Collagen Induction Therapy & Facial Needling
BOOK A CONSULT
Working with your skin’s natural renewal process
Microneedling, facial needling and “dermapen” have become familiar terms in skincare over the past decade, but the science and thinking behind these treatments goes back much further.
Environ founder and globally recognised plastic surgeon Dr Des Fernandes pioneered cosmetic micro-needling more than 20 years ago. His work was driven partly by a simple challenge: our skin is designed to be an incredibly effective barrier, which is wonderful for protecting us, but can also limit the penetration of topical skincare ingredients.
Collagen Induction Therapy, or CIT, uses controlled micro-needling to create tiny, temporary channels within the skin. Depending on the type and depth of needling being performed, this can enhance the delivery of selected topical ingredients and/or trigger the skin’s natural wound-healing response, stimulating processes involved in collagen and elastin production and skin renewal.
Book nowThis is why CIT can be considered for concerns including the appearance of:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Loss of firmness and elasticity
- Uneven skin texture
- Enlarged pores
- Pigmentation and sun damage
- Certain types of scarring, including post-acne scarring
- Overall skin rejuvenation
But at Dante, we don’t believe the most aggressive treatment automatically gives you the best result.
Needling should be controlled and selected according to your skin, its condition, your treatment goals and the technology being used. Creating unnecessary trauma isn’t our goal. We want to stimulate an appropriate response while respecting the integrity of your skin.
That’s why consultation and correct treatment selection are so important.
When will I see results?
You may notice an initial glow and improvement in the appearance of your skin relatively soon after treatment, particularly when needling is combined with professional active ingredients.
But CIT isn’t really about chasing an overnight result.
The more meaningful changes associated with collagen induction happen gradually as the skin goes through its natural repair and remodelling processes. Improvements therefore continue to develop over the weeks and months following treatment rather than appearing on one specific day.
Think of it as starting a conversation with your skin rather than demanding an instant response.
At Dante, we offer several approaches to facial needling, and your therapist will help determine what’s appropriate according to your skin concern, lifestyle, available downtime, treatment plan and budget.
Environ Cosmetic Needling
Small needles, clever skincare
Environ’s approach to cosmetic needling is a little different from what many people imagine when they hear “microneedling.”
Rather than assuming deeper and more aggressive is always better, Environ’s cosmetic rollers use very short, precision surgical-grade stainless-steel needles designed to create micro-channels and enhance the effectiveness of appropriately selected Environ skincare products.
This makes cosmetic needling particularly useful as part of a consistent skincare journey, rather than something that only happens occasionally in the treatment room.
Depending on your skin and treatment plan, your therapist may incorporate an Environ cosmetic roller into an appropriate facial and then prescribe the device for you to continue using at home.
And yes – Jade and Terri are both fans too! When they remember to include it in their evening routines, a few minutes of rolling followed by their prescribed skincare is one of their favourite ways of getting more from the active products they’re already using.
Importantly, Environ recommends that skin is properly acclimatised to vitamin A before beginning cosmetic needling, so this isn’t something we’d simply send every client home to start doing immediately.
Which Environ roller?
There are two options we particularly love.
Cosmetic Roll-CIT®
This roller contains 108 precision surgical-grade stainless-steel micro-needles at 0.1 mm. It’s designed for cosmetic micro-needling of the face and neck and is a brilliant introduction to incorporating needling into an appropriate Environ homecare routine.
Cosmetic Gold Roll-CIT®
Our luxurious step up contains 260 ultra-fine surgical-grade stainless-steel points at 0.2 mm and is finished with 14-karat gold plating. The greater number of ultra-fine points and slightly increased depth make this the more advanced cosmetic roller option.
Your therapist will show you exactly how and when to use your prescribed roller and, importantly, whether cosmetic needling is appropriate for your skin at all.
pH Formula PROTONPEN
pH Formula gives us another way to completely customise your facial needling treatment through its PROTONPEN, with both nano-needling and micro-needling options.
They may sound similar, but they work very differently.
PROTONPEN Nano-Needling
Maximum glow, minimal downtime
Nano-needling is the gentler, non-invasive option.
Rather than traditional needles, pH Formula uses silicone, hair-like nano cones alongside its professional resurfacing solutions. This makes the treatment particularly useful for delicate areas such as around the eyes and lips and allows us to combine controlled resurfacing with enhanced topical delivery.
pH Formula recommends its nano approach for concerns including:
Uneven texture • pigmentation • loss of tone • scarring • loss of elasticity, and its professional protocol can also be adapted for different skin types and concerns including sensitive skin.
One of the biggest attractions is the minimal-to-no downtime, making it a lovely option when you want an advanced treatment but can’t necessarily accommodate the recovery associated with more intensive microneedling.
PROTONPEN Micro-Needling
A deeper collagen-induction treatment
For clients requiring a more intensive treatment, PROTONPEN microneedling uses microneedles together with pH Formula’s sterile transdermal solutions.
The controlled micro-injury stimulates the body’s natural healing response, which is associated with increased collagen and elastin production while also enhancing delivery of the selected professional formulations.
pH Formula identifies this treatment for concerns including fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, thinning skin, UV damage, hyperpigmentation, enlarged pores, acne-related concerns, scars and stretch marks.
Because this creates a more significant skin response than nano-needling, consultation, preparation and aftercare become particularly important.
And again, deeper doesn’t automatically mean better.
The right depth is the one that’s appropriate for your skin and the result we’re trying to achieve.
pH Formula MESO X Boost
A different approach to advanced ingredient delivery
MESO X Boost represents another direction in pH Formula’s advanced skincare technology.
Rather than traditional mechanical microneedling, the formulation uses micro-spicules designed to enhance the penetration of active ingredients. It’s combined with a hyaluronic acid complex and exosomes, with pH Formula positioning the formula around supporting hydration, firmness, regeneration and improvements in the appearance of skin texture and tone over time.
For Dante, this gives us another tool when we’re creating an individual treatment plan — particularly when traditional microneedling isn’t necessarily the route we want to take.
Your therapist can explain where MESO technology fits within your pH Formula treatment journey and whether it’s appropriate for your particular skin.
So… which needling treatment do I need?
This is probably the most important question — and once again:
You don’t need to know. That’s our job.
You may want the convenience and consistency of an Environ Cosmetic Roller at home.
You may want pH Formula Nano-Needling because you’re looking for skin rejuvenation with very little downtime.
Or your skin concern may justify progressing to PROTONPEN Micro-Needling and a more intensive collagen-induction approach.
And sometimes, needling may not be the treatment we’d recommend for you at that particular moment.
That’s why we don’t believe in simply booking everyone for the latest trending treatment.
We assess your skin first. We understand what you’re trying to achieve. Then we choose the technology that makes sense.
Because when it comes to advanced skincare, more isn’t always better.
Facials & Skin Treatments FAQ
You don’t need to know – that’s our job!
With several options available at Dante, from Environ cosmetic needling through to pH Formula Nano-Needling and Micro-Needling, the right treatment depends on your skin, your concerns and what you’re hoping to achieve.
We’ll assess your skin and talk through your goals before recommending the most appropriate route. We’ll also take into account your budget – and by budget, we mean both your time and your Rands. There’s no point recommending a treatment plan that doesn’t realistically fit into your life.
Sometimes that means a more advanced professional treatment; other times, investing in the right homecare and having fewer professional treatments may give you a better long-term plan.
Let us see your skin first, then we’ll build the journey together.
This depends on your skin and the type and intensity of needling treatment we’re performing.
With gentler options such as cosmetic or nano-needling, downtime may be minimal, whereas more intensive microneedling can leave the skin temporarily looking red or feeling sensitive afterwards.
It’s also important to remember that your treatment isn’t only about creating micro-channels and stimulating the skin’s natural renewal response. Depending on the treatment, we’re also carefully selecting the professional actives used alongside it, so your overall treatment and aftercare are customised accordingly.
We’ll explain what you can realistically expect before we start, so you know how your skin is likely to look and feel afterwards.
As a general guide, some professional needling treatments may be performed around four weeks apart, but we don’t believe everyone needs to automatically book another treatment simply because four weeks have passed.
Your skin condition, the type of needling performed, how your skin responded and what we’re trying to achieve all need to be considered.
Sometimes you’ll get more value from investing in the right homecare routine and allowing more time between professional treatments. Great skin results aren’t about fitting in as many treatments as possible — they’re about choosing the right combination of professional treatments, homecare and consistency.
Speak to one of our therapists and we’ll help you create a plan that makes sense for your skin.
This is probably one of the biggest concerns clients have – particularly after seeing some of the more dramatic microneedling treatments online!
The facial needling treatments we offer at Dante are not surgical or medical microneedling procedures. Our aim isn’t to chase depth, trauma or bleeding as proof that a treatment is working.
Instead, we select the appropriate needling method and intensity according to your skin and the result we’re trying to achieve. You may experience some temporary redness depending on the treatment, but more aggressive doesn’t automatically mean more effective.
As we always say at Dante: more isn’t always better – better is better.
