Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Collagen Induction Therapy compared to Fractional Lasers

We began using Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT) technology back in 2003 with a roller that ran over the skin with tiny spiky needles all the way around a broad wheel.  There are now similar devices you can use at home with very short needles.  The one we used had long needles that penetrated into the deep dermis and caused immediate pinpoint bleeding. It definitely worked and had benefits for skin laxity, scars (including stretchmarks) and wrinkles.

Along came the fractional lasers and we found those a bit easier to use.  Also, we could control the depth of penetration, number of spots per cm and could add coagulation to heat the skin for better shrinking and tightening ability.

Today, CIT has made a comeback, almost like an article of clothing that goes out of fashion for a while and is reintroduced as something new and exciting.   But the technology has changed too for the better.  Gone are the rollers.  In are the pens, of which there are many.  Tiny needles, usually around 12 or so are attached to the end of the pen on a spring.  They can penetrate anywhere from 0.5 mm to 3 mm into the skin delivering thousands of pinpoint sharp punctures into the skin per minute.  Conceptually this is similar to the fractional lasers.  However, there are some important differences to consider.  First, there is no heat generated with the pins.  Hence, the safety is better especially for our ethnic patients.  There is no sloughing of the skin as there is no "ablation" or vaporization of any skin tissue--just the little tiny pinpoints.  Hence, the recovery time is much shorter.

All of our technologies have a place in our practice, and selecting the right procedure for each patient is our specialty.  Many factors are taken into consideration when deciding which procedure to use including recovery time, skin color, lifestyle factors, the problem we need to improve and what it will respond best to, etc.

The results with CIT are really quite awesome.  Please take a look:



Give us a call at 513-985-9885 to schedule a complimentary consultation with us.  We want to see you Glow!!