I finally finished up my second round of Accutane this past summer. I took my first round when I was in my teens and had clear skin for almost a decade. My hormones decided to do the ol' flip flop and screw me over again and I started to get cystic acne around my chin and jawline.
Now that I'm done with Accutane and my skin is clear besides the occasional blemish, I've shifted my focus onto aftercare for my skin and the significant scarring I have as a result of my cystic acne.
I decided to start seeing an esthetician who could customize and recommend treatments for me and we decided to start with dermaplaning and microneedling. I see Dana at Kinley Kay Beauty Studio in Neenah, WI once a month for my treatments.
FAQs:
What is Dermplaning:
-Primary use: to rid the face of peach fuzz via use of a medical grade scalpel to scrape (not cut) the vellus hairs from the surface of the skin
-Dermaplaning also rids your face of a superficial layer of dead skin
-This treatment can be used in conjunction with facials and other treatments
-Leaves your skin glassy and smooth
What is Microneedling:
-Primary use: rejuvenation
-Results from microneedling that are seen relatively quickly are plump and glowing skin about 3 days after the treatment
-The micropunctures from microneedling force the skin to repair the "damage" bringing forth new skin
Is there any prep involved?
-No. The esthetician will remove your makeup and prep your skin as needed. The microneedling requires a numbing gel to be put on your face beforehand but your esti should provide that.
Does it hurt?
-Dermaplaning does not have any pain associated other than minor discomfort of your skin being scraped.
-Microneedling can have more pain depending on the depth of needle chosen by your esti. We target my heavier scarring with deeper needles and choose a shallower needle for the smoother areas of my face. My second treatment did bring up some blood. The numbing gel makes it so you don't feel too much during the treatment but everyone's experience is different based on their needs and pain tolerance.
Is there any down time?
-Dermaplaning does not have any down time.
-Microneedling requires 12 hours of no makeup applied to the skin. I like to get my treatments done after work so I can go overnight without any makeup to let my skin heal. My esti gave me a Vitamin E serum and gentle cleanser to use for 3 days after the treatments. I also cease use of any retinols 3 days before and 5 days after the treatment as the skin is sensitive. The skin can feel like it has been sunburned for a few days after so you'll want to take it easy and use gentle products.
