Scientists from Keçiören Research and Training Hospital (Turkey) have found that a combination of micro-needling to create collagen and cupping massage to increase tissue perfusion can be effective in skin rejuvenation. Study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
Micro needling is a non-surgical method used to accelerate skin regeneration and wound healing. Needles are used to create small wounds on the skin to stimulate collagen formation. The study authors note that several studies have shown that microneedles have significant benefits for skin regeneration and wound healing.
During the study, the researchers performed one session of micro-needling into the skin of the rats under anesthesia. One group of animals received only micro needling, while the other group received micro needling followed by a short session of skin vacuum cupping.
Four weeks later, the scientists compared skin changes at the cellular level in mice treated with micro-needling alone or micro-needling in combination with cupping.
The thickness of the outer layer of the skin (epidermis) increased up to about 24 micrometers with microneedling and up to 42 micrometers with microneedling with cupping. Microneedling has also led to an increase in collagen type 1 levels in the skin. The researchers note that the ratio of type 1 collagen to type 3 collagen is also increased – a high percentage of type 1 collagen is characteristic of youthful skin. Addition of cupping to micro needling did not have a significant effect on the percentage of type 1 and 3 collagen.
Preliminary experimental evidence suggests that the combination of micro needling and cupping may be a useful technique for plastic surgeons looking to improve the results of facial rejuvenation procedures.