Lecture 2 – METHODS OF THE MICRONEEDLE MESOTHERAPY. DERMAPEN. MICRONEEDLES AND THEIR CONFIRUGRATION.

So, now we know that the method of fractional mesotherapy is advanced and very popular today, as it harmoniously combines the advantages of all classical meso procedures, leaving aside their disadvantages. During fractional mesotherapy, cosmetologist uses “Dermapen” device, which is supplied with the finest sterile needles made of medical steel. Needle tips (they are called “cartridges”, to be exact), are strictly disposable and sterile tools and elements of dermapen. With their help, vertical micro-punctures are made, and a cocktail of vitamins, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and collagen, as well as other active substances, are injected through them. The epidermis (top layer) receives a minimum of damages and protective functions do not weaken.

• It’s important that the depth of punctures varies from 0.1 to 2 mm. This means that your doctor-cosmetologist will make an adjustment to your skin type and the specifics of the treated area!!!

As a result, the skin becomes more elastic and dead cells get removed. Thanks to the micro punctures the body increases its production of collagen, so the result will stay with you for a long time.

The method of fractional mesotherapy is so effective that it can significantly improve the condition of the skin in just a few sessions. In this case, the effect of the procedure has a long-term effect, because of the stimulation of neocollagenesis and elastin synthesis.

Before the procedure, clean the skin with a special lotion. After that, the myotherapist proceeds directly to the procedure. The skin is pierced to a certain depth. Most often it is from 0.5 mm to 1 mm. It’s necessary to observe a uniform distance between the punctures for the development of aseptic inflammation of the skin. In just a day the inflammatory processes are damped due to the activation of macrophages and fibroblasts which are responsible in the body for the restoration of wounds. Those places on the skin that need correction are located next to healthy tissue. These areas of healthy tissue cosmetologists call the “islands of recovery.” They are donors that give their healthy cells to damaged tissues. This method of delivery of active substances to the skin allows solving several problems at once in one session. Sometimes one procedure is enough to notice the positive effect of fractional mesotherapy. The number of recommended procedures is determined by the myotherapist depending on the problems to be solved. The standard course of fractional mesotherapy includes from 3 to 8 sessions with an interval of 10 to14 days.

• A few days before the procedure it’s necessary to refrain from drinking alcohol, active smoking, and medications that can worsen blood clotting.
• Right before the procedure, the skin is cleaned, and the disinfection of the intended area of exposure is made.
• At the request of the client, additional anesthesia with local anesthetics is performed.

Then the procedure itself is performed. Mesotherapist makes rapid punctures of the skin at a certain interval. The diagram below shows the line of influence of dermapen device and the estimated depth of the needle.

Due to the special structure of the device, punctures are made quickly which minimally traumatizes the nerve endings. The speed of the needle entering is very high, which creates a painless “cotton effect”. The presence of the “tube-limiter” in the device allows to minimally stretch of the skin at the time of microinjection, which contributes to the absence of pain syndrome.

There are several types of devices for fractional mesotherapy. All of them are so functional that they are an innovative success of hardware cosmetology. The devices are designed in such a way that they allows you to control the size of the area and the dose of fractional punctures. This promotes rapid regeneration of the skin and the activation of fibroblasts, which stimulates the synthesis of collagen and elastic threads.

If the patient isn’t sure about getting the procedure of fractional mesotherapy, the myotherapist can perform a demonstration procedure, making an injection on the outside of the forearm, which allows the patient to make sure that the method is painless. In some cases, with a low pain threshold, additional anesthesia is provided, but as practice shows, in most cases it is unnecessary.

Pain is reduced due to the following factors:

1. High speed of injections.
2. Minimal tension of the skin with punctures of the skin.
3. The special structure of needles which softly and easily enters the tissue.
4. The minimum period of receptors stimulation.

To achieve lasting improvements, you will need a course of 4 to 8 procedures with a break of 6 to 8 weeks. Their number depends on the condition of the skin and the type of problems.

Dr. Pen is a fractional mesotherapy cosmetic device with a rubber pen-holder, which has a certain number of needles, providing the injection of mesotherapeutic drug to a certain depth of the epidermis.

Design features of DermaPen:

Dr. Pen dermapen is designed for professional use by beauticians and consists of a plastic or aluminum case. At the end of the handle-maniple is a head-cartridge with single-use microneedles. The needles are made out of medical steel or titanium. The device has a stylish design and easy ergonomic handle-holder.

The process of fractional mesotherapy is aimed at stimulating the formation of new cells, that is, to renew the skin. Punctures are applied by beams of microneedles vertically. Minimum frequency-3600 punctures per minute, maximum-7200 punctures per minute. The depth of the punctures varies from 0.25 to 3.0 mm. The required intensity of micro-needling is controlled through 6-speed reciprocating movements of the 12 microneedles in each cartridge. Due to the movement of the microneedles, a uniform and gentle piercing of the skin is provided. Through the punctures, in the epidermis, the mesotherapy cocktail penetrates and begins the process of skin renewal.

Due to the microstimulation of the skin the lifting effect is achieved.

Dr. Pen device operates from the internal battery or the electricity. Its disposable cartridges for injection therapy are supplied in the vacuum packs, which are absolutely sterile. They can be purchased separately from the device. Special cartridges consist of a beam of microneedles with a special sharpening, coated with silver so that the inflammatory process in the treated area practically does not occur. DermaPen can work in automatic and manual modes with a certain number of punctures per minute.

Main features of this procedure:

• The vertical flow of microneedles;
• Virtually painless procedure;
• The high density of microfractures;
• Adjustable microneedle length;
• Disposable replacement cartridges;
• Adjustable puncture speed.

Who is suitable for Dr. Pen?

Dr. Pen is suitable for:

• Home use;
• Cosmetologist’s offices;
• Beauty salons.

• Hyperpigmentation;
• Rosacea;
• “Second chin”
• Post-acne;
• The presence of deep wrinkles;
• Cellulite;
• Acne;
• Enlarged pores;
• Stretch marks;
• Fat folds;

• Characteristics:

Number of needles 12;

The material of needles – surgical steel;

The thickness of the needles 0.25 mm;

Adjustable needle length (0.25 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.25 mm, 1.5 mm, 1.75 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.25 mm, 2.5 mm, 2.75 mm, 3.0 mm)

Vertical needle feed

Controlled needle feed speed

Minimum needle feed speed: 3600 oscillations per minute. Maximum needle feed speed: 7200 oscillations per minute. Only works from the electricity (wire length 1.5 m).

• Equipment:

Handle-maniple

Two cartridges

Battery charger

USB cable

Instruction manual

The length of needles feed for different parts of the skin on the face:

• Forehead — 0,25–0,5 mm
• Between eyebrows — 0,25–0,5 mm
• Nose — 0,25 mm
• Under-eye area — 0,25 mm
• Cheekbones — 0,5 mm
• Cheeks and the chin — 0,5–1,0 mm
• Upper lip — 0,25 mm
• Facial scars — 1,0–1.25 mm
• Stretch marks — 1.5–2,0 mm
• Scars (surgical and burn) — 2,0–3,0 mm

Recommendations for DermaPen use:

1. Cleans the skin, treat it with a tonic.
2. Apply anesthetic on the skin for 20-30 minutes-optional!!!
3. Remove the cartridge from the packaging and attach it to the working part of the machine.
4. Adjust the feed speed of microneedles per minute and a feed depth of microneedles.
5. After the procedure, apply the healing treatment to the skin for 20 minutes.
6. Apply a soothing mask to your face, suitable for your skin type.

The algorithm of the device work is presented in the diagram below:

Contraindications:

• Allergic reactions;
• Pregnancy;
• Viral diseases;
• Diabetes;
• Inflammatory diseases;
• Hemophilia;
• Infectious processes;
• Neuropsychiatric diseases;
• Pustular rashes;
• Neoplasms.

Cartridges configuration and their use

As mentioned above, a new disposable cartridge should be used in every procedure. After unpacking and installing the cartridge, the speed and departure of the needle on the handle of dermapen should be set. The length (poke) of the needle depends not only on the area that you need to perform the procedure on, as well as on active substances since the choice of drug for injection also affects the depth of the puncture. The diagram below shows the boundaries of the needle penetration into the skin layers depending on the exposed length of the needle.

The penetration of the needle (or the needle beam) depends on the resistance of the treated area of the skin. The less resistance there is, the easier and deeper will be the penetration. Thereafter, the larger the cartridge configuration is, the greater will be the resistance. Thus, smaller needle configurations have easier and deeper penetration and are used when we need to inject a particular drug deeper, for example on the scalp, on keloid scars, stretch marks, cellulite, etc.

More superficial treatments require larger beams. For example, in the procedure with BB Glow Skin Treatment, it is better to use 36 or nano modification of the cartridge for a more uniform application and to minimize damage to the skin. The photo below shows all the modifications of the needles on the example of Dr. Pen Ultima A6 device (as you can see, the device is used for micro-pigmentation procedure with cartridges 1, 3, 5 and 7 pins).

Nano needles are bundles with rounded ends of needles; therefore traumatization, in this case, is reduced to almost none. However, these modifications show very good therapeutic and aesthetic results. Another undeniable fact is that they can work on irritated, problem skin, where the work of sharp needles is undesirable, and sometimes just impossible.

Nano needle (cartridge) with a closer examination is a beam of blunt needles.