J Dermatol Plast Surg | Volume 2, Issue 2 | Review Article | Open Access
Kathryn Konicke, Michael Knabel and Edit Olasz*
Department of Dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, USA
*Correspondance to: Edit Olasz
Fulltext PDFMicroneedling is a minimally invasive procedure that is becoming widely utilized in dermatology. Microneedles (MNs) are fine, needle-like structures that penetrate the skin. MNs can be used for Percutaneous Collagen Induction (PCI) therapy and to augment transdermal drug delivery. This review is a primer on microneedling for dermatologists. It provides an overview of the history, instruments, principle of PCI, drug delivery mechanism, applications for dermatologic conditions, and adverse effects. For MN applications in dermatology, PubMed database was used to search for studies and search terms included “microneedling” and “percutaneous collagen induction.” Priority was given to studies with human subjects and prospective, randomized trials. Studies demonstrate success with microneedling for skin rejuvenation, acne scars, non-acne scars, acne vulgaris, hyperpigmentation, alopecia, hyperhidrosis, and drug delivery. The procedure is reported to be safe with minimal adverse side effects. As MN use becomes more widespread, it is important to increase the number of randomized, controlled trials to provide further data on the efficacy and safety of microneedling.
Konicke K, Knabel M, Olasz E. Microneedling: A Primer for Dermatologists. J Dermatol Plast Surg. 2017; 2(2): 1014.