Home Skincare What Is Microchanneling?

What Is Microchanneling?

by Gabbi

Beauty treatments continue to advance and improve to deliver the best possible results for our skin. Over the years, we have seen new innovations targeting different areas of concern, as well as improvements to existing treatments that have already shown proven benefits.

Incorporating certain beauty treatments into our routine is a way to address any personal skin concerns, while also providing a glowing and healthy appearance.

Microchanneling is a newer beauty treatment that is growing in popularity. It provides a similar process and results as microneedling, but with an updated tool to provide an even application and a quicker downtime for recovery.

Both microchanneling and microneedling use small punctures in the skin to engage the healing process to improve the texture, tone, and clarity of the complexion’s appearance.

What is microchanneling exactly and who is it for? Microchanneling is a non-invasive beauty treatment that creates smooth, even, and clear skin by encouraging an increased production of collagen and elastin in the skin to fade hyperpigmentation, smooth scars, and minimize uneven texture.

Microchanneling is a treatment that is similar to microneedling, with both treatments being ideal for those who want to reduce the appearance of fine lines, hyperpigmentation, or uneven textures or tones left behind by scarring.

Below we discuss in depth what microchanneling is, its benefits, as well as the recovery and aftercare from this beauty treatment!

What Is Microchanneling?

Microchanneling is a non-invasive beauty treatment that helps to stimulate the collagen production in the skin and boost the skin’s elasticity. It helps to strengthen and thicken skin, by stimulating the top layer to rebuild the skin’s barrier.

The body naturally produces collagen and elastin which give the skin a plump, taut, and smooth complexion. However, overtime, the body begins to slow and cease to produce both as we get older.

Microchanneling encourages and quickens the body’s natural process of producing collagen and elastin to help achieve a youthful, even, and bright appearance.

Microchanneling uses a specific tool to create small perforations in the skin to allow products, such as serums, to penetrate deeper into the skin. It also boosts the skin’s natural inclination to repair the targeted area, with the process resulting in smoother and clearer skin.

Who Is Microchanneling For?

Microchanneling is a treatment that can be suitable for all skin types and skin tones. It is a treatment that is ideal for those wanting to reduce the appearance of discoloration left behind by scarring, such as the result from acne breakouts or stretch marks.

Microchanneling also works for those wanting to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and smooth the texture of their skin. The treatment also helps to fade areas of hyperpigmentation and sun spots.

It can also help for those who are experiencing rosacea, or are struggling with brightening a dulled complexion. 

Microchanneling Benefits

There are countless benefits to including microchanneling treatments into your beauty routine. The biggest benefit is that is creates smooth and clear skin, for a glowing and youthful appearance.

The treatment can help to prevent and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, by boosting the skin’s collagen production for a plump and full complexion.

If you want to improve the texture of your skin, for a smoother appearance, the increased elastin production will also help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles to enhance the overall complexion.

Microchanneling can also help improve the complexion in terms of enlarged pores by helping to minimize the appearance and any areas of uneven texture. The treatment helps to diminish any areas of discoloration left by scars, sun spots, or hyperpigmentation to create an even, clear complexion.

If you are concerned with wanting to create an even-toned complexion and fade the look of discoloration due to hyperpigmentation, microchanneling can be a solution for you. The complexion is left brightened and evened after the procedure works to diminish areas of discoloration.

The treatment also works to prevent the skin from appearing dull, due to buildup of dead skin cells clinging to the top layer of the skin.

Microchanneling Side Effects

Microchanneling does not have many long-term negative side effects noted for the treatment. However, there may be some mild irritation after a microchanneling sessions, especially for those with sensitive skin.

Generally, the treatment can cause the skin to feel “tight” over the targeted area, which can cause some discomfort or itchiness.

There skin may appear to have a pink or red flush for several hours, including the following day, after the treatment. Along with some redness, the skin may also feel sore or experience some swelling in the treated areas.

Although the treatment includes creating small punctures in the skin, the session overall should not be painful. There is some mild discomfort you may experience during the treatment, but if it becomes painful, your microchanneling technician will be able to apply a topical numbing cream to ease any discomfort.

As with any beauty treatment, there is some downtime required for recovery, however not as much as more invasive procedures.

While you may experience any side effects short term, the skin should begin to heal itself within the days following the treatment. The window for aftercare treatment is within the following 24-48 hours after your microchanneling session.

Microchanneling Vs. Microneedling

Microchanneling is often being compared to another beauty treatment, microneedling, due to their similarities. While they both target comparable skin concerns and deliver similar results, microchanneling is seemingly the upgraded version of microneedling.

The main difference between the two treatments is the tool that is used to complete the procedure. Microneedling uses a handheld tool that is used to create small punctures on the skin by rolling the tool over the specific area.

While microchanneling also uses a similar tool, it contains smaller needle points and provides control over the pressure in certain areas more easily. 

The microchanneling tool creates single sections of small marks, rather than the handheld tool that is rolled over sections of the face. The precise control of the microchanneling tools allows for the aesthetician to customize the pressure for small punctures, depending on the area that is being targeted.

Larger, more fleshy areas of the skin, such as the cheeks, can sustain a deeper pressure, while it is best to use lighter pressure on thinner, more delicate areas of the skin, such as around the eyes.

Due to how the microneedling tool works on the face, it can cause irregular or elongated punctures in the skin, as the tool has the potential to drag on small areas of the face. Microchanneling, on the other hand, creates uniform perforations due to the controlled method of application.

While the two treatments are similar and can deliver the same type of results, microchanneling overall will provide less potential damage to the skin.

Microchanneling Process

The process for microchanneling begins with clean skin, ensuring the face is free of any excess oil, dirt, or makeup. Leading up to your appointment, it is best to avoid using any chemical or physical exfoliants on the skin for a few days prior to the treatment.

It is also best to avoid using any retinol products in the days leading up to your appointment. Retinol and other exfoliators should also be avoided in the days following your treatment as well.

The procedures uses a small, handheld tool with tiny needles on the end to create small punctures in the skin to encourage the healing process. With microneedling, the tool would be rolled over the face to create the perforations, but the tool used for microchanneling requires a different technique:

  1. At the start of the appointment, a numbing cream will be applied to the skin to lessen the discomfort of the microchanneling tool. The numbing cream will sit on the skin for about 20 minutes, before the actual treatment begins.
  2. With microchanneling, the tool is stamped on the face in the desired area to create the small wounds. The tool requires a single stamp motion, so it is moved over the face to each targeted area, rather than being rolled over. The stamping motion creates more uniform punctures that are evenly dispersed throughout the area receiving the treatment. It also helps to control the pressure that is applied to create the small wounds, which will help with the healing process as well as the results overall. The tool creates rows of vertically stamped punctures across the skin, rather than the potential elongated holes that can be created with the microneedling tool.
  3. After the tool has been stamped across the face, your aesthetician will then apply a serum onto the skin. Due to the small punctures, the serum is able to quickly and more deeply absorb into the skin, to help deliver the benefits of the product from the inside out. The serum used in a microchanneling session is often a platelet-rich plasma or a topical serum to provide the ideal skin benefits. The platelet-rich plasma uses stem cells from your own blood to encourage the healing process and stimulate the collagen production. Topical serums that are usually applied with a microchanneling procedure are rich in hyaluronic acid, which provides skin with a plump and dewy appearance.
  4. Hyaluronic acid delivers intense hydration to the skin, which will help boost the overall appearance and maintain the effects of the increased collagen and elastin produced in the skin. The serums will sit on the skin for the skin for the remainder of the appointment, to be fully absorbed to provide the best results.

The treatment in general should take anywhere from 45 minutes up to one and a half hours. With the numbing cream applied, the process should be minimally painful or uncomfortable.

You should begin to see the results in the following days and weeks of your appointment, but depending on the treated area, more sessions may be required before receiving the optimal results.

For a visual look at the whole process, take a look at this video from West End Plastic Surgery on YouTube.

Microchanneling Results

With microchanneling being a non-invasive procedure, the needed downtime and recovery period is less than some more intensive treatments. Depending on your skin concerns, you can start seeing results from the microchanneling session within a few days following your first treatment.

Based on what skin concerns you are addressing, you many need to have more sessions to effectively target the area and to see the best results.

Skin will begin to appear thicker, fuller, and smoother after your microchanneling treatments due to the increased collagen and elastin production. The affected top layer of the skin will begin to repair itself, causing the skin to rebuild to be stronger. Fine lines will begin to diminish, while discoloration will begin to fade.

Aftercare

Following your microchanneling session, 24-48 hours of downtime are needed to recover the skin and protect the skin from any potential irritation.

While the skin may feel tight or uncomfortable after the treatment, it is best to wait at least 90 minutes post-treatment before applying any skincare or topical treatment onto the treated skin.

It is also ideal to avoid applying makeup onto the skin for at least six hours following the treatment, to keep the skin clear and free of product.

As the treatment targets the top layer of the skin, you want to avoid using any physical or chemical exfoliants for at least one week, or until the skin is completely healed.

A physical exfoliant would be a face or body scrub, while a chemical exfoliant would be a product that contains specific acids, like AHAs. The exfoliants also target the top layer of the skin, and with the microchanneling procedure, the skin is exposed and vulnerable as it heals.

As with most beauty treatments, you want to avoid direct and excess sun exposure following the microchanneling treatment.

It is best to avoid excess sun exposure for at least a week following the treatment, and continue to use sun protection afterwards to prevent any potential sun damage or irritation from occurring.

While you may begin to see results in the days following your treatment, depending on the area of concern the procedure is targeting, it may require more than one session. If you are addressing fine lines or texture, there may be the need for anywhere between one to three sessions.

For more intense concerns, like deeper wrinkles, scarring, or areas on the body, you may need up to six sessions for the desired results.

As the results will start to appear on the skin, if you require more sessions it is recommended to wait three to four weeks between treatments before a follow-up session.

Conclusion

Although microneedling has been a popular skincare treatment to address concerns such as discoloration, scarring, and fine lines, microchanneling is the updated version of the treatment that requires less downtime and enhanced results.

By using a tool that provides stamped, uniform punctures to the skin, there is less trauma inflicted on the skin and the healing process can be completed more quickly.

Along with engaging the healing process, the treatment boosts the production of collagen and elastin in the skin that naturally starts to diminish overtime, which can help smooth and enhance the texture of the complexion.

The clarity of the skin is also improved through stimulating the top layer of the skin, to help minimize and fade areas of discoloration.

The microchanneling tool creates small punctures on the skin, but the use of a platelet-rich plasma, or a topical serum rich in hyaluronic acid, is what is going to further enhance the increased collagen production of the skin.

Being able to absorb more deeply into the layers of the skin, helps to deliver the best results for your skin overall. After the required amount of treatments, your skin will be plump, glowing, and smooth for the healthiest and brightest appearance yet!

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