Cancer Treatment
• People with Lupus
• People with surgical pins or plates under the area being treated

Are there any side effects? 

The main side effects are mild, temporary swelling, redness, an accentuation of the brown spots, crusting, and an occasional bruise or small superficial blister (like a sunburn blister).  There are rare other side effects which your laser center will review with you in your consent form.

I hope that this was helpful and will encourage you to care for your skin in various ways. You can have beautiful skin without going under the knife, and we want to help you know how.

Live well and Be healthy,

Renu U Aesthetics.