The Growth Of Non-Invasive Aesthetics Medical Procedures And Where microneedling Fits In
The Growth Of Non-Invasive Aesthetics Medical Procedures And Where microneedling Fits In
The Growth of Non-Invasive Aesthetics Medical Procedures and Where microneedling Fits In
Beauty.
Since recorded time humans have been concerned with how they look. Before the invention of the mirror in 1835 by German chemist Justus von Liebig, humans had to make do with their reflections in a lake. Evidence suggests our obsession with what we look like actually started in Anatolia — modern-day Turkey — where mirrors made out of obsidian or volcanic glass have been found, which date back 8,000 years ago.
Mirrors made of polished copper have been unearthed in Mesopotamia and Egypt from 4000 to 3000 B.C. About 1,000 years later, people in Central and South America began making mirrors out of polished stone, while Chinese and Indian mirrors were made from bronze.
In the first century A.D., the Roman author Pliny the Elder, a Roman famous for his histories, wrote of a glass mirror in use; however, these
were not popular in ancient Rome as inferred by the tale of Narcissus. The Romans venerated everything Greek. Hence, the Greek myth of Narcissus was quite real for the ancient Romans. Narcissus was so obsessed with the beauty he saw in a pool of water (which was his own reflection) that he committed suicide in the pool upon realizing his love would be unrequited.
Although a bit dramatic, the myth of Narcissus has a bit of truth in it. The ancient Egyptians wore makeup. The Greeks had Aphrodite (the Romans called her Venus) who was revered for her beauty. The Battle of Troy began with a quibble over which goddess, Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite was the “fairest”. Artists throughout history have strived to depict the most beautiful woman. Michelangelo’s goal was to sculpt and paint the perfect body on all of his creations.
Ballads have been written (Juliet, anyone?). Sonnets composed. Hearts broken. Suicides committed. Murders and adultery committed. Marriages made (and in the case of the Middle Ages, a life worth living made). Legends and tales describing “the fairest one of all” are quintessential to our culture and speak to what we a people value.
Throughout time, although our idea of what is beautiful has changed, our underlying need to look and feel beautiful has remained the same.
Since the beginning of the century when humans began experimenting with changing their looks through plastic surgery for no reason except for aesthetics, the field has exploded. With the help of technology today, a person is able to even change genders if so desired.
MDPen recognizes that self-confidence is partly based on how you feel about how you look. We understand that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to look your best, to make the best first impression, and to feel good about how you look. There’s nothing wrong with sculpting our body (either through exercise or plastic surgery) to look how we want to look. And modern science makes our dreams come true in the aesthetic realm.
TRENDS IN AESTHETICS
Technology is a wondrous thing, and as people’s lifestyles have changed, so has medical aesthetics. We’ve gone from invasive to non-invasive. We’ve gone from weeks of recovery to a few days of discomfort. We’ve gone from knives to needles, from scarring to needle-pricks that leave no sign whatsoever.
MDPen has been on the forefront of one such non-invasive procedure: microneedling. With the most innovative microneedling pen on the market, the MDPen Dual Cordless/Electric microneedling Pen, MDPen has revolutionized microneedling. We’re passionate about bringing this microneedling, or collagen induction therapy, to as many people as possible. We endeavor to do this through helping microneedling practitioners succeed. We offer trainings, seminars, webinars, marketing materials, equipment support, a list of our practitioners, and a commitment to our practitioners to offer unconditional support in their use of MDPen’s tools and in developing and growing a practice and changing patients’ lives for the better.
MDPEN’S MISSION: TO GROW YOUR PRACTICE
THE MAINSTAYS
As a medical practitioner, aesthetician, or other healthcare provider, you know your most requested non-invasive aesthetician procedures:
- Botox. This treatment involves the injection of the neurotoxin botox under the skin, effectively paralyzing the muscles and the signals from the brain to inhibit the skin’s ability to wrinkle. Used mainly in the face and neck, this non-invasive procedure treats crow’s feet, wrinkles, frown lines, and excess skin on the neck.
- Fillers. This is a wide class of treatments used to treat wrinkles and other signs of aging. Temporary in nature, the compound (often hyaluronic acid) is injected into the skin, effectively plumping it up and “filling” the cells, erasing signs of aging.
- Chemical peels. Using chemicals, this process is probably the least invasive skin procedure of all. Used to improve acne or acne scarring, lines and wrinkles, unwanted skin pigmentations, and rough or damaged skin, chemical peels remove the outer layer of skin, acting as an intense exfoliate.
- Laser treatments. This non-invasive procedure is commonly used in hair removal. Laser treatments are also successful is reducing the birth marks or age spots as the laser removes skin pigmentations.
- Microdermabrasion. This non-invasive procedure is used to treat crow’s feet, age spots, and acne scars, using a handheld device applied to the skin that removes dead skin cells and stimulates new cell and collagen growth.
Skin tightening refers to the tightening of skin, usually through application of radio frequencies (RF), which heast the skin and stimulates collagen production as it contracts. The result is the reduction of loose skin and lines. Collagen is the protein in the skin cells that gives it its structure, which the body naturally produces less of as people age. Popular for removing sagging jowls and necks, RF skin tightening is effective on other parts of the body as well, such as the midsection, arms, and thighs.
Along with skin tightening, many patients are increasingly concerned with the reduction of cellulite, which is the dimpling of the skin caused by fat cells pushing up against one another. Many new non-invasive procedures are increasing in popularity including Cellfina and Velashape.
Cellfina uses a needle-like device to cut some of the excess fibers that are holding the fat cells together, causing the dimpling. The only FDA-cleared medical procedure proven to reduce cellulite, Cellfina is surging in popularity because the results last up to three years.
Velashape uses a combination of infrared therapy and massage to smooth out the underlying fat cells and reduce the appearance of cellulite. It reduces the actual size of the fat cells. However, repeated treatments are required to see long-term results.
EndyMed is another minimally invasive procedure that combines microneedling with radio frequencies to improve the skin’s texture and appearance. EndyMed heats the skin, triggering the skin’s natural healing processes and improves the skin’s elasticity. EndyMed targets the dermis or the lower layer of the skin between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues. This is where collagen and elastic fibers reside, making this treatment perfect for treating acne and acne scaring, stretch marks, and deep wrinkles.
Similar to Velashape, many treatments to remove fat involve thermal manipulation techniques to target fat cells. Coolsculpting, Vanquish, SculpSure, and Kybella are four such methods.
Coolsculpting aims to kill fat cells by freezing them to death. A device is placed over the area you want to treat and then cooling is applied. The fat cells will gradually die and be secreted by your body naturally.
The opposite of Coolsculpting, Vanquish and SculpSure use radiofrequency to heat cells and kill them. These cells are eliminated in the same way. Kybella uses a naturally-occurring acid in your body to kill fat cells.
WHERE MICRONEEDLING TREATMENTS FIT IN
MDPen believes microneedling is one of the best noninvasive procedures for anti-aging today. By using tiny pin pricks to stimulate the body’s natural collagen healing properties, microneedling yields great results. microneedling treatments are used to treat wrinkles, lines, acne scars, skin pigmentations, sun spots, and stretch marks. In addition, microneedling procedures are used to stimulate hair growth, primarily on the scalp. The protein produced from the microneedles encourages hair growth as protein is essential for the development of new hair follicles.
As the tiny microscopic holes heal, the skin will tighten and shrink. The production of collagen and elastin is also stimulated, resulting in a fuller overall look that eliminates many of the classic signs of aging. microneedling treatments can be used on all skin types, is safe for everyone, and with little downtime and bruising, is perfect for the constant on-the-go lifestyle most of us lead.
Because microneedling treatments involve creating micro-holes in your skin, microneedling has an added advantage none of the other noninvasive procedures have: it opens up the pores and gives access to the lower layers of skin where collagen resides, which allows for powerful serums and skin creams to be absorbed more by the skin. This absorption of skin care products and serums enhances the procedure, yielding better results and extending the time needed between treatments.
MDPen has its own proprietary line of skin care products and skin care serums designed specifically for the noninvasive microneedling procedure. Our Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum replenishes moisture to the skin and is perfect to use daily before other moisturizers and after cleansers. Our powerful Human Derived Growth Factor Gel is best allowed to sit on the skin for about 10 minutes to let all the amazing benefits of human growth factors such as stimulating collagen synthesis take effect.
In addition, experiments have been conducted to combine microneedling and PCP Therapy. In essence, right after a microneedling procedure, patients apply the concentrate from Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP) directly on the skin, thereby soaking the microchannels and effectively double-dosing on protein.
WHAT NONINVASIVE PROCEDURES ARE RIGHT FOR MY PRACTICE?
MDPen acknowledges microneedling treatments might not be for every patient. Some people are afraid of needles or don’t like the idea of being stuck a thousand times by one. Other people like the idea of permanently getting rid of fat cells, so Coolsculpting or SculpSure might be a better fit for them. Others may prefer the comfort of a chemical peel, which has no recovery time and is, in essence, a beefed-up facial.
MDPen recognizes the dynamic nature of trends in the aesthetic community. If a new treatment emerges on the scene that is more effective than another, the other will most certainly be replaced over time. The key to longevity of any business is diversification. The more diversified your practice is the more you’ll survive the swings of the market and, ultimately, the fickleness of humans.
MDPen believes microneedling treatments are here to stay. However, to meet the complete aesthetic needs of your patients, it is important to offer other services to compliment your microneedling practice. Offering other medical spa mainstays such as Botox and chemical peels as well as a more involved noninvasive procedure like PRP Therapy in addition to microneedling would be the ideal way to buck market trends and keep your business profitable.
HOW MDPEN CAN HELP
MDPen is here for you. We want to help you along every step of building your medical aesthetic practice from purchasing the products to training on their use to marketing and sales of microneedling procedures. We offer seminars, webinars, and intensive one-day workshops designed with our customers’ needs in mind. Our Medical Aesthetic Educators offer hands-on training in the use of MDPen microneedling products as well as the best combinations of skin care products and the timing of each. In these microneedling workshops, we also address many of your questions about aesthetic market trends and how to effectively market your practice.
Join our network of practitioners today to keep up on the latest news and offerings by MDPen. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for the latest in our workshop offerings and patient success stories. Visit us online for all of our products, financing information, and free online brochures and videos.
We all want to be beautiful on the outside like we are on the inside. We want to leave our homes every morning ready to conquer the world and not feeling depressed because of acne scars,wrinkles, or skin pigmentations. We want to be confident, vibrant people who take each day as a gift and make the most of it. And we want to step out at night and be ready for the unknown. We want successful aesthetic treatments such as microneedling that turn patients into believers!
MDPen succeeds when you succeed. Take the first step today. Find us online now!