WHAT IS IT?

CIT (Collagen Induction Therapy), also known as Dermal Needling, or Micro Needling induces your body’s own collagen stimulation by damaging the skin in a controlled environment. CIT is a non-invasive procedure which balances out the contours/colouring in your skin and typically aims to treat one of the following; wrinkles, fine lines, acne scarring, pigmentation, enlarged pores, sun damage etc.

THE NEEDLES

Your skin has 7 layers to it, if your concerns are lines and wrinkles, you’ll need 3-4 treatments to see a difference because they are formed deeper down in the dermis of the skin and are more permanent, whereas acne and pigmentation are shallow and sit at the top layers of the skin so are easier to penetrate, results being seen after only 1-2 treatments (usually).

Regardless of your concern, after the first treatment there’s an immediate improvement in skin health; your skin looks plump, fresh and overall just healthier.

Depending on your concern, your clinician will decide the correct needle length, ageing and wrinkles have longer needles, 1-1.5mm and more shallow issues (acne and pigmentation) require only 0.25-0.5mm.

USING SKINCARE PRODUCT + DERMAPEN

If you put product onto the skin during this process, the results are amplified.

Why? Okay, think of your skin like a sieve. When you apply skincare, some gets through your skin's barrier - but never on a cellular level. A Dermapen on the other hand, creates tiny microchannels in your skin allowing skincare product to get right into the cells themselves, meaning you get faster, quicker, and better results because FINALLY the product goes where it needs to be.

MY EXPERIENCE + WHAT HAPPENS

My first experience with CIT was at Body & Soul Clinic in Johnsonville. The lovely Mel (who’s been in the industry over 20 years) cleansed my face and put a red, LED light mask on me. Your clinician chooses from three colours; red to stimulate collagen and elastin in the skin, green for pigmentation or blue for acne.

*This is simply an add-on to the CIT to enhance the treatment results - not all clinics offer this.

Mel from Body and Soul Clinic - used a Dermapen with tiny 1mm needles that quickly and efficiently puncture the skin (they move up and down inside the pen) to induce your body's own natural process of growth and repair. When your skin is ‘traumatised’ (I’m using that word very lightly here) a natural healing process is activated stimulating your own collagen production.

Mel used a Dermapen product on my skin containing hyaluronic acid to plump the skin, and retinol (vitamin A) which assists with anti-ageing. The areas Mel is targeting for me are under the eyes, my marionette lines (smile lines, lines around the mouth) and the rest of my face in general.

Firstly, she put on an anaesthetic cream to remove any and all discomfort. Then with the microneedle, she very quickly moves around your face, slowing down and easing up on pressure around the eyes and sensitive areas (similiar to how you might blend foundation with a brush). I’ve had my fair share of treatments and this was easily tolerable. For me, she changed the needle halfway through to a shorter one to work under my eyes and on my eyelids - because the skin is 40% thinner in those areas. Once that was done she finished up with a calming mask (everyone’s end mask would be different depending on their reaction and concerns) to close up the ‘holes’ that were made. To finish, because the needling is SUCH a big exfoliator and sloughs off all dead skin cells, she protects the new skin by using a gentle sunscreen with moisturiser.

FOLLOWING TREATMENT

My face was blotchy, red and I left looking like I’d seen maybe 20 minutes too much sun in the weekend, my face felt a little bit warm to touch but that was gone the following day, roughly 24-48 hours later and my skin has NEVER been so soft! When I applied makeup the next day it sat flawlessly on my skin - like FLAWLESSLY.

THE RESULTS

My personal experience with CIT has so far been amazing! I by no means have great skin, and in fact I’m one of those awful people who, by the time Friday rolls around, might just fall asleep on the couch with a full face of makeup on. Unideal to say the least. However, I do swear by an Oil Cleanser and use one every night (or morning depending on the day of the week) and ensure to remove all makeup and product off my skin. 

Currently, I use my Oil Cleanser, Dermalogica’s Barrier Repair along with their newest Eye Cream.

Following my first CIT, Mel recommended I try their Skin Coach programme - also known as a Non-Injectable Facial Filler. This adds hyaluronic acid into the skin as we lose it naturally with age. 

AFTER ONE COLLAGEN INDUCTION THERAPY AND SKIN COACH TREATMENT

If you’re interested in CIT or improving your skin health, Mel from Body and Soul has been kind enough to offer free consultations, and a discounted treatment price for Collagen Induction Therapy, from $162 down to $99. My advice? Go in for a free non-obligatory consult - and if you’re happy, take the deal!