15/04/2016

Collagen PIN || Medizen Clinic

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On 24th March I had my first collagen PIN treatment at Medizen in Sutton Coldfield and as promised I'm sharing the details and the pics, although they are perhaps a tad gruesome, don't say you weren't warned. I'm doing a Kim K on you!!! 

What is collagen PIN/micro-needling?

The collagen bit is easy. PIN stands for percutaneous induction needling, also known as micro-needling. Micro-needling is a treatment where micro needles penetrate the skin causing a controlled wound which will then lead to the skin producing growth factors, collagen and elastin, all of which deplete as we get older.  I don't know all of the science-y bit (wish I did) but this treatment can help to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, open pores, brighten dull skin and generally help with all round facial rejuvenation. Sounds good hey?  Some of you may have heard of, or even had the micro-needling roller but they are now considered the previous generation of needling devices with the newer PIN causing less damage to the skin, offering quicker healing and higher rates of success. Manual rollers have a fixed needle depth whereas the PIN offers adjustable needle depth which is great when treating different areas of the face. 

It goes without saying that I did a lot of research on the procedure and clinics before jumping in.  I have to be 100% comfortable with the clinic and the staff or I won't even entertain going for any type of treatment. If the staff are rude, inefficient or unfriendly in any way, shape or form, no matter how small I will not go back, whether they have the best reputation or not, I have to feel comfortable in my surroundings and happy in their care. 

I opted to go to Medizen after Antonia Mariconda mentioned she had her hydrafacial there, so thanks Antonia, I would't have found them otherwise. OK, so it's not on my doorstep but they're only a 50 minute drive away. At my first consultation I met Mary-Jane who did my skin analysis and then had a good chat with me my about my options. I instantly felt comfortable with Mary-Jane, she took the time to listen to my concerns and explained everything, which is what you need isn't it? No-one wants to feel rushed or even worse pressurised into believing you need this treatment and that treatment. I was more than happy to put my face in her hands. 

So without further ado, here I am with numbing cream slapped all over my face!! I sat with this on for half an hour. 


collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

And then it began. Mary-Jane told me everything she was doing along the way, even showing me the unpacking of the new sterile needles. I wrongly assumed that the lip area would be the most painful but she promptly told me it's actually the forehead as the skin is thinner here, she was not wrong!

collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

Please don't be alarmed at the blood, apparently blood is good, and I'm a right little bleeder as you can see!

Does it hurt?

I've read so much info on line that tells you it doesn't hurt. I'm not going to lie to you, I felt this and I consider myself to have a high pain threshold. Not in a very painful way, please don't think that, but just slightly uncomfortable with having to deep breath in a couple of areas, most of the time I was totally relaxed. See, I'm sort of smiling in the picture. If you are thinking of having this don't be put off by that as we're all different aren't we, and you may have a totally different experience to me.

collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

Yep, look like I've had my skin ripped off my forehead and look like I'm some kind of extra in a horror movie, dead, on the slab!

collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

As you can see you can get quite close to the under eye area and lip area helped by the fact that you can customise the needle depth. Mary-Jane explained that the device she used on my face had 36 needles, so that's 36 needles each time it pierced my skin. Ouch. I think she did one pass over my face, perhaps concentrating a little more on my really wrinkly areas! I think the whole face took around an hour.

collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

The bottom left picture is just as I left the clinic and got in the car and the right one is a few days post treatment using a hydrating mask they gave me. Before I left the clinic Mary-Jane popped some hydrating/soothing cream on and gave me some to take away for the next few days and you have to use mineral makeup for that duration as well as it doesn't build any bacteria.

collagen PIN micro-needling  Medizen clinic aesthetics

Afterwards? 

Mary-Jane had told me my skin would be red, tight and possibly sore for a while afterwards, and oh yes it was. That night my skin felt VERY tight indeed. The next morning the redness had died down quite a bit but it was still redder than I thought it would be and it was sore, it was uncomfortable just trying to put the cream on. I had some quite bad red marks at the top of my nose, on both sides, they took the longest to disappear. The mineral make up I had wasn't covering it that well either, especially on top of the thick cream I'd been given, it just slid off! I haven't put any pics on from the few days after as I don't look pretty. A few days in and your dry skin then starts to flake and peel so not a good look! Oh and my eyes were puffy underneath for a couple of days too. 

Collagen PIN is a treatment classed as needing no downtime, that wasn't the case for me. I personally would not have wanted to go to work looking like I did and am glad I had the Easter holidays to hide away as my face was red for quite a while. My skin isn't product sensitive, it's more touch sensitive so maybe that's why. Again, may be totally different for you but at least you know and can be prepared.

Results?

Once the redness had gone and the peeling stopped my skin certainly had more clarity and was plumper, my best friend commented on how great it looked when I went back to work 4 days post treatment which made me feel good. My skin looks smoother in places, and it's looking a lot healthier. Overall I'm really pleased. My skin's not looking amazing but it's a work in progress though and great skin doesn't happen overnight. I'm confident I'll see massive improvements after my third session. 3-6 treatments are recommended depending on the area. For various reasons my second one has to be delayed ever so slightly but it's booked for 4th May and in a weird way I'm looking forward to it. I'm booked in for a course of three (at the minute) so I'll report back to you guys after my third and let you know my final thoughts. 

Another reason for me picking Medizen is that they offer various treatment packages allowing you to spread the cost, (that's what I've done) let's face it we don't all have disposable cash at our fingertips and it's great way to make the treatments affordable for us all. If you're interested in the Collagen PIN or any other treatment for that matter then head to the Medizen website where you'll find all the info you need.

If you've been thinking about having micro-needling I hope this post has helped in some way and if you have any questions then just ask. Remember as well if you're looking for a clinic, Safety in Beauty must come first, do your research! 

I'd also love to hear from anyone else that's had the Collagen PIN (rather than the manual roller) so you can let me know your thoughts. 


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12 comments

  1. Needling is not something I have tried at all. I'd now know exactly what to expect :). Goodness it does make you look red though. I know you hid away a bit but would you feel comfortable going out at all? To the shops - would people notice (does the mineral makeup cover-up enough)? Do you mind saying how much the course costs? Looking forward to reading about your progress. Tx

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    1. Hi Tracey. I did venture out, albeit just for a walk and also popping to my mums. The make up did go on, although was a bit cakey :( I guess I was just more conscious of it personally and am sure others probably wouldn't have noticed. I'll PM you about the price.
      xx

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  2. You're very brave. Can't wait to hear what you think after all the treatments. Great post on something I've not heard about before.
    Julie x

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  3. Really interesting post! I've been considering Botox for a while but as I'm still breastfeeding I caneed have it at the moment. I wonder whether this could be a good alternative? I'll await your final verdict with interest! X

    Sarah |seriouslyshallow.co.uk

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    1. Thank you Sarah. I've considered all sorts, but opted for this first. It's not cheap but I'm hoping I'll see great results.I'll update as I go along.
      xx

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  4. Oh Steph! That looks a tad painful! You are brave! I'm not sure how I'd cope haha!
    Looking forward to your next installment!! xxx
    www.suncreamandsparkles.com

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    1. The most discomfort is after to be honest, but I've no doubt it will all be worth it!!
      xx

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  5. Oh wow, I'm definitely going to be keeping a close eye on your follow up posts!

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  6. Microneedling ruined my skin! Had 4 treatments within a year. My neck has uneven skin texture now from lumps left at every site where the needles went in and out of my skin. My neck looks 80 years old face looks my age but more wrinkles than before. This procedure is a racket making the providers rich and is hit or miss on results for those of us stupid enough to throw the dice!

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    1. Sorry to hear that. Obviously everyones skin is very different and results vary, and as with any skin treatment it's important to do plenty of research beforehand x

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