ALLURE magazine’s recent article “Micro-Coring Is a Skin-Tightening Treatment That Requires No Downtime” spotlights the latest newcomer to the beauty scene. Among popular skin rejuvenating procedures, such as microneedling, the micro-coring technology claims to be unlike any other in its category. The promise of smoother, tighter skin that can be achieved in a relatively painless, quick office visit, frankly has us intrigued. But, does micro-coring live up to the hype? ALLURE asks the experts to weigh in about what this procedure can and cannot do.
Micro-coring is a treatment that uses a one-of-its kind handheld device with hollow needles to poke thousands of tiny holes in areas of your face, suctioning away the removed tissue as it goes. By removing these micro-portions of tissue, the nearby skin shrinks and contracts, giving it an overall tighter appearance. This process is meant to stimulate the skin’s natural healing process, resulting in increased collagen production and therefore subsequent tightening. The procedure is done using local anesthesia and takes about 30 minutes to complete. There is minimal downtime and most patients have redness that lasts only a few days and up to a week. Depending on the provider and treatment area, the cost per treatment can be between $2,000 and $3,500. For best results, typically three treatments are needed.
While micro-coring may sound like an appealing solution for minimally-invasive skin-tightening, there are also some limitations to what it can deliver. In theory, the skin’s natural inflammatory response to this procedure is meant to result in a tightening effect. However, currently, there’s no data on the tightening results you can expect. Additionally, though the procedure can remove 4-8% of excess skin in the treatment area (such as the cheeks, jowls, jawline or chin), a facelift can achieve a much more significant difference for wrinkles and facial sagging. Micro-coring is also not suitable for all skin types. For example, it is not recommended for darker skin tones, which are more likely to scar than lighter tones, and for patients known to develop keloid or hypertrophic scars.
Although we’re always on the look out for the most innovative treatments, we tend to play it safe with any new technology that offers limited benefits and potentially results in unpleasant side effects. Micro-coring technology is the one we will be cautiously watching on the sidelines. If we see that it works well, you can be assured we will jump in on the wagon and will start offering it to our patients. At the same time we feel it’s worth while to wait a bit before recommending it to those seeking skin-tightening treatment.
You can read the full article in ALLURE Magazine. Whether you’re interested in skin-tightening or other facial rejuvenating treatments and procedures, we are here to help make you look and feel your best self! Please contact our Manhattan-based practice to schedule your appointment with New York’s top facial plastic surgeon and facelift expert, Konstantin Vasyukevich, MD.
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