Plasma Pens are new, revolutionary, and non-invasive treatments for skin lifting and tightening. This FDA-cleared treatment helps stimulate collagen and elastin production through the process called fibroblasting. Through this procedure, skin significantly tightens, resurfaces, and regenerates. This versatile device is often used in treating areas in the neck, mouth, and around the eyes. In addition, you can also use it to treat wrinkles, acne scars, loose skin, and more on any area of the body.
Plasma Pens are perfect for those who do not want the hassle of undergoing surgery but are still looking to improve areas on the body and face significantly. You’ll have immediate results, with additional appointments NOT required in obtaining your desired outcome. Let us know more about this popular skin treatment.
What is a Plasma Pen?
Plasma pens target fibroblasts, collagens, and protein-producing cells in the dermis, the skin’s layer found below your outermost skin layer. Fibroblasts play a vital role in helping heal skin wounds and maintaining skin firmness and tightness. Plasma pens are designed to discharge high-frequency electric currents towards small skin areas. Its plasma tip doesn’t directly touch the skin, but releases targeted currents only above the skin. This emitted hot current creates micro-injuries or small holes in the skin’s layer.
A 2019 article published in the PMFA journal stated that the thermal disruption or heat damage made by plasma pens helps:
- break down various proteins in the skin
- encourage the regeneration of tissues
- stimulate the continuous activities of the fibroblasts
- cause the contraction of tissues that lead to its tightening
Also, doctors, practitioners, and healthcare providers call for plasma pens treatment as plasma skin resurfacing.
Benefits of Using Plasma Pens
As being non-invasive, plasma pens are nonsurgical treatments that doctors and healthcare providers may use to treat the following conditions:
- acne scars
- photoaging, which includes age spots
- seborrheic keratosis
- wrinkled skin in the neck, jawline, eyelids, and above the lips
Cosmetic specialists and most practitioners may also utilize plasma pens as alternatives to lip fillers since this procedure can help make the lips look fuller.
The Procedure
While the plasma pen procedure may slightly vary depending on where you’re getting the treatment and who will administer it, the general basic steps usually include:
- Cleaning and cleansing your skin, applying topical anesthetics or numbing creams to prevent any feeling of pain and discomfort. This treatment may require about 30 minutes for the numbing cream to start taking effect.
- Treating the targeted skin area using the plasma pen creates small arcs of microcurrents and makes small scab-like dots on the skin.
- Professionals remove the numbing cream and then apply a cooling gel to minimize the tingling and burning sensations.
- Typically, the treatment takes around 30 minutes and up to an hour to finish.
Good Candidates for the Plasma Pen
The best candidates for the Plasma Pen treatment are those who experience mild-to-moderate skin wrinkling concerns. On the other hand, you are not advised to receive plasma pen treatments if you:
- are pregnant
- are breastfeeding
- have infections at the treatment site
- have allergies to topical anesthetic preparations
- are using isotretinoin in treating acne or wrinkles
Additionally, it’s suggested to approach plasma pen treatments with caution for those who have a history of keloids or hypertrophic scarring. It’s always important to consult your doctor or healthcare provider before undergoing any procedure and discuss treatment goals you have and any potential concerns it may entail, given your overall health condition.
Is It Effective?
When plasma pen treatments are performed in a safe, controlled environment, they can:
- help improve skin texture
- provide mild-to-moderate skin tightening effects
- cause some changes in the degree of facial skin contour
Recovery Time
Once you’ve completed the plasma pen procedure, expect to start having small dots scabbing over and falling off after about a week. Over the following weeks, while your skin heals, it should begin appearing noticeably tighter and firmer. Some may notice benefits after only one treatment, while others may need additional treatments, usually up to three or even more, before seeing results.
Safety and Side Effects
Your doctor or healthcare provider must perform the plasma pen procedure on your set and establish realistic goals with you beforehand. Although plasma pen treatments can offer results, these effects aren’t likely to be as dramatic as those experienced from surgical procedures. Additionally, this procedure is not perfect and still has side effects. Some of these side effects may include:
- redness
- swelling
- skin peeling and crusting
- mild cases of hypopigmentation or light spots
- mild cases of hyperpigmentation or dark spots
It’s worth knowing that plasma pen treatments are not legal yet worldwide. For instance, Canada currently doesn’t authorize using plasma pens for cosmetic purposes. Health Canada believes that using plasma pens may pose imminent health risks, primarily if devices and the aestheticians who use them haven’t been thoroughly evaluated for quality, safety, and effectiveness.
Aftercare
The healing process in the skin’s dermis layer will continue for the following weeks after undergoing the plasma pen treatment. Doctors and healthcare providers will go over the detailed aftercare instructions applicable to your particular treatment. In general, however, here are a few things you should be expected to be responsible for after having your Plasma Pen treatment:
- Keep your treated area dry until all scabs have fully healed.
- Allowing scabs to heal naturally and not picking or rubbing at them.
- Avoid makeup use or any other skin products not explicitly suggested by your practitioner on your treated areas.
- Minimizing exposure to UV rays by staying indoors, keeping your treated area covered, and using broad-spectrum sunscreens to protect your targeted site.
- Not using any abrasive or exfoliant skin products for the next eight weeks since your first treatment.
Takeaways on Plasma Pens
Plasma pens treatments are the newer techniques in approaching skin concerns. Therefore, this treatment currently doesn’t have that much evidence to support its effectiveness. But this procedure is still a technique that can help tighten the skin without the hassle of undergoing invasive cosmetic procedures. Most patients will need about a week of downtime before seeing results over several weeks. Plasma pens are today’s solution to your skin concerns.
If you’re interested in a Plasma Pen Treatment, contact Fine Line Aesthetics in Frisco TX to schedule your Plasma Pen consultation!
