Physiological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Applications of Microneedling: A Narrative Review.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Microneedling (MN), also known as percutaneous collagen induction therapy, is a minimally invasive dermatologic procedure that stimulates the skin's intrinsic wound repair cascade by creating controlled micro-injuries to the epidermis and dermis using multiple small-sized needles. This review aims to document and discuss the skin's physiological mechanisms activated through the MN process and its therapeutic applications and, where possible, to describe the impacts on changes in the skin's biophysical properties. Three databases, namely, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase, were searched for relevant peer-reviewed articles published in English between 1990 and 2024. After eliminating duplicate and irrelevant articles, 70 studies were included in this review. The main physiological mechanisms associated with the MN process were collagen and elastin production, angiogenesis, transient increases in skin permeability, and improved epidermal barrier function post-treatment. Therapeutic applications targeted cosmetic improvements, scar healing, and drug delivery. As the wound repair process is initiated, fibroblasts migrate to the wounded area to initiate collagen and elastin production, contributing to the improved firmness and elasticity of the healed epidermis. The micropores created by MN increase skin permeability, allowing hydrophilic water-soluble molecules to transfer across t

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.