Is Skin Needling Your Answer to Acne Scars?

Skin needling

An acne scar treatment study performed by the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dermatology states skin needling shows promise for acne scar removal. Before you try this treatment, learn more.

Skin needling is a procedure that stimulates collagen growth. Collagen is the tissue that fills out wrinkles and scars in your skin. As you age or have trauma to your skin, such as acne, you lose collagen in that particular area. Skin needling stimulates collagen product to fill in the acne scars.

During a skin needling procedure, your dermatologist inserts a small tool or needle under the skin into the scar. Your dermatologist will apply a topical anesthetic to reduce discomfort.

Micro-needling is performed with a small tool, similar to a roller brush, that contains many micro-needles. The procedure creates minor trauma to the top layer of skin that breaks some of the blood vessels directly below the surface of the skin. As the blood clots and the healing process begin, it creates an environment favorable to collagen and elastin formation.

The treated area is red for several hours without side effects of severe pain, peeling, or flaking of skin. The treatment doesn't cause bleeding of the skin.

There's a right way and a wrong way to do skin needling. While researching this technique, I found sites where members attempted to perform this technique upon themselves with diabetic needles. I find this highly questionable and potentially dangerous. The people performing this technique were unhappy with the results stating that many times they made their acne scars worse.

If you would like to try skin needling to remove you acne scars, seek professional treatment. I strongly discourage anyone from trying this treatment at home and without supervision to treat acne scars.