ABOUT
Dr. Lance Setterfield, one of the world’s foremost Dermal Needling experts, is an educator, skin treatment specialist & international speaker. Author of “Concise Guide to Dermal Needling, Third Medical Edition – Revised & Expanded” (published in English, Spanish and Portuguese), as well as creator of the Microneedling Online Course and live Microneedling Workshops, he draws from 37 years of medical experience. Dr. Setterfield was one of the first physicians in Canada to incorporate medical needling into his practice in 2005, and consequently supports clinics in many parts of the world as a consultant and key opinion leader. His special interest is cell-to-cell communication, researching effects of dermal needling on the epidermis (cosmetic) & dermis (medical). Collaboration with companies and physicians around the world has enabled him to be on the forefront of this treatment modality and associated technology.
“Like many, I started off my Aesthetic Medicine journey in the typical antiaging clinic that offered a standard menu: Laser, Fraxel®, IPL for hair removal, Botox® and fillers, sclerotherapy, Levulan® and PDT (photodynamic therapy), chemical peels, microdermabrasion, teeth whitening, and permanent makeup. I rushed forward, trusting the information fed to me by the industry. It soon became apparent that I would have to filter the hype and do my own research. In my quest to provide safe, effective, affordable treatments I stumbled upon Microneedling. With patient trends towards a more natural approach, this was an easier sell. The benefits were many: less aggressive treatments with decreased risk of complications (scarring & post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation – PIH); minimal capital outlay for equipment; increased (repeat) residual income through product sales.
Perhaps the most unexpected twist in my journey was the departure from conventional wisdom that “inflammation” was a prerequisite for collagen induction, with the fibroblast being the target cell. But it is an established fact that ablative therapy, while associated with more side effects, has better results than isolated dermal injury in so-called “non-ablative” treatments. This implies that injury to the keratinocyte has more to do with the result rather than dermal injury. Based upon my own experience with patients, combined with my own research, I concluded that repeated injury of healthy keratinocytes leads to release of anti-fibrotic growth factors and optimizes cell-to-cell communication between keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblasts. When these signals are boosted, fibroblasts differentiate to form normal collagen and greater amounts of hyaluronic acid, as seen in the ideal situation of embryo wound healing.
In summary, great results are possible with a paradigm shift of a “less is best” approach that facilitates greater patient compliance (not as painful), less risk of complications, and a price-point that creates access to a much broader market. The possibility of healthy skin and results is now attainable for the many, instead of the few.” – Dr L B Setterfield