Microneedling: a versatile and popular treatment option

Although many articles point to the beginning of the 20th century as the advent of microneedling, it could be argued that its use stretches back even further than this. We could point to the first uses of acupuncture by the Chinese in 100 BC. Of course, acupuncture is considerably different from microneedling, but the end goal of promoting the body's natural, self-healing process, is the same.

If we are looking for something more similar to modern microneedling, we have to fast-forward to 1905, when German dermatologist Dr Ernst Kromayer used a number of motor-powered dental burs, which varied in size, to treat scarring, hyperpigmentation, and other skin ailments. Despite the innovations by Kromayer, further advancements wouldn't be made until late in the century (MDPen, 2019).

The first of these was by Dr Andre Camirand in 1996, through the practice of medical tattooing. Camirand had been trying to treat and conceal scarring on his patients by tattooing pigment into their skin. However, he began to notice that the tattooed pigment was dissolving and being replaced by actual melanin. What's more, the scarring itself was showing marked improvement in texture, colour and overall appearance. However, the most remarkable thing about this development is that it didn't appear to be the pigment causing these improvements, but the needles used to apply the pigment.