Whole Beauty® Institute

Microneedling

Microneedling treatments to improve texture and brighten skin

Why Choose The Whole Beauty® Institute For All Your Non-Surgical & Medical Aesthetic Needs.

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Because of our roots in plastic surgery, we understand the continuum of surgical and medical aesthetics treatments and how the two can complement one another for optimal results. This allows us to offer a full range of treatment options for our patients.

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Dr. Cook has a deep understanding of aesthetic treatments since he has studied them diligently and followed their development for over 25 years. While everyone on his clinical team adheres to our practice philosophy of naturalism.

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We offer our treatments in a premium, unrushed caring environment that respects your privacy. This is why so many of our patients have been coming to us for 10 or even 20 years or more.

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Our highly experienced team offers a full spectrum of aesthetic treatments that include the most advanced technology available.

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REAL PATIENT RESULTS

See the difference experience makes. Scroll through before and afters in the photo carousel of microneedling patients treated by Dr. Cook and his team.

Microneedling

Induce Collagen for More Youthful-Looking Skin in Chicago and Winnetka

Wrinkles and fine lines are prime targets for a treatment known as microneedling at Chicago and Winnetka’s Whole Beauty® Institute. These lines are largely a consequence of a loss of collagen and a depletion of hyaluronic acid content in the deeper layer of the skin. Microneedling therapy, also known as microchanneling, offers a relatively simple way to address these issues with minimal downtime.

How Does Microneedling Work?

The microneedling device uses 12 incredibly fine needles to produce tiny pinpricks in the skin with very little discomfort. The resulting miniscule holes produce two beneficial effects:

First, the holes themselves stimulate the body’s healing and repair mechanism, so that the deeper level of the skin is plumped up with new collagen and other substances. This microneedling process is the same that occurs with many radiofrequency treatments, microablative laser treatments, and other methods of fractional skin resurfacing.

Second, the holes made by microneedling allow us to deliver products to the cells in the deeper layers of the skin so we can “supercharge” our treatments for wrinkles, fine lines, excess pigmentation, scars, and stretch marks.

What Can Microneedling Treat?

microneedling treatmentBy activating collagen, microneedling can tighten and smooth lax and wrinkled skin. The microneedling treatment can also minimize large pores and can often improve the appearance of scars, including scars from acne, burns, injuries, and surgery. The mechanical benefits of microneedling are enhanced by formulations specifically designed to diminish scars.

We have also found that microneedling is very helpful as part of the treatment for patients with areas of excess pigmentation. Microneedling, also called microchanneling, allows us to deliver agents that calm the pigmentproducing cells that reside in the deeper layers of the skin.

For some patients, microneedling technology can reduce the appearance of stretch marks. We apply a combination of peptides and growth factors to the area bearing stretch marks right after we have created the microchannels. Although it is impossible to make stretch marks disappear completely with any existing technology, many patients will experience a significant reduction in their appearance after microneedling, in that they blend in better with the surrounding skin.

Microneedling therapy can also be a helpful component of a general program of skin rejuvenation. As we age, our skin becomes thinner, drier, and less resilient. The stimulation of fibroblasts and the ability to deliver rejuvenating compounds to the deeper layers of the skin produce a fresher, more youthful appearance. Our team of clinicians in Chicago and Winnetka can design a skin rejuvenation program that combines microneedlingwith Whole Beauty® Institute products and other treatments that are customized for each patient’s lifestyle and needs.

What Happens After a Microneedling Session?

The skin will appear red and feel irritated in the first 24 to 48 hours after a microneedling treatment. Remember that the skin is especially “open” during this time, so avoid applying sunscreen, skin products with “active” ingredients, and makeup. Try to prevent sweating, because perspiring opens the pores and can allow bacteria to enter the channels created by the device. It is especially important to avoid sun exposure, as ultraviolet radiation can damage the skin and cause pigmentation irregularities.

To improve comfort and results after a microneedling session, drink plenty of water, use an antioxidant serum and peptides, and wear a cooling face mask.

In the weeks and months after a microneedling treatment, increasing collagen levels will gradually improve the general look of the skin, as well as the appearance of specific marks.

Why Choose the Whole Beauty® Institute for Microneedling?

Some time ago, Dr. John Q Cook became familiar with the pioneering work of Dr. Desmond Fernandez, a South African plastic surgeon who developed a device that was essentially a small rolling pin with needles on its surface. Dr. Fernandez showed that a person’s skin could be improved by a series of treatments in which the device was rolled across the skin.

Dr. Cook worked with the device and found that his patients noticed a rejuvenating effect when he treated their skin with the roller. That said, he found there to be several practical disadvantages to this early form of microneedling. First, the treatment itself was a bit intimidating for most patients. Second, the treatment was relatively uncomfortable. Third, the potential of the device to deliver beneficial compounds to the depth of the skin was not fully realized.

With the development of new microneedling technologies, Dr. Cook is able to draw on his experience and history with the treatment while allowing patients to benefit from the improvement over previous methods.

The first improvement is the device itself, which allows for the production of tiny perforations in the skin without the “fear factor” of previous generations of devices.

The second improvement is the great reduction in discomfort when compared to earlier methods. We have much better types of anesthetic creams that can be spread over the treated area ahead of the treatment. Also, the device itself produces less discomfort than older “pinwheel” versions.

The third improvement is the ability to combine a microneedling session with serums that target specific skin conditions.

How Does Microneedling Work With the Skin as a Barrier?

The skin’s defensive barrier protects us, but this feature can make the process of applying effective cosmetic treatments frustrating.

We tend to disregard our skin until it shows signs of aging: fine lines, wrinkles, and gradual thinning. At this point, we begin to seek ways to restore a youthful appearance. What we fail to realize is that our skin has been carrying our an important job during all the years we gave it little appreciation: It has been our defensive barrier against the harsh external world.

Our bodies are moist, while the outside world is dry and full of dangerous poisons and solar radiation that can damage cellular genetics. The most brilliant bioengineer in the world could not have designed a better system to protect us than our skin.

The skin is a two-layer system. The outer layer, called the epidermis, is made of skin cells that grow from the deepest level and move up to the surface. This process of upward migration takes about a month, so our skin is constantly shedding and renewing itself. The net effect of this is that cells whose genetic apparatus has been damaged by solar radiation or chemicals are shed, so that they cannot do damage. The cells are also tightly connected, so they seal in the body’s moisture and prevent us from drying out.

The next layer down, the dermis, is what gives the skin its wonderful suppleness and resiliency. Factory cells, know as fibroblasts, churn out a variety of materials that keep our skin thick and healthy: collagen, elastic fibers, and hyaluronic acid (the same material that is found in injectable fillers). This layer provides a further defense against the outside world.

Thank goodness for this defensive barrier! Without it, we would not have survived very long as a species.

Our skin’s barrier becomes a challenge, however, when we want to deliver treatments that need to affect anything deeper than the very outer aspect of the skin. Most of the creams, lotions, and serums—whether pricey or inexpensive—that you find in department stores and drug stores are just plumping up the very outer layer of skin cells that are about to be shed. This makes the skin look better, but there is little biological effect.

Of course, there is a whole category of scientists who develop ways to get around the skin’s barrier. Think of the patches that many women wear to deliver hormones to their bodies. In general, it is easier to get smaller molecules to pass through the skin than larger molecules.

Microneedling allows a clinician to deliver a variety of beneficial molecules to deeper levels of the skin. The tiny pinpricks microneedling creates appear very small, but are huge from the molecular perspective. Treatments that would never make it past the skin’s defensive barrier can now be introduced with relative ease. The microchannels created by microneedling remain open for 15 to 60 minutes, which allows our team to deliver targeted treatments customized to each patient’s needs.

Are There Options Beyond Microneedling?

Our clinical team often combines microneedling with other treatments such as Whole Beauty® Skincare Products and medical-grade peels to provide enhanced benefits. Beyond microneedling, our patients benefit from a wide range of technologies that help to reduce fine wrinkles, diminish pore size, even out pigmentation, and reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks. Our team has extensive experience with IPL (intense pulsed light), microdermabrasion, and more.

We also offer our patients more powerful technologies, such as Fractora® radiofrequency resurfacing, Morpheus®, and fractional laser therapy with HALO® and Moxi. Like microneedling, radiofrequency resurfacing produces tiny holes in the skin, but at much deeper levels and with much greater power. For patients with extensive aging changes in the skin, fractional radiofrequency micro-channeling will produce a more powerful result, but also involves greater down time. Other treatment methods, such as fractional laser therapy and deeper peels, can produce a powerful response, but also have a longer recovery period. The appeal of the microneedling therapy model is that it delivers good results for a variety of skin conditions with extremely low down time. It is a nice introduction to the range of procedures that we offer at the Whole Beauty® Institute.

Every treatment that we offer has been carefully vetted by Dr. John Q. Cook and his experienced team. We have decades of experience in advanced techniques of plastic surgery and nonsurgical aesthetics. The breadth and depth of our knowledge is one of the benefits we offer patients who come to us in consultation. We pride ourselves in offering our patients highly individualized therapy that takes into account each person’s goals and circumstances.

Whole Beauty Institute

If you would like to have a consultation regarding Dermapen® microneedling in the Chicago area, or if you have questions for our team, please call 312-751-2112 or contact us online.

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Our Office Locations

Our locations in the Gold Coast of Chicago and Winnetka in the North Shore reflect our commitment to convenient and discrete concierge-level service.

Whole Beauty® Institute |Map | 737 N.Michigan Ave

Chicago Office

737 North Michigan Ave., Suite 760 Chicago IL 60611 (312) 751-2112 Entrance at 151 E. Chicago Avenue

Whole Beauty® Institute |Map | 118 Green Bay Road

Winnetka Office

118 Green Bay Road Winnetka IL 60093  (847) 446-7562
Located directly across from Indian Hill Metra Station