Micro-needling uses dozens of tiny needles to keep skin looking beautiful

UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- There is now a tingly way to get beautiful skin, thanks to a procedure that uses dozens of tiny needles to leave you fresh-faced but without any pain.

Ashley Cyburt isn't going under the knife, but a vibrating device was piercing her with 50 needles all at once.

It's called micro-needling. "What I like about micro-needing is that it gives us an option to help treat the skin texture," said dermatologist Dr. Gervaise Gerstner. She started using micro-needling on her patients in the last several months.

But years ago, doctors treated very bad acne scars by piercing them with larger needles.

The trauma caused the skin to heal itself. In this case the needles are as small as .5 millimeters, almost too tiny to see, but the idea is the same.

"If I'm making little micro cuts in the skin, you'll have these holes in your skin and your body is like, whoops, I need to spackle it in, just like you'd spackle a wall," said Dr. Gerstner.

The body's spackle is collagen and eslatin fibers that re-knit the skin and make it even stronger.

For someone young like Ashley, the micro-needling can help keep that youthful glow. For someone older, it can give skin a younger, smoother look.

"Micro-needling can delay the need for a facelift in terms of texture," said Dr. Gerstner.

She recommends micro-needling on a consistent basis, every several weeks or once a month.

And a topical numbing cream is used if you want it. The treatment is $500.

Ashley is planning a wedding, and this is one of the steps she's taking for picture-perfect wedding day skin.

"I was very nervous and very conservative when it comes to my skin," she said. "I thought it would hurt more than it did, I just felt like a little pinch and now my skin feels like it's tingling and like it's really clean."

After the micro-needling, the doctor applies growth factor, which can easily penetrate the skin now that it's been pierced, and then a mask goes on to help occule the skin.

"This is something that has low downtime and it's an effective way to spend your money," said Dr. Gerstner.