Photo Credit Alden Chadwick

Imagine your skin being punctured hundreds of times by small needles, and now imagine yourself paying up to 350 US dollars for going through this exact experience. ABC30.com recently reported, this procedure is starting to get traction in the general public. Sometimes referred as Micro-needling, the procedure is called Collagen induction therapy or CIT for short, and was devised as a way of boosting the internal and locally targeted production of collagen, a form of protein found in the tissue structure. Collagen acts as a structural building block, and is the most important factor in the connective tissue in all mammals. When it comes to our species, collagen is the thing which makes the skin elastic, and a lack of it will make the skin soggy, especially around the face area, where it loses its ability to stay tightly connected to the muscle and bone structure underneath.

CIT was devised as a way of bringing collagen to the parts of the skin where these punctures are produced. Different kinds of equipment are used for this purpose, like Dermaroller, which is basically a small roller with micro needles sticking out of it. Applying this roller on the skin of the face produces trails of small wounds which, in theory, heal and bring more collagen to these areas, adding flexibility and enhancing structure.

Apart from the shady concept of luring collagen to these hotspots (which, for example, won’t work if the person’s broader collagen production is decreased for any reason), this therapy seems really dangerous when it comes to improper sterilization procedures of the equipment (even a single micro needle with has leftover blood can transmit diseases like HIV if it’s not sterilized properly). When the procedure is complete, the risk of infection also remains high because ever contact between the needles and the skin produces a puncture which opens a wound which continues to bleed. If an infection develops, it has to be treated and will probably result in additional scarring.

While some dermatology clinics claim that Micro-needling ideal for minimizing scars left after a damaging acne outbreaks, the use of Collagen induction therapy as a general skin rejuvenation procedure still feels as a too big of a risk for infection during or after the procedure. At the same time, there is no proof that it offers a clear benefit to those who undergo it just so they can have a more youthful looking skin.