Skin-care treatment could reverse signs of aging with the help of a pen

The hottest anti-aging treatment in Houston happens to come straight from Hollywood, thanks to reality celebrities like the Kardashians and "Real Housewives."

The treatment is called face needling.

"I prefer to call it Micro-Pen," explains esthetician Jamie McCulley, of the Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and Skin Spa. "A lot of people get a little antsy, when you say 'needles.' The micro-pen has twelve needles in a chamber."

Patients choose an anti-aging lubricant to apply to the face before the needling process begins.

They have an option of hyaluronic acid to help moisturize, growth factor to renew skin cells, or PRP, which is platelet rich plasma. This is the crme de la crme of choices, McCulley said. It's when your own blood platelets are used to stimulate collagen and elastin to build new collagen and elastin.

It's a treatment Natalie Beegle had once in February.

"I'm getting ready to be 40, and I'm starting to see pigmentation on my skin from years of sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles," Beegle said. "I have a couple acne scars as well."

After her first treatment she said, "My skin felt like it was glowing. My makeup went on more smoothly."

Beegle chooses to use PRP as her anti-aging lubricant. Her blood is taken and then spun in a centrifuge, until what's left is the yellow plasma. After numbing, the PRP is spread on the face, and then McCulley goes in with the micro-pen.

"It seemed like a little vibrating on my feeling on my face," Beegle describes the sensation.

The twelve needles create micro channels-which estheticians say gets the PRP right into the skin. The treatment takes less than an hour with minimal recovery time.

"Afterwards, I had a red tint to my face for 24 hours, which lightened to a pink shade, and then I had a little peeling," explains Beegle.

McCulley adds, "If fine lines are troubling you, deep lines, acne scars, stretch marks, pore size, hyper-pigmentation, texture, tone, you name it, the micro-needle will help."

Those on the acne medication Accutane or with raised scars are not candidates for face needling. Packages of four treatments start at $1200.