How does it work?
A pin prick injury from a microneedle goes through the same 3 stages of the healing process as a larger wound:
1) Inflammation
2) Proliferation (tissue formation)
3) Tissue remodelling
Stage 1), Inflammaton:
Chemotactic factors are released during the infiltration of platelets:
i) TGF alpha and TGF beta (Transforming growth factor alpha and beta)
ii) EGF (Epidermal growth factor)
iii) FGF (Fibroblast growth factor)
iv) IGF (Insulin-like growth factor)
v) PDEGF (Platelet derived epidermal growth factor)
vi) PDAF (platelet derived angiogenesis factor)
Stage 2), Proliferation:
Immune reaction – The leucocytes (white blood cells), act on the injured tissue to eliminate waste and bacteria; This starts off a cascade of activity;
Re-Epithelialization – takes place within a few hours after the procedure as a result of the migration of keratinocytes (and not cell division); After the initial keratinocytes’ adhesion, the missing constituents needed to reinstate the basement membrane with laminin and collagen types IV and VII start being produced; A couple of days after the wound formation, keratinocytes begin proliferating, leading to the epidermis getting thicker.
Revascularization – The blood vessels’ breakage at outset of the needle injury results in moderate tissue hypoxia (injured tissue is deprived of adequate oxygen supply); Under low oxygen levels, fibroblasts are triggered to produce more TGF, PDGF and VEGF
Collagen synthesis – In the meantime, pro-collagen mRNA is also regulated, but new collagen synthesis is not stimulated before revascularization occurs, because oxygen is necessary. Fibroblasts travel into the injured tissue area and generate collagen and elastin as well as proteoglycans and other matrix components.
Stage 3), Remodelling:
Two days post injury – TGF migrates into the wound area after approximately two days post injury and signals fibroblasts to start producing collagen, elastin, glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans.
Collagen Type III is the main form of collagen produced in early wound healing and is laid down in the papillary and upper reticular layers of the dermis, just below the basal layer of the epidermis.
Five days post injury – The fibronectin matrix is re-established and over the next few months collagen Type III is progressively replaced by collagen Type I, which gives the tissues increased tensile strength. This tissue remodelling carries on for a period of 12 to 18 months.
How does it work?
Conclusion:
- Skin needling with Dermaroller results in the formation of thousands of miniscule pin prick wounds in the targeted skin tissue.
- Each of those pin prick wounds is an onset of the normal healing process occurring in the broken skin and leads to new collagen being laid down in the upper dermal layer of the skin.
- A single micro-needle injury would not trigger noticeable collagen formation, but collectively the thousands of minute injuries produce collagen layers on a scale similar to laser therapies.
- Consecutive skin needling sessions produce new collagen progressively until indented scars and deep lines are filled.
Advantages over other skin therapies:
No skin damage (epidermis left intact)
No skin sensitivity to UV light
No risk of permanent skin discoloration
- Suitable for all skin types
- Suitable for thin skin
- Short healing time
- Minimal down time (48 hours)
- Minimal discomfort post-treatment
- Cost effective alternative to laser, e.g., Fraxel laser
- Painless (topical anaesthetic can be used)
- Minimal or no side effects
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Pretty cheap...
http://www.skinactives.com/Keratinocyte-Growth-Factor-BT-KGF.html
[url]http://www.skinactives.com/pdfs/kgf.pdf
This growth factor has been proven to stimulate hair growth in laboratory studies. It also accelerates healing and increases skin volume. It may also help prevent hair loss during radiation therapy during cancer treatment. Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF) binds to the KGF receptor on the cell surface, acting as both a growth and survival factor by stimulating epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration and promoting a number of cell protective mechanisms. KGF is also known as FGF-7 and heparin-binding growth factor-7 (HBGF-7). KGF is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family and has been found to stimulate hair growth. Cells that respond to KGF do so because they have receptors on the cell membrane that recognize the growth factor, normally produced by cells near or far from the target cell. The binding of the Growth Factor to the receptor initiates a cascade of molecular events that will eventually lead, among other effects, to cell division. Keratinocyte growth factor has been shown to regulate proliferation and differentia¬tion in epithelial tissues and may regulate the stem cells of the hair follicle.
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Keratinocyte growth factor is an important endogenous mediator of hair follicle growth, development, and differentiation. Normalization of the nu/nu follicular differentiation defect and amelioration of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1869891/
Stimulation of all epithelial elements during skin regeneration by keratinocyte growth factor
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2191416/
Keratinocyte growth factor is required for hair development but not for wound healing.
http://genesdev.cshlp.org/content/10/2/165.abstract
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For those that missed it like me, despite squeegee, an interesting post by joseph… in 2008. Beside dermarolling, he used retin-a and curcumin.
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/showthread.php/25910-Skin-Needling/page15
He has the same style of growing hair...