Microneedling

Microneedling is offered at this Chicago Old Town practice as a collagen-induction skin treatment using fine needles to create controlled microchannels in the skin surface, triggering a wound-healing response that drives new collagen and elastin synthesis. The treatment addresses fine lines, acne scarring, skin texture, pore size, and skin laxity with minimal downtime. Microneedling is also used at this practice to enhance the penetration and efficacy of topical serums applied during the treatment session.

Microneedling at this Chicago facial plastic surgery practice harnesses the skin's intrinsic wound-healing response to drive dermal remodelling and new collagen synthesis without the tissue ablation and extended recovery associated with laser resurfacing. The treatment uses a device fitted with an array of fine-gauge needles — set to a depth calibrated to the specific area and concern being treated — to create a controlled pattern of microchannels penetrating through the epidermis into the superficial papillary dermis. These micro-injuries trigger a cascade beginning with platelet degranulation and growth factor release at the wound sites, progressing through fibroblast activation and proliferation, and culminating in the synthesis of new type I and type III collagen and elastin fibres over the following four to eight weeks. The cumulative effect across a treatment series is a measurable increase in dermal density, improved skin texture and smoothness, reduction in pore visibility, softening of superficial acne scars and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and a modest improvement in skin laxity. Unlike ablative lasers, microneedling preserves the epidermal barrier — keeping the skin surface intact — which both shortens the recovery period to one to two days of mild redness and allows the treatment to be performed safely across all Fitzpatrick skin types including darker complexions that carry higher risk with melanin-targeting energy devices. The microchannels created during the treatment also provide a transient window of enhanced topical penetration: the practice applies growth factor serums, hyaluronic acid, or other active ingredients during and immediately after the procedure to drive deeper dermal uptake than would be achievable through intact skin. A typical treatment course consists of three to six sessions spaced four weeks apart, with maintenance sessions recommended at three- to six-month intervals to sustain the collagen remodelling benefit.