Microneedling: Advances and widening horizons

Abstract

Microneedling is a very simple, safe, effective, and minimally invasive therapeutic technique. It was initially introduced for skin rejuvenation, however, now it is being used for a very wide range of indications including acne scar, acne, post-traumatic/burn scar, alopecia, skin rejuvenation, drug delivery, hyperhidrosis, stretch marks, and many more. Moreover, during the last 10 years, many new innovations have been made to the initial instrument, which was used for microneedling. This technique can be combined with other surgical techniques to provide better results. In particular, it is a very safe technique for dark skin types, where risk of postinflammatory pigmentation is very high with other techniques that damage the epidermis. In this review article, we are updating on the different instruments now available for this procedure, and its efficacy when performed alone or in combination with other techniques for various indications.

Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology

“… 6 , 9 Each array is equipped with eight medical grade solid steel microneedles, totaling to 192 needles on one Dermaroller device. 6 , 9 The device is used in a multi-directional fashion (vertically, horizontally, and diagonally) directly over the skin. Medical models include the CIT 8™ and MF 8™, which consist of needle heights of 500 μm and 1,500 μm, respectively.…”

“…Medical models include the CIT 8™ and MF 8™, which consist of needle heights of 500 μm and 1,500 μm, respectively. 6 Various models have also been developed for use in the home, including the Beauty Mouse ® (Dermaroller Deutschland GmbH) which consists of 480 needles to use on larger skin surfaces. 5 The Dermapen is a spring-loaded MN device which acts as an electrically powered pen, delivering stamp-like motions across the skin.…”

“… 5 Clinical trials over the last several years have shed light on the applications of MN beyond cosmetic indications, including actinic keratoses (AK), disorders of pigmentation, hyperhidrosis, and striae. 6 Additionally, the role of MN in the treatment of hair pathology has become a recent field of focus as it is thought to stimulate stem cells in the dermal papilla, increase blood flow to hair follicles, and recruit growth factors and signaling pathways which induce hair restoration. 7 MN is also postulated to induce normal wound healing, specifically by breaking collagen strands in the superficial dermis and inducing collagen synthesis immediately under the epidermis.…”

Injectable platelet‐rich fibrin and microneedling for gingival augmentation in thin periodontal phenotype: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…The keratinized gingiva was vertically and horizontally measured in mm. By establishing a ratio and proportion, the number of microchannels in the region to be treated was calculated to be 250 microchannels in 1 cm 2 (Bhardwaj, 2013;Singh & Yadav, 2016).…”

“…Approximately 15 min later, the sponge was removed from the administration site (Singh & Yadav, 2016).…”