What is Microchanneling?

Microchanneling has several benefits, and your provider can customize your serum to:

• Smooth fine lines and wrinkles

• Reduce unwanted pigmentation 

• Boost radiance

• Refine pore size

• Tighten skin

• Minimize acne scars and stretch marks

Pros

• Microchanneling is a quick treatment that creates healthier skin and overall skin rejuvenation. Applying anti-aging products directly into the skin allows them to be absorbed much more effectively. It can address a wide range of concerns, including uneven skin tone (like sunspots), the appearance of fine lines, the appearance of wrinkles, enlarged pores, dullness, and scarring. "An ideal candidate for microchanneling is someone with signs of premature aging, sun damage, enlarged pores, mild to moderate wrinkles around the eyes, and acne scarring," says Dr. Green. 
• Once the skin is numbed, the treatment is painless. 
• Healing is fast, so downtime is minimal. 
• Even a single treatment a day or more before an important event will give wonderful results as new collagen production kicks in; the benefits will build over 6–8 weeks.  
• The treatment is versatile. It's primarily used on the face, but microchanneling can also be used on the hands, neck, decollétage, or anywhere else on the body. 
• Microchanneling is considered very safe in the hands of an experienced provider. You may experience slight redness or puffiness after rejuvenation treatment. 

Cons

• A series of treatments is recommended for best results, followed by regular maintenance sessions. 
• Microchanneling isn't a good option for people with active acne. 

The terms are often used interchangeably, and both treatments involve piercing the skin with needles, but microchanneling and microcneedling are distinctly different treatments. 

First of all, microchanneling is a gentler treatment than microneedling (aka collagen-induction therapy). Microchanneling is done manually at a fixed depth and only penetrates the epidermis, the top layer of the skin. Microneedling depth can be varied, and the mechanical nature results in a more aggressive treatment with more extended downtime—a few hours for microchanneling versus 2–3 days for microneedling. Microneedling goes in more profound and aggressive, so you'll be pretty red and beat up for longer. 

Because the provider can customize the solution to the patient's needs, microchanneling allows a provider to be more creative than microneedling. It's also more of a surefire way to deliver what the skin needs and where it can best use it.

The needles used in microchanneling are tiny and fine (often thinner than a strand of human hair). To prevent discomfort, a numbing solution may be applied to the treatment area before the procedure. All you'll likely feel during the treatment is a little bit of pressure. 

Please note that 98% of the patients we treated did not need topical anesthesia.

Your specialist will evaluate your skin-care needs and goals and create a personalized mix for your infusion serum. 

Depending on what specific issue is being treated, microchanneling can infuse the skin to:

• Bring intense hydration to the skin and make it look smooth, supple, and plump. 
• Reduce large pores, decrease sebum production and redness (for instance, from the skin condition rosacea), and provide gentle skin smoothing.
• Reduce hyperpigmentation.  
• Improve your skin's texture and make it smoother and firmer using Peptides.
• Stimulate cell turnover and collagen production with Stem cells and growth factors.
• Prevent free-radical damage and brighten skin tone with antioxidants such as vitamins B, C, and E.
• Increase hydration and give the skin plumpness and a dewy quality with Hyaluronic Acid serum.

- Your skin will be cleansed and sterilized.

- Your technician will "stamp" it into the skin; the serum will be applied immediately after a treatment area is stamped.

- A single pass will be made over the entire face in an overlapping pattern so that every square inch of skin is treated; then, problem areas can be treated with additional passes. 

- The microchanneling treatment—including numbing—should take around 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of face massage and cooling treatment to soothe the skin.

More caution should be practiced for people with Fitzpatrick skin types V and VI. The more pigmentation in your skin, the more prone you are to hyperpigmentation (PIH). More conservative treatment means that skin is treated with a single pass, and more gentle pressure is employed.

Microchanneling is well-tolerated and requires little to no downtime. Most people return to work right after the treatment. 

Aftercare is minimal: you will likely be asked not to wash your face for four hours (to allow time for the serum to work) and then to wash your face gently. This allows any remnant serum on top of the skin to penetrate the dermis. 

Avoid astringents or medically active products (skin irritants) like retinoids or vitamin C for 1–3 days post-procedure to avoid irritation. We recommend maintaining a "fresh face" (no makeup) for 24 hours after a micrchanneling session.

You may have a mild reaction that looks like a sunburn, but this usually lasts less than 24 hours. Moisturizers with ingredients like hyaluronic acid can further hydrate dry skin. 

After your treatment, your provider may suggest a curated skin care regimen to maximize and prolong your results. Daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30+ will help maintain the benefits of microchanneling.

Your skin should appear and feel refreshed within 24 hours, but tone and texture will continue to improve.

Three to six microchanneling sessions spaced two weeks apart are often recommended for the best benefits. Largely, it depends on the severity of the condition being treated.

Continued ongoing treatments every three months or so can help maintain your results.