WHY YOU SHOULD PROBABLY START POKING YOUR FACE WITH A NEEDLE FOR BETTER SKIN

Microneedling — the process of using a device with a needle on it to poke tiny holes into the skin for the sake of spurring collagen and elastin production — isn't new.

 Gwyneth Paltrow has been doing it for years. (And having seen her in person recently, I can attest, her skin looks damn good.) And though dermatologists and estheticians seem to agree on the miraculous, youth-ifying powers of it, the treatment is still largely misunderstood. But curiosity has skyrocketed: According to RealSelf.com, a website that serves as a forum for cosmetic-surgery consumers, visitors searched microneedling twice as much during the first half of 2016 compared with the same period the year before. So let's take deeper look at the practice, shall we?

WHAT IS MICRONEEDLING?

"Microneedling is the process of using a pen-like device with tiny needles in it to create controlled trauma to the skin," explains Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "The damaged skin then undergoes a wound-healing process creating smoother, more even skin tone and texture." It's administered by dermatologists in-office and by licensed estheticians, though there are also gentler, non-electronic "cosmetic rollers" that you can use at home. Because it's a physical treatment — a needle is literally puncturing the skin; there's no use of chemicals, topicals or lasers — microneedling is favored by those looking to avoid those types of treatments. (Given Paltrow's outspokenness about avoiding chemicals in beauty products, it makes total sense that she's a fan.) But just because the process doesn't involve lasers doesn't mean it's not advanced. "A lot of technology goes into developing the needles themselves," says Zeichner, who likens microneedling to a poor man's version of dermatologist-revered Fraxel lasers. "Rather than a laser creating damage to the skin, the doctor actually applies pressure by hand to create a controlled injury. The trauma creates damage that in turn stimulates the skin to heal itself by creating new collagen and elastin."

WHAT BENEFITS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH MICRONEEDLING?

When used regularly, microneedling strengthens the epidermis by spurring production of collagen and elastin naturally, says Mashell Tabe, an esthetician who has been specializing in the treatment for seven years. (She's the one behind Gwyneth's complexion, as well as plenty of other celebrities'.) According to Tabe, microneedling can also help skin-care products to absorb into skin more effectively; you're poking little holes in it, after all. But Tabe stresses the importance of viewing microneedling as a skin-training program rather than an immediate fix. "It takes about six treatments to experience thickening of the epidermis, an evened-out complexion and firming of the skin because of collagen regeneration," says Tabe, who suggests getting the treatment once a month.