by Liz Liokumovich

My latest exciting adventure brought me to the brand new Danita Clinic in Greenville. This would be my first time trying microneedling.  Prior, I have seen the “do it yourself” at home versions of microneedling (the small handheld rollers you would see sold in stores). This one was going to be a little different. 

Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, is a cosmetic procedure that uses sterilized needles to prick the skin. The tiny punctures help the body produce collagen, which in turn minimizes the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines, acne scars and the like, as well as minimize appearance of large pores. Microneedling can be done with peptide gel, hyaluronic acid serum, or Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP. The additional benefits of PRP is that it uses your own plasma which is full of proteins and helps heal wounds and stimulate collagen production. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but based on the benefits of microneedling that I’ve read about, I was definitely very interested to give this treatment a try.  

At Danita Clinic, I met Anita and Victoria, the two Registered Nurses who would be doing my procedure. I was instructed to wash my face with a facial cleanser and was given a topical anesthetic (lidocaine gel) to apply on my face, avoiding eye and mouth area for obvious reasons. It took about 45 minutes for my face to be fully numb. I decided to try microneedling with PRP. Victoria painlessly drew my blood and ran it through a centrifuge machine to separate red cells from plasma. This was my magic sauce. 

I laid down comfortably and just relaxed as these two lovely ladies did all the work.

Danita Clinic uses the SkinPen as the preferred choice for micro needling. SkinPen is the first microneedling device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of acne scars. The treatment felt like exfoliation with a pumice stone, so I’m thankful for that topical anesthetic! Besides the slight buzzing noise of the pen and minor sensitivity on my nose, the procedure was very relaxing and painless. The PRP was applied topically and gently massaged along the freshly pricked surface. It was like my own natural moisturizer. 

Microneedling treatment takes about 20 minutes. Afterward, I was given some facial serum to bring home that would lock in moisture and protect the skin. The first 24 hours following the procedure, my face looked like I was sunburned. To my surprise, I was not in pain at all. It is advised after the procedure to protect your skin from the sun while it heals, and to avoid make-up and your typical facial routines for 48 hours. On the third day, I was cautioned to be ready to possibly start peeling, which it did, for about 2-3 days. I kept drinking plenty of water and moisturizing. 

Although it takes about 2-4 months to fully see the benefits of microneedling, just one week post treatment, I was able to really see improvement in my skin! It appeared to be more radiant and not as dull as before. I started seeing the enlarged pores shrink in size, as well as noticeable changes in the texture of my skin. As a bonus, I received quite a few compliments on the appearance of my skin. I look forward to seeing the full results, truly a so worth it experience! Thank you, Danita!

For more information about microneedling, contact The Danita Clinic at 864-419-7896.

Liz is a wife and homeschooling mom of four by day, and a self-proclaimed “Researcher-Hawk” by night (hopefully with some sleep in between). She’s looking forward to discovering more natural therapies to keep her life in balance.