Two for ones is always a good thing. That’s kind of how you can think of $1 hot dogs at Monkey’s Tail at the Astros games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. OK, that’s not technically two for one, it’s actually an even better deal. But just play along, OK? 

Dr. Barrera agrees. That’s why at his Houston practice he combines two non-invasive treatments into one. That’s right. To our popular microneedling treatments we now add platelet-rich plasma. This is an especially good time to have PRP, by the way, as the thousands of tiny punctures made by microneedling allow excellent penetration of the PRP into the dermis, where it can do the most good. 

What is microneedling? 

Microneedling uses the body’s wound-healing mechanisms to improve your skin. For our microneedling, we use the SkinPen. The SkinPen uses 14 stainless steel medical-grade needles to create hundreds of microscopic channels down through the epidermis. We can vary the penetration depth of the SkinPen needles, depending on the area being treated. These micro-injuries trigger a wound-healing response in the body, where healthy new skin cells and collagen are produced and sent to “heal” the perceived wounds. This happens despite the fact that the microscopic punctures heal fully in just a couple of hours. 

What are the benefits of the SkinPen over other microneedling devices? 

Dr. Barrera is a big fan of the SkinPen. He feels it has numerous advantages over other microneedling systems. 

•     SkinPen has clinical testing to prove its effectiveness for reducing acne scars and improving skin texture and quality.
•     SkinPen was the first FDA-cleared microneedling device and has consistently set the industry standard.
•     The microneedle penetration depth can be adjusted. This is especially important due to variations in skin depth. For instance, the forehead has much thinner skin than the cheeks.
•     SkinPen is uniquely effective on the delicate areas around the eyes and around the mouth.
•     For each microneedling session we use a new, sterile, single-use SkinPen cartridge to eliminate the risk of infection.
•     SkinPen has a Bio-Sheath feature to protect against any cross contamination.

How does PRP improve SkinPen microneedling? 

To get the full 2-for-1 punch for skin rejuvenation, we combine SkinPen microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The application of PRP immediately following your microneedling allows far more effective penetration of the PRP through the epidermis down into the dermis layer of the skin. This allows your body to benefit from the extensive growth factors and other cytokines present in PRP. This combination of microneedling and PRP increases tissue response five times more than that which occurs after microneedling alone. 

Interested in SkinPen microneedling with PRP at Dr. Barrera’s? Call us at (713) 468-5200 to schedule your session.