You’ve probably heard of this celebrity favorite facial from none other than Kim Kardashian. After seeing it on Kim and Kourtney Take Miami, Instagram, and by influencers, I am sure some questions have arisen. To be honest with you, when I first saw someone doing this procedure I was curious. I tried to find out everything I could and why it was in such high demand. 

First and foremost the one thing I noticed when researching it was the price. I am always looking for a bargain or in this case a good price. Some people do not have the money to drop a few hundred dollars on this facial and to continue the yearly upkeep. But despite the price, I was still intrigued.

So the correct name for this procedure is “Microneedling with PRP”. There are a ton of different versions of microneedling but this just happens to be a more invasive one, hence the bleeding. The difference with this is the PRP, which is short for platelet-rich plasma. It involves using your own body’s plasma to create new collagen. If you did not know, this makes the skin look younger by minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. It also helps with eliminating old acne scarring which in my case is what was the main focus and why I wanted to go through with it. 

I have to admit after doing a bit of research when I moved back to California I found a beauty clinic in Toluca Lake that offers this service and was probably the least expensive one I had ever seen. It is a small boutique beauty parlor called The Skin Agency and I pay around $169.00 before tax but they always have monthly specials and at times it can go even lower. I know you guys are into the nitty-gritty and learning about the process so here we go. 

THE PROCESS

So before booking your appointment there are a few things to keep in mind when doing this procedure. You cannot be using any type of Retinol, be in the sun, having any tanning solutions at least two weeks before your visit, and two weeks after. 

When you go in, usually they will start by numbing your face with a type of cream for anywhere between 20-40 minutes. This is probably the most uncomfortable part of the whole experience because you literally lose all feeling in your face for a few hours. Imagine the numbing shot you get in your cheek when you are at the dentist filling a cavity but all over your face. When the nurse finishes applying that to your face, she will take a few vials of blood from your arm and spin them. This allows for your blood and plasma to separate from each other. The plasma is usually a yellowish color and what they use for the actual procedure. 

When the numbing cream has settled, the RN will take off the numbing cream and then you can start the microneedling. A word of caution that I learned, the longer you keep the numbing cream on the less pain you feel. So if you don’t have a high pain tolerance make sure the nurse leaves the numbing cream on for as long as possible. 

Once the numbing cream is off the microneedling goes by rather quickly. You do have the option to include your neck and décolletage but I normally never do it. When you lay down the nurse will then take the microneedling tool and begin. It is a tool with small needles at the end of it that makes tiny holes on your skin. But do not let that scare you! Your skin has a natural response to repair itself and when the plasma is used it is activating new collagen production. You are normally there for about 15 to 20 minutes but it goes by very quickly. 

The aftermath of the procedure will be a bit shocking to some, especially if you are not used to doing these types of treatments. When I first looked in the mirror, I was on the verge of tears. I thought, “wtf did I do?!” Your face will be extremely dry and scabby the first three to five days it is normal. The most important thing is that you do not wash your face for the first few hours. I normally do not until 24 hours after I get the facial just to be on the safe side.

The nurse will sometimes give you leftover plasma that she/he did not finish using. You’re able to apply it to your face that same day. You then want to keep moisturizing the face, and by that, I mean HYALURONIC ACID. It is a component that is found in many fillers and your body naturally produces it as well, you can find a few good ones for a relatively good price but my favorite has been the SkinCeuticals one with B3. I usually always reapply it throughout the day when it finishes absorbing into my skin. I also carry around a rosewater spray just to add a tad bit more moisture.  

This is immediately after the procedure, you can see the acne scarring along my forehead and chin area. 

Usually, by the third-day mark, you can see a lot of the scabbing and redness gone and your skin is returning to normal. I like to wait until the fifth day to resume my normal skin regimen and apply a full makeup beat. You will continue to see improvement in your skin texture and overall appearance. They suggest you go every month to get a total of four to six for optimal results. Then return twice a year for upkeep but, after the second time going I saw a major improvement. It all depends on your current skin situation and what you want to accomplish with it. 

This is around the third day mark, you can already see the scars lightening up!

So ultimately I would have to say I absolutely love this beauty facial. Even though it is targeted at people outside my age group. I am a firm believer in starting to care for your skin as soon as possible. One piece of advice I always get from older family members is they wished they invested more time in it. Your skin is your largest organ! If we care for it like we do our car it will reward us in the long run. 

This is about two months later, I did get an additional treatment done so this is the result just after two visits!

A quick side note that I forgot to include. This facial is only to treat the overall skin texture. It does not help with active acne, extractions, exfoliation, or anything of the sort. If that is one of your skin concerns I HIGHLY recommend getting a gentle facial that will help with that. 

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to email me and I will be happy to help!