Not only for faces

Microneedling is usually thought of as a facial. Yet some of the marks people most want gone are below the neck: the stretch marks a pregnancy leaves on the abdomen, a line from an operation, a scar from an old fall. Bellava lists all of these among the concerns microneedling is used for, and the abdomen, buttocks, thighs, arms, hands, neck and décolletage among the areas it treats.

How it reaches a mark

The pen carries sterile, surgical-grade needles of titanium or steel that make microscopic channels in the skin. Your body reads those channels as something to repair and responds with new collagen and elastin, the fibres it uses to mend the damage. That rebuilding continues for months after each visit, which is why a stretch mark or a scar softens over a course rather than in a day.

Each area gets its own settings. Needle length can be set anywhere from 0.25 mm to 2.5 mm, and your provider adjusts speed and pressure as well, according to the area and to what you say during the session. A topical anesthetic goes on after cleansing, so most patients feel little or no pain, and a session runs 30 to 60 minutes depending on how much is treated.

Making the channels count

Whatever is applied straight after the needles travels deeper through those fresh channels. Bellava can use nourishing serums or hyaluronic acid, or PRP, platelet-rich plasma prepared from your own blood, for stronger regeneration and collagen growth. Vivace, which pairs the needles with radiofrequency energy, is a further option. Licensed medical estheticians Semira Crecco-Donnelly, who is certified in Vivace, and Natalina McEwan, who spent more than a decade in plastic surgery and medical aesthetics, perform all three.

A course, and caring for it

Bellava suggests three to six sessions spaced four to six weeks apart for strong collagen growth with comfortable treatments, then maintenance every six to twelve months. Treated skin is red for 12 to 48 hours, then dry and flaky for a few days as old layers shed; leave it to come away on its own. Keep the area out of direct sun for at least 48 hours, skip hot showers, makeup and exfoliating products for several days, and put waxing, peels and laser treatments on hold.

When the problem is loose skin

Microneedling firms and smooths skin, but it does not remove skin that has stretched and hangs after a pregnancy. That is surgical territory, and Bellava’s board-certified plastic surgeon, Chang Soo Kim, MD, performs the tummy tuck and the mommy makeover. A consultation with him is requested by form, call or text, and the patient coordinator calls you back to arrange it.

From Salem Center

North Salem’s town hall stands on Titicus Road in Salem Center. From there, Route 116 runs west to Purdys and I-684 south takes over; the Saw Mill River Parkway and Route 117 Bypass Road finish the trip at number 182 in Bedford Hills, about 16 minutes without traffic.

North Salem patients ask

Is my skin suitable? Most skin types and ethnicities can be treated. People prone to keloid scars, with very active acne or with certain skin disorders may not be candidates, and very sensitive skin may be kept to the shorter needle lengths.

When will I notice a difference? Firmer, smoother skin often begins to show within about two weeks, and it keeps improving across the course.

How do I book? Press Book Now to choose a time online.

Microneedling for North Salem, NY