Linda Pietk is sitting calmly in the sleek offices of Union Square Laser Dermatology having her face poked.
“It felt like needle pricks,” says Pietk, a 50-year-old stay-at-home mom from Long Island, who was getting a “microneedling” treatment to reduce wrinkles.
“It wasn’t painful, just slightly uncomfortable,” says Pietk. “Afterward, my face felt warm, was slightly red and a bit swollen. It appeared as if I had sunburn.”
The latest hot beauty trend may sound like a sadistic medical procedure — microneedling basically does to your face what an aerator does to a lawn — but that hasn’t stopped celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston from signing up for it.
The anti-aging treatment is being heralded as a less invasive alternative to Botox, fillers and lasers, which can cause flare-ups of melasma and rosacea, as well as hyperpigmentation.
By using tiny needles to puncture the skin and make small wounds, collagen production is stimulated during the healing process.
The result? Smoother, more taut skin.