Prepping You to Make the Most of Vitamin C Serum and Microneedling
Microneedling is a skin treatment that’s worth knowing about if you’re looking for a solution for acne scarring, wrinkles, fine lines and more. In addition, vitamin C serum is a powerful product that has numerous benefits for the same skin issues.
However, it’s important to know how to use these two valuable skincare treatments together to make the most of them both. This article will give you all the information you need on microneedling and vitamin C serum, as well as how to use them together safely.
What is Microneedling?
When you first hear about microneedling and how it works, it can sound scary and painful. However, this skin treatment is extremely helpful in prompting your skin to heal itself and reduce visibility of issues like wrinkles, lines, and scars from acne. Microneedling is done with a small, pen-like device or roller with tiny needles in the tip. These needles create tiny tears in your skin, stimulating a boost in your skin’s production of the proteins collagen and elastin.
Microneedling is often performed by a skincare professional, but you can also do it yourself at home. A professional microneedling session can cost hundreds of dollars, whereas you can purchase your own microneedling tool for less than $50.
However, professional microneedling is often much more effective in dealing with issues like acne scarring or in dramatically reducing the appearance of wrinkles and lines. Depending on your specific skin issues and their severity, it’s up to you to decide whether professional microneedling is worth the investment.
When you are dealing with severe scarring from acne, professional microneedling treatments can be a great option. At-home microneedling treatments may not be strong enough to heal your skin from cystic acne scarring. Even though professional microneedling treatments are expensive, they can be a game-changer for scars that won’t respond to other treatments. Product-resistant acne and the scars it leaves are best dealt with with the help of a dermatologist who can help you assess heavier-duty solutions that can have a stronger, longer-lasting impact on your skin.
How Microneedling Helps Your Skin
The tiny tears created by microneedling prompt your skin to work towards healing itself. In response to these tears, your skin cells start upping their production of collagen and elastin, two proteins that keep your skin healthy, strong, and youthful.
Collagen is the protein that gives your skin its shape and structure, and makes it more resistant to declining in appearance as you age. When your skin is producing enough collagen, it stays firm and strong, leaving little reason for wrinkles or lines to form. However, as you age, the process of oxidation causes your skin’s production of collagen to slow down. A skincare treatment like microneedling helps compensate for the natural decline of collagen production caused by aging.
Elastin is the protein in your skin that allows it to be flexible and stretch. When your skin is not producing enough elastin, it’s much more prone to sagging and wrinkling. The tiny tears caused by microneedling promote elastin production in your skin, as well, which is especially helpful as you are getting older.
Microneedling can reduce the appearance of acne scars by promoting your skin’s cellular turnover. A healthy rate of skin cell turnover means your skin can generate new skin cells and get rid of dead skin cells to prevent clogged pores and other complexion-centric negative effects. When your skin’s rate of cellular turnover is too slow, acne scars can take much longer to heal because your skin is not renewing itself properly. Microneedling helps to boost the processes that strengthen and heal your skin when they are inhibited or compromised.
What is Vitamin C Serum?
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can be applied topically to your skin. Your skin needs antioxidants to fight off the harmful effects of free radicals and oxidative damage. As you age, your body can be more severely affected by what is known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when there are not enough antioxidants in your body to mitigate the harmful effects of free radical activity.
Including antioxidants like vitamin C in your skincare routine is one way to keep oxidative stress from significantly harming your skin.
When your body is undergoing oxidative stress, your skin slows down its production of collagen and elastin. As you’ve now learned, these proteins are largely responsible for keeping your skin looking youthful. One of the best ways to supply your skin with antioxidants like vitamin C is the use of a serum.
Serums are lightweight skincare products with a high concentration of their active ingredient. The active ingredient in a skincare product has the most significant effect on your skin and is typically the main reason to include a product in your beauty routine. Serums are liquid-based and easy to apply to your skin using your fingertips.
When using a vitamin C serum, it’s important to remember that just a few drops of any serum are enough. Using too much of a serum can irritate your skin because the concentration of the active ingredient is so high.
How Vitamin C Serum Helps Your Skin
Vitamin C serum can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, lines, acne scars, and hyperpigmentation. The serum is often used to even out your complexion and reduce inconsistencies in color caused by sun damage and reduction in collagen production. Antioxidants like vitamin C are beneficial for your skin regardless of your age or specific skin issues. Although many skincare products with vitamin C are marketed for their anti-aging benefits, vitamin C can help keep your skin healthy, strong and clear at any age!
Using Vitamin C Serum After Microneedling
Because microneedling works by creating tears in your skin, it makes your skin more prone to irritation in the first few days afterwards. Using ingredients like glycolic acid, retinol and vitamin C too soon after microneedling can irritate your skin and prolong the healing process.
For this reason, it is best to wait two to three days after a microneedling session to start using products with these ingredients again.
However, some dermatologists will use vitamin C serum for patients immediately after a microneedling session. This is because of vitamin C’s ability to aid in your skin’s healing process after microneedling creates tears in the surface of your skin. It is best to only use vitamin C serum immediately after microneedling if instructed to do so by your dermatologist.
How Your Skin Heals After Microneedling
In the days that follow a microneedling session, your skin needs time to heal and recover before it is ready for your standard skincare routine. At-home microneedling sessions sometimes take less time to recover from, but they do not always have as significant of results as professional microneedling done by a dermatologist.
After a microneedling session, your skin can appear red and mildly swollen. The redness caused by microneedling often looks similar to a moderate sunburn. It is best to let the redness fade and the swelling go down without attempting to cover it with concealer or makeup. Because your skin is actively healing from the tears caused by microneedling, use of makeup or concealer after a session can clog your pores and counteract the effects of microneedling.
One of the best ways to protect your skin after a microneedling session is to apply sunscreen generously every day. Microneedling will leave your skin red and sensitive for a few days, so it is essential to protect it from sun exposure. Getting a sunburn after microneedling can be painful, and it might end up discouraging you from continuing with further treatments. Using a mineral-based sunscreen with non-comedogenic ingredients is the best way to protect your skin from the sun without clogging your pores.
In addition, vitamin C moisturizer can help minimize the redness and irritation you may experience after microneedling. Your moisturizer should be gentle and non-comedogenic to best soothe your skin without clogging your pores or creating more irritation.
Cleansing your skin with a gentle vitamin C cleanser can also help keep your skin clean and healthy after a microneedling treatment.
The products you’ll want to be careful with after microneedling are exfoliators, toners, and serums. The ingredients in these products are often highly concentrated. While this would normally be good news for your skin, high concentrations of acids and antioxidants after microneedling can lead to more irritation.
In Closing
If you have questions or concerns about microneedling, talk to your dermatologist. A skincare expert can evaluate your skin issues and let you know whether professional or at-home microneedling is best for you. In addition, if you are unsure about when to start using your standard skincare routine again, a dermatologist can evaluate your skin and let you know when the coast is clear.
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324138
https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/microneedling-aftercare#aftercare-tips
