I know what you’re thinking - “is this another one of those
facial treatments that overpromises and under delivers??” We thought the same thing and that’s why we always do an in-house case study at Balance Spa before offering
a new treatment to our clients. In this
blog I’m going to tell you exactly what we did to our Collagen Induction
Therapy “test subject” and what the results were.
For those who are not familiar with CIT, it is also known as
Micro Needling. Very briefly, it is a
facial treatment that uses fine needles to penetrate the skin causing a micro
injury which in turn causes increased production of collagen and elastin
(amongst other things) resulting in a firmer, plumper skin with diminished
lines, scarring and pigmentation. There
are many factors involved with performing this treatment but for the sake of
not getting too technical, let me just say that I spent about 3 months doing my
homework on this treatment. I poured
over the work of world renowned CIT pioneer Dr. Lance Setterfield, MD, (https://twitter.com/microneedlinged)
researched multiple CIT devices and completed several hands on training classes
before deciding this is a treatment I wanted to offer my clients. Although the before and after pictures were
extremely compelling, it was ultimately the theory behind the principle of CIT
that really convinced me this would be benefit my clients. We decided to go with the Rejuvapen (http://rejuvapen.com/)
since our research convinced us that this was the safest and most effective
device on the market. We called and
personally spoke with several independent medical spa facilities that are using
the Rejuvapen and their feedback was all positive.
On April 23 I did the first treatment on our test subject
(Mr. P). (For optimal results a series
of 3 treatments over three months is ideal.)
Mr P’s main complaint was deep acne scarring that he had had since
childhood. The scarring was fairly deep
and it bothered him intensely. The
session took approximately 40 – 60 minutes and is generally not painful as long
as the skin has been numbed correctly beforehand. Mr. P however, had an extremely high pain
tolerance and would frequently fall asleep during the treatment! I’m thinking that perhaps he was sleep
deprived since this is definitely not the “norm”. During the treatment I focused on the areas
of concern and adjusted the needle depth appropriately as is allowed within my
scope of practice.
The one aspect of CIT that I’m always very upfront about is
this: Do not expect any visible results
after the first treatment; in fact your skin may initially look worse. Be prepared.
Increased collagen production occurs over time and that is why it is
recommended that CIT is done in monthly intervals.
Mr. P’s second treatment was done on May 21 and the third on
June 25. Spacing the treatments out
allows your body to go through the healing process, thus enabling the formation
of new collagen and elastin. Something
else that is important is home care. In
order to achieve the desired results, you must support your skin through the
healing process.
We were extremely happy with the outcome, as there was a
significant reduction in the depth of Mr. P’s acne scarring in multiple areas
and also in the overall pigmentation of his skin. In my opinion, well worth the investment of
time and money. Mr. P’s response to the
overall outcome was as follows:
“At first I was a bit skeptical about this treatment. I have
had these scars for most of my life and did not think that anything could help.
The idea of needles going into my face sounded painful however to my surprise I
didn't really feel much, granted a numbing cream is applied before the
treatment. After the first treatment I didn't see much of a difference. After
the second treatment I noticed good results and was excited to get my last
treatment. A few weeks after my last treatments I noticed the results and am
very happy with them. I do believe it was worth the time and money. P.S. I was not sleep deprived. Lol”
Below is a before and after of our test subject after three
sessions over the course of three months.
As you can see, the depth of the scar is significantly reduced, as is
the width. I would highly recommend CIT
for anyone with acne scarring or looking to firm and lift their skin in a
subtle yet effective way. Since treating
Mr. P, I have performed CIT on multiple clients with issues ranging from loss
of elasticity, lines and wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Some are still in the middle of their
treatment times, but their results have been very positive! If you’re interested in receiving the
benefits of CIT, please call in and schedule a complimentary CIT consultation
with me and I will be more than happy to share more details on expected
outcomes as well as the treatment process, and any other questions you may have. Skin care is my passion and I would love to
share my knowledge with you.
Since this blog was posted, we have completed another series of four treatments with a few more clients and are happy to say that we are having great results! Our client kindly forwarded this before and after photo's to share her results which she has been extremely happy with! Thank you "E"
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