Microneedling

Without collagen and elastin, the skin can become looser, aged, and uneven. While this naturally occurs with aging, the right cosmetic treatment can revitalize your body’s natural production of collagen. For collagen production, microneedling is one of the best treatment options available. At Ohara Dermatology, our board-certified dermatologist provides a range of non-surgical treatments that can refresh, revitalize, and restore aging or damaged skin.

A woman experiencing a microneedling facial treatment with a device, enhancing her skin's appearance in a calming atmosphere.

What Is Microneedling?

Also called collagen induction therapy, microneedling is a modern approach to improving skin concerns related to aging, sun damage, and more. It works through a clever way of encouraging the body’s own natural regenerative abilities.
Using the treatment device, our specialist creates ultra-tiny punctures in the skin, also called micro-injuries. These are small enough that you cannot really see them, but the body responds to them with stimulated collagen production. This response further tightens the tissues of the area, creating smoother, more youthful skin following treatment.

Best for Treating:

  • Wrinkles and fine lines
  • Acne scars
  • Enlarged pores
  • Stretch marks
  • Skin laxity

The Microneedling Treatment: At a Glance

  • Treatment Type: Non-surgical cosmetic
  • How Long It Takes: Average of 30 minutes
  • Recovery Time: Couple of days to 1 week
  • Treatment Regimen: 3 to 5 sessions
  • Speed of Results: Initial results visible in about 1 to 2 weeks, full within about 6 weeks
  • Duration of Results: Several months to over 1 year
  • Pain Level: Very mild (numbing cream used for comfort)

Is Microneedling Right for Me?

With so many cosmetic treatment options available, choosing the right one can seem a challenge at first. But that is the advantage of working with our board-certified dermatologist. When meeting with Dr. Aivaz, you can be assured that you are receiving the optimal, safest, and most effective solution for your needs. Every plan is built with your needs in mind and designed to bring out the best results.

Some signs collagen induction is right for you include:

  • Having any complexion concerns you want to address
  • Having stubborn wrinkles and fine lines
  • Wanting to eliminate acne scars
  • Currently having no acne or skin infections
A woman showcasing long eyelashes and expertly applied makeup, highlighting the effects of neurotoxin treatment.

What Is a Treatment Session Like?

Despite having needles involved, this treatment is surprisingly painless and mild. We apply a numbing cream ahead of time, so patients should experience no significant pain during a treatment session. Dr. Aivaz skillfully and carefully uses the device with patient comfort in mind.
Treatment Session Overview

Step 1: Apply topical numbing. This ensures your experience is comfortable from start to finish.
Step 2: Using the device. Dr. Aivaz runs the device over the treatment area, spending a measured amount of time on each area for optimal results.
Step 3: Repeat. You can treat more than one area in a single visit. Dr. Aivaz repeats the process for each treatment area.

Does Microneedling Have a Recovery Period?

The punctures made by the device are extremely small, so they rapidly close and heal. However, most of the “healing” is going on under the skin as the body responds to the treatment. Still, some redness and swelling on the skin’s surface are entirely normal and take a few days to resolve. But this rarely interrupts your daily routine, though some patients like to take a day or two off while initial redness fades.

Your Results: Duration and Quality

The body responds to microneedling for about 2 months following treatment. That means you can expect to see continued improvements during this time, with some initial benefits visible within about 1 to 2 weeks following each session. Though you will see some benefits after a single session, the treatment works best when done as a full regimen of 3 to 5 sessions. Using her background as a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Aivaz delivers high-quality results that boost confidence and last for months and beyond. Microneedling is particularly beneficial for patients wanting to prolong the results of a plastic surgery procedure such as a facelift or brow lift.

What to Know About Results

  • Healthy skin care is crucial for maximum results
  • Continue to avoid things that age skin (e.g., smoking, excess sun, dehydration)
  • Complete your full regimen for the best results

Can You Combine Treatments?

Non-surgical treatments like microneedling are typically excellent for combining with other treatments. For example, many patients use one procedure to tighten their skin and then use another (such as fillers) to restore lost volume. Each treatment brings its own advantages, so combining them can generate more comprehensive results.
Dr Ohara Aivaz holding certificate of Los Angeles Top Doctors 2021

Book Your Consultation

As a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Ohara Aivaz crafts treatment plans built around her patient’s needs with a focus on safety. Her approach to microneedling allows her to help patients discover rejuvenated skin with minimal side effects. To start building your microneedling or RF microneedling treatment plan, reach out to our office for your consultation. Discuss your options, build your plan, and uncover revitalized skin today.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Microneedling creates a controlled and purposeful injury to the skin, which triggers a release of our body’s natural growth factors. This results in collagen remodeling and the production of new collagen and elastin. This leads to improved skin texture, firmness, and hydration as well as a reduction in pigmentation and scarring. The punctures are surface-level, making pain minimal.

Microneedling can be done alone, paired with lasers like IPL, or combined with topical treatments such as PRP or topical tranexamic acid for improvement in melasma and hyperpigmentation.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrated solution derived from a patient’s own platelets. Immediately following microneedling, when the channels created by the microneedling are still open in the skin, PRP is massaged onto the treatment area (often referred to as a ‘vampire facial’). This helps the platelets and beneficial growth factors in PRP penetrate deep into your skin so they can work their rejuvenating magic. The PRP, which has a high concentration of growth factors and other beneficial proteins, may speed up the healing process and stimulate skin renewal, potentially producing better results than microneedling alone.

Microneedling is safe for people of all skin colors!

  • Reducing scars (including hypertrophic scars) caused by acne, surgery, burns, or other trauma
  • Stretch marks
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Skin texture and tone
  • Melasma
  • Hyperpigmentation and blemishes

Before treatment, you will have a consultation with Dr. Aivaz to discuss your concerns and desired outcomes. During this consultation, Dr. Aivaz will examine you and ask questions about your medical history to ensure you are a candidate for treatment.

The treatment is made virtually painless with the use of medical-grade numbing cream. The treatment area is then cleansed, and the microneedling device is passed over the treatment area. The procedure takes about 10-15 minutes. Afterwards, the skin is red and there may be mild and temporary bruising over bony areas. Skin will be red for 1-3 days after the treatment, and there may be very mild peeling for 3-7 days post-procedure, similar to a mild sunburn.

Dr. Aivaz recommends 3-6 treatments, spaced monthly, depending on treatment goals.
Side effects from microneedling are exceedingly rare.