Approximately 6 years ago I saw a demonstration of micro-needling for acne scarring. At the time the treatment was new for the UK and crude in its application. It consisted of a simple roller with spikes that looked like a torture weapon and little else.
Now skin needling has advanced and the pre and post treatment as well as the application itself is far more sophisticated for both the patient and the aesthetician.
Elite Aesthetics is a beautifully clean, fresh and modern clinic located in a quiet and private location in Kent. Owned by Dr Shirin Lakhani a GP and fully trained aesthetic physician.
As soon as I entered the clinic I was greeted by the gorgeous smiling face of Melanie the clinic receptionist and patient co-ordinator and welcomed with the offer a hot drink and biscuits on a cold and wet day.
The clinic itself if very discrete and super clean and bright. After completing some forms, I met Dr Lakhani herself. Dr Shirin Lakhani is passionate about only offering treatments she 100% believes in and has tried and tested. It is great to meet with professionals who support ‘good medical practice’ in aesthetics. As mentioned before I am a big believer in doctor led clinics and treatments and advancements in industry regulation.
To start and in line with the good medical practices I had a detailed consultation with Senior Aesthetician, Charlotte Thomas. Charlotte has over 5 years’ experience, specialising in non-surgical procedures with her special interest being micro-needling and skin rejuvenation procedures.
In a previous post a covered my latest skin woes bought about or perhaps exacerbated by recent stress. I have a skin condition called Rosacea and as such has been on a course of antibiotics and specialist skin care. The condition causes red, itchy lumps on my cheeks and chin. After ten weeks on antibiotics I finally feel like I have it under control although it will never be cured, I feel like I am some way towards getting a good handle on the condition to prevent further flare ups.
Charlotte had experienced plenty of people with Rosacea before, which put me at ease. I was worried that skin needling might not be suitable even through the benefits of the treatment suited me perfectly. Skin needling can significantly improve the appearance of acne scars, enlarged pores, fine lines, uneven skin tone and pigmentation. All issues I suffer with. During the consultation Charlotte covered the medial necessities, analysed my skin and my requirements and expectations. I was then taken into a room for some before and after photos and to prepare my skin for the procedure with numbing cream. The treatment itself is Derma FNS Therapy using a derma pen. Unlike the traditional roller the pen allows the aesthetician to treat concentrated areas of skin, combat smaller areas like around the nose and control the needling and reduces the trauma to surrounding skin. The tiny needles can be adjusted on the pen to suit the client, their pain threshold, and also the skin being treated. It also allows the user to go deeper or lighter around certain areas.
Needling stimulates the natural production of collagen to regenerate and repair your skin naturally and safely and is an effective way to create smoother, brighter, healthier and younger looking skin with virtually no downtime.
After a cleanse and application of numbing cream I was ready for my treatment to begin. The pen was relatively pain free it felt like slight scratching on the skin but was tolerable. Charlotte worked from my forehead to my cheeks and chin. The forehead usually being the most discomfort. The other benefit of the pen is that is does not drag the skin like the roller reducing trauma and areas only need to be covered once. Making the treatment pretty quick.
I felt completely fine and was offered a drink and break but felt rather relaxed. Charlotte took some images immediately after the needling and as you can see I am pretty red. I only bleed in a couple of places where skin was thinner, and I have to say it looks sorer in photos then it actually was.
Next, I had the LED therapy applied to calm the area. Light Emitting Diode therapy uses a range of rays in red, blue, yellow and pink, to penetrate the skin. For me the mask was used on the red setting which assists in the production on collagen.
I relaxed with the mask, which looks rather scary but it not at all, for approx. 15 minutes. The mask is lightweight and not at all hot, so it felt comfortable on my skin. Once removed the redness had began to fade, meaning I felt able to venture out again. Charlotte topped off my treatment with a hydrating mask followed by serum and sun factor from ZO Skin Health.
I have been using Obagi vitamin C serum for months, but this range is the latest from the pioneering doctor Zein Obagi. The anti-ageing repair serum has a wonderful orange zesty smell which I totally adore.
Looking int the mirror post treatment I looked glowing. A little flushed as to be expected but my skin had never looked fresher, clearer and more even.
It is recommended that I have a course of 3 treatments approx. 6 weeks apart. In the meantime, I need to avoid sunbeds, and over the following day avoid sweating, hot showers and baths or saunas.
It takes approx. 6 weeks for the true results to show. However, it is now day four and my skin feels great. I have maintained with the Zo Skin Health products and avoided excess heat, cold and applied factor 50. The redness has totally gone. As for my rosacea it has not flared up at all. No lumps, itching or adverse effects. I feel like I am in secure hands at Elite.
I would advise a consultation with Elite to discuss your requirements post treatment. What I love about the clinic is the up-front nature and honesty to patients. Prices can be seen on the website along with the range of treatments and the team and their credentials. They are totally transparent, and this installs the faith that they are there for patient care and satisfaction.
They offer several treatments one of which is the new hydrating facial ‘HydraFacial’, which Charlotte is a UK ambassador for! Elite also offer body treatments for cellulite, scars, stretchmarks and more.
For medical skin needling please do take a look here https://www.elite-aesthetics.co.uk/service/medical-skin-needling/