15 Jul San Jose Microneedling vs. Tik Tok’s Viral Hyaluron Pen
A lot of people have given in to the constant social media pressure to try out DIY skin care products in the past year—sometimes with horrifying results. RefinedMD is fully reopened, so you can treat yourself to medical-grade treatments and products, which means gorgeous results. When it comes to kick-starting collagen production for plumper, dewier, more youthful skin, which is better: microneedling in San Jose or the Hyaluron Pen that’s all over Tik Tok?
There’s simply no comparison. Microneedling is a decades-old proven method for “telling” the skin to start producing more collagen in treated areas. It works by having a professional create tiny “micro-injuries” in the skin (or “micro-channels”). These controlled injuries entail no pain, no real downtime, but plenty of collagen production as the body hurries to “heal” itself. The result is skin that is glowing and plump in all the right ways. But what about those Hyaluron Pens you’ve been tempted to try after seeing countless social media videos? Let’s take a closer look.
Why DIY is Dominating
It’s no surprise that in the midst of a pandemic, beauty treatments were done at home. While cutting your hair (probably) isn’t going to provide any real damage, the same isn’t true of injecting hyaluronic acid into your nose, jawline, and lips. Hyaluronic acid, or HA, is found naturally in the body—that’s why it’s the most common ingredient in many dermal fillers. However, a dermal filler is injected by a professional using needles specific to the treatment site and results. The trending Tik Tok HA treatments use pneumatic pressure that forces HA into the skin without a needle. That might sound like a great solution to those who are needle-shy, but what it really means is that you have little control over the depth and speed of delivery. Plus, those who use pneumatic pressure DIY treatments are usually not professionals.
Just like any other non-medical-grade product, there’s also a lot of variance in terms of quality. There has been some investigation into the various pens, and Allure reports that some at-home hyaluron pens actually just deposit HA on the surface of the skin. That isn’t dangerous, but it also does nothing but wastes your time and money. On the more dangerous end of the spectrum, some users have reported severe swelling, bruising, and pain with these products.
The Allure of HA
The cost of these at-home HA products ranges from $50 to several hundred dollars. They claim to deliver anywhere from 5 – 18 mm of depth and anywhere from 1,000 – 5,000 psi (pounds per square inch). PSI is also how bike pumps measure air delivery (for some comparison). If you really want to know how an HA at-home pen feels, consider that a punch in the face ranges from 65 – 80 PSI and bullets start at around 1,000 PSI. How a system that delivers 1,000 – 5,000 PSI can also claim to be pain-free remains a mystery.
The needle-free delivery of Tik Tok pens is nothing new. There are other (medical) injectors that can deliver liquid medications without needles, such as insulin or anesthesia. With the right amount of pressure (i.e. a lot), you actually don’t need a needle to penetrate the skin. However, this does not inherently mean it’s a pain-free experience. Plus, anesthesia and insulin are going to be prescribed medications, whereas DIY HA pens are not.
The Aesthetic Community Speaks Out
Shortly after these pressure pens began trending, leading experts began to speak out. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery released a patient safety alert and also notified the FDA of various safety concerns. The American Academy of Dermatology followed suit, warning of “serious health consequences.” Even if a person happens to buy a decent at-home HA pen, there’s a high risk of injecting it in the wrong area. Just a tiny millimeter in the wrong direction could void an entire area of your blood circulation. Vascular occlusion can happen when any gel compresses or gets into an artery and blocks blood flow—which can lead to a stroke, blindness, or skin loss.
If you want to plump the skin safely, naturally, and with total peace of mind, consider microneedling or professional dermal fillers. RefinedMD provides patients with a comfortable experience and results you’ll love. Call today to book your appointment or complete the online form.