Why you should try Microneedling for Hair Growth
Much has been written about microneedling for the face, but less so about the benefits of microneedling the scalp for hair growth. Microneedling can indeed be used on the face, body and scalp.
WHAT IS MICRONEEDLING
Microneedling is a procedure that uses short and fine sterilised titanium needles to create microscopic channels in the epidermis (lop layer of the skin). The end goal is to rejuvenate the skin through increased levels of collagen, hydration and tissue tightening. As our skin’s natural healing process responds to these pinpricks, the collagen produced, results in a plumped and renewed appearance.
WHY MICRONEEDLE THE SCALP
Microneedling is often used on the scalp, your scalp is skin after all. The treatment is used to help strengthen hair follicles and enhance hair growth. Like with skin, the mechanism of action includes kick starting the wound healing process of the scalp. This helps to promote collagen formation, which forms stronger hair follicles. They in turn hold onto hair for longer periods of time, minimising hair loss. It also increases blood supply which can support hair growth by delivering vital nutrients to the scalp.
WHAT PRODUCTS SHOULD I USE ALONGSIDE MICRONEEDLING?
Microneedling therapy has been shown to dramatically increase the bioavailability of topical treatments, by increasing their penetration through the skin. [1] This has the potential to make topical treatments such as Hair Growth Factor Treatment Serum even more effective and reduce the dosage needed. One study compared the efficacy of Minoxidil treatment with and without microneedling therapy on 100 androgenetic alopecia patients over the course of 12 weeks. [2] 82% of the group using Minoxidil in combination with microneedling reported more than 50% improvement, compared with just 4.5% of the group using Minoxidil alone.
SOURCES
[1] Verbaan, F., et al., Assembled microneedle arrays enhance the transport of compounds varying over a large range of molecular weight across human dermatomed skin, Journal of Controlled Release, 2007, 117(2), 238-245.
[2] R. Dhurat et al, A Randomized Evaluator Blinded Study of Effect of Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Pilot Study, Int J Trichology, 2013, 5(1), 6–11.
