SkinPen Hailed as Newest Breakthrough in Anti-Aging Treatment

via: http://abcnews.go.com/

Step aside pricey wrinkle creams, and make room for the latest anti-aging product: the SkinPen.

That's right. One pen, and one hour. That's all it takes to get new, rejuvenated skin, according to Texas-based Bellus Medical.

It's called the SkinPen, by Bellus Medical, which bills itself as a "dynamic medical aesthetics company."

Here's how it works. First the skin is numbed. When the pen is placed on the face, 12 stainless steel needles create thousands of microscopic incisions. This allows for contraction and tightening, and helps products penetrate the skin.

"You are creating new, healthy collagen from that dermal layer," clinical aesthetician Marilee St. Louis told ABC News affiliate WFFA-TV in Dallas. "This is so microscopic that you get this huge boost of collagen to heal the wound and thicken up the skin."

St. Louis says the skin will initially be a little red and puffy, similar to a sunburn.

After three days, however, the skin is better than normal, she said.

"I did it on a Friday, and on Saturday I was back to charity work," customer Julia Stocker told WFAA. "This has true results, and they are immediate".

But it's not just for wrinkles. The SkinPen can treat acne scarring, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, sun damage and stretch marks, according to Bellus. And it can be used on more than just the face. Patients have received treatments on the neck, arms, hands, legs, abdomen and back.

As for other treatments, microdermabrasion scrapes off the top level of skin, allowing for greater cellular turnover, and a slower aging process. It costs about $150 with a recovery time of three to five days.

Peels entail a chemical solution applied to skin. Over time, top layers of skin peel off, allowing for new skin to grow in. It costs $200 to $300 with a recovery time of three to 14 days.

SkinPen needles create thousands of tiny incisions, creating new collagen. It costs $300 to $400 with a recovery time of one to three days.

"We consider this the next step in micro-therapy," Bellus Medical CEO and President Joe Proctor told ABC News today. "It's going to be a little more expensive, but not much."

Perhaps the biggest difference is the recovery process. "You can get dynamic results with little or no downtime," Proctor said, adding that SkinPen patients can easily return to work the same day as their treatment.

The number of treatments a patient needs depends on their specific issue. Patients can receive the treatments about a month apart.