VIRTUE MICRONEEDLING AND PRP

Give Your Skin a Natural Boost in the Charleston Area

The human body has an amazing capacity for healing and improving itself, which is the basis for a variety of skin rejuvenation treatments, including microneedling and platelet rich plasma (PRP), at the Charleston area’s Hehr Aesthetics. Both are minimally invasive options that encourage collagen production, creating more of the protein that gives skin its structure and capacity for moisture and elasticity.

While microneedling is often performed on its own, PRP can enhance its results. PRP is also frequently used to augment the benefits of other treatments. Dr. Jason Hehr and his team will help each patient to make the right choice from the available services to deliver beautiful, youthful skin.

What is Microneedling?

Microneedling is considered to be one of the safest treatment methods for natural skincare. There are many benefits to microneedling, including that it is suitable for all skin types—even thin and sensitive skin on any body part—and there is no fear of hyperpigmentation.

At Hehr Aesthetics, we use the FDA approved, Virtue Fractional Micro Needle RF. The clearance is particularly for acne scar treatments, though the device can be used for a range of other applications at the hands of an experienced provider. Virtue works on a wide range of pigmentation, as proven in clinical trials.

The Virtue handpiece employs a sterile needle cartridge filled with precisely spaced micro needles that create invisible, vertical, micro perforations in the epidermis and the top layer of the dermis. As this micropen moves across the skin, the needles create hundreds to thousands of tiny holes each second, prompting the skin to shift its natural repair mechanism into high gear and start producing collagen and elastin to repair these micro-perforations. This self-repairing property is an entirely natural form of skin renewal from the inside out. Microneedling is a revolutionary procedure, in that it will act the same as lasers and ablative methods by increasing collagen production, but without removing the protective layer of skin. The healing also does not involve the formation of scars, as it simply remodels tissue in the treated area.

The advantage of microneedling compared to other treatments is that it not only activates cell regeneration, it also enhances the absorption of PRP or hyaluronic acid administered during the treatment before the skin closes.

The Benefits of Microneedling

• Minimize pore size
• Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
• Lift, tighten, and rejuvenate skin
• Improve the appearance of stretch marks and scars

How Do I Prepare for Microneedling?

When preparing for your microneedling procedure, it is important that you adhere to certain guidelines so that you obtain optimal results.

• Avoid retinoids for 24 hours prior to your treatment.
• Avoid sun exposure to the area to be treated for 24 hours prior.
• Arrive at our office ready for your procedure with a clean face and no makeup.
• Do not schedule this procedure if you have used Accutane® or Isotretinoin within the past six months.

Preparation and an understanding of facial resurfacing are keys to a successful treatment.

The Microneedling Procedure

A provider will delicately pass the Virtue handpiece over the skin to be treated. The treatment should take around half an hour. PRP or hyaluronic acid may also be introduced at this time.

Three or four treatments, spaced a suitable span of time apart, may be required to achieve ideal results. Patients must typically wait one month between sessions.

What Can I Expect After a Microneedling Treatment?

Immediately after your treatment, both an enrichment mask and an empowering mask with boosting essence to calm the skin. Your skin may appear red, similar to the look of a sunburn, for the first 24 to 48 hours following treatment. It also may feel warm and tight. As new collagen grows and PRP or hyaluronic acid are absorbed and do their work, skin becomes firmer and regains its elasticity, fine lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced, pores become finer, circulation is stimulated, and the overall condition of the skin tone and texture improves.

Hehr Aesthetics recommends taking these special precautions after your microneedling treatment:

• Use a gentle cleanser with tepid water for the first 48 hours following treatment. Gently pat dry.
• Use only gentle skin care products for the first 24 to 48 hours following treatment.
• Avoid makeup, retinoids, glycolic acids, Vitamin C products, and sunscreens for the rest of the day following your procedure.
• Avoid sun exposure for 48 hours.
• Avoid swimming, strenuous activity, and exercising during the first 24 hours following treatment.

Skin improvements can continue for up to six months after a Virtue microneedling session. Dr. Jason Hehr and his team recommend sun-safe practices throughout this entire time—and beyond—to keep the skin healthy and to best maintain the results. The skin will continue to age, though protecting it against ultraviolet radiation and other forms of environmental damage will slow the destruction of new collagen. It is also important to ensure adequate sleep, proper nutrition and hydration, and regular exercise.
Because microneedling with Virtue is a relatively gentle treatment, it can be incorporated into long-term skincare regimens, with maintenance visits scheduled over a course of years as needed.

What is PRP?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is blood plasma that contains a concentrated amount of platelets. During the healing process, the body rushes many cells to the wound in order to initiate the healing process. Platelet cells perform many functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors into the wound. These growth factors function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue.

When used in facial aesthetic procedures, your own blood is drawn and then spun in a centrifuge to extract and concentrate the platelets. The PRP portion of your blood is then put back into your skin to stimulate new collagen production, and to re-energize your cells into rejuvenating themselves. The product injected is 100% your own blood by-product. PRP permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate.

What is Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid is a natural carbohydrate found throughout many organs and structures in the body. It is an excellent lubricant and keeps skin pliant and hydrated, but its levels in the skin drop over time. When reintroduced through an injection and facial massage, it can help to reduce inflammation and empower antioxidants, smoothing out and rejuvenating skin.

Though PRP makes use of a patient’s own blood, hyaluronic acid is typically derived from another source.