What treatments can darker skin types have safely?

11 Feb What treatments can darker skin types have safely?

Micro-needling is an ever more popular skin rejuvenation procedure that stimulates the skin to regenerate and repair itself safely and naturally. Micro-needles are able to part the pores of the top layer of the skin without damaging it which naturally stimulates collagen and elastin production in the skin resulting in smoother, brighter, healthier and younger looking skin – win!

There are several reasons for its growing popularity – it has excellent results for skin rejuvenation, treatment of scars and stretch marks –  but two stand out in particular; micro-needling can be used anywhere on the body, and the procedure is safe for all skin types.

These are some of the areas and concerns that we use it for most often:

• Facial lines and wrinkles
• Décolleté lines and wrinkles
• Neck lines and wrinkles
• Sun damaged skin and pigmentation
• Scarring

What Do We Mean When We Talk About “Skin Types”?

Skin is the body’s largest organ, though few people think of it in that way. We all know that people come in a wide range of skin colours, from extremely fair to very dark. It is where a person falls within this range that affects their tolerance to the sun.   

The ‘Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale’ is a tool that divides complexions into six categories, or types:

• Type I is the whitest skin, often freckled. Sun exposure always burns this skin.
• Type II is also white, and usually burns when exposed to the sun.
• Type III is white but may have an olive tone. Sun exposure may cause it to burn.
• Type IV is brown and usually not burned by sun exposure.
• Type V is dark brown. Sun exposure rarely causes burns.
• Type VI is black. It does not burn when exposed to the sun.

In Rediscovered Skin Clinic your practitioners will use the Fitzpatrick Scale to classify your skin type before recommending any skin-specific procedures for you. The reason we do this is because different skin-types react differently to procedures and are, therefore, sometimes at more risk of treatment-related problems and after-effects. These effects can include lightening or darkening of the skin in the treatment area, blotchiness, skin discoloration, burns, or even (rarely) scarring.

You may have heard horror stories about problems such as ‘post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation’ (PIH) or burns after laser treatments or chemical peels.  When it comes to issues like this, individuals with skin type I-III have less risk while those with darker skin are more at risk but sadly it is more often than not due to the inexperience of the practitioner.

So why is micro-needling safe and effective for all skin types?

Micro-needling is not a light-based procedure, neither does it involve chemicals or techniques that can cause significant inflammation of the skin and it doesn’t damage the epidermis (top layer of the skin) – all of this makes it an ideal treatment for darker skins.  

Burns, scarring, and pigmentation issues are really not a concern when the procedure is performed by an experienced, knowledgeable practitioner plus micro-needling has the added bonus of virtually no downtime! 

For these reasons, micro-needling is a firm favourite of ours and is both a safe and effective treatment for anyone and everyone with skin!!