Microneedling

Frequently Asked Questions About Microneedling

• What does Microneedling cost?

  Our pricing of microneedling varies by size and area treated, as well as who is performing the treatment. Dermapen performed by an aesthetician is generally $250 – 450 per treatment. Dermapen performed by a cosmetic nurse is generally $400 – 500 per treatment.

• How should I prepare for Microneedling?

  You will remove all makeup and cleanse your face prior to treatment, at our office. Other than that, there’s no need to change your routine prior to treatment.

• Will it hurt?

  Dermapen alone is not painful, especially at the more superficial depths. For those having a deeper treatment, we apply a topical numbing cream or, alternatively, you can have a stronger numbing injection.

• Is there downtime for Microneedling?

  Microneedling alone typically creates very little bleeding and some minor pinkness that resolves in an hour or two. You will need to avoid wearing makeup as well as washing your face or applying any products for the evening, to ensure you’re not delivering those products much too deeply into your skin.

• What's the difference betweeen RF Microneedling and Regular Microneedling?

  Microneedling has been around for thousands of years, showing up in archaeological digs from as far back as ancient Egypt. It’s a proven treatment that works to induce the body’s natural collagen rebuilding process by creating tiny areas of micro-injury. This is the same method of action used by lasers which create tiny columns of super-heated skin. Unlike lasers, microneedling’s lack of thermal injury has made it a safe choice for all skin types, but also because of its lack of thermal injury, microneedling is somewhat limited as to the impact of a single treatment.

   

  RF microneedling combines the best of these 2 technologies. By delivering heat only from the tips of the microneedles and having varying depth and heat settings, RF microneedling creates the profound change of laser treatment, without the risk of pigmentation change, no matter your skin tone. For this reason, it has quickly become our treatment of choice for most types of acne scarring, and also for skin tightening.

• Can microneedling ruin my skin?

  In the right hands, microneedling is a very safe and effective treatment. Good results depend on the experience of the provider and the technology there are utilizing. Improper use of the devices or inexpensive, non-FDA-cleared technologies may result in bad outcomes, such as pigmentation issues or scarring. Only Skin Pen is currently FDA-approved for microneedling (which is different from RF microneedling).

• How long do the results from microneedling last?

  Collagen synthesis that is induced from microneedling is long-lasting (please note: that superficial microneedling does not reach deep enough into the skin to stimulate collagen). Deep enough microneedling to stimulate collagen is limited to physicians, ARNPs, and PAs in New Jersey, whereas nurses and aestheticians are allowed to microneedle at more superficial levels of the skin only. Patients looking to increase the amount of improvement and longevity of results combine this treatment with components from their own blood to safely and effectively rejuvenate the skin.

• Can you wear makeup after microneedling?

  You should avoid wearing makeup or applying skincare or other potential sources of bacteria to your face for the first 24 hours after microneedling.

• Can you microneedle too often?

  It is not recommended to microneedle the skin more often than once a month. Your skin needs time to heal itself and when you injure skin (which microneedling does) while it is already inflamed, there is a risk of scarring and pigmentation changes. One month is enough time to ensure the inflammation of the previous treatment has resolved.

• Can I wear makeup after microneedling?

  Yes, but not within the first 24 hours, while microneedled channels may still be open.

• Does microneedling help sagging neck?

  No, microneedling is not a good option for sagging skin. RF Microneedling can improve skin elasticity and tighten loose skin, but microneedling alone is not going to make a visible difference for sagging neck skin.

• Does microneedling work on older skin?

  Yes, but like all fractional therapies (which treat some fraction or percentage of the skin) in a given treatment, the improvements are incremental and dependent upon the response your body has. Generally, younger patients see a bigger response from any treatment, and microneedling is no different. The way we counter that is by doing a series of microneedling instead of just 1 treatment and/or augmenting it with other treatment modalities, including a few options that can boost the results from every single treatment.

• Does your face bleed after microneedling?

  The area treated during microneedling may have pin-point bleeding during the procedure. This depends on how much of a bleeder you are, whether you’ve stopped all blood thinners (including supplements like fish oil and vitamin E, Advil, alcohol, etc.), and how deep your treatment is. That picture of Kim K that everyone seems to think of shows her having her own blood rubbed in over the top of her microneedling, and that’s not a normal reaction to microneedling alone. We’ve never heard of a patient experiencing bleeding after treatment unless they have been very rough with their skin, which you should avoid at all costs.

• Can microneedling be used on the neck?

  Yes, microneedling works well on the neck to address both crepey texture and fine lines but it won’t completely erase deeply set-in wrinkles or provide tightening that lifts the neck. We recommend other treatments for those concerns.

• Are microneedling results permanent?

  Yes, you are creating cellular level change and you’ll grow new tissues that will then age (like all living tissue does). So you’ll always look better than if you had done nothing, but of course, we can’t freeze time.

• Can I use hyaluronic acid after microneedling?

  Yes! We prefer to use a different type of microneedling device to deposit the hyaluronic acid filler in the skin for permanent moisturization (we call this MicroRejuve and HA Rejuve, depending upon the style), but if you use a topical moisturizer skincare product as part of your routine at home, you can start using that again 12 hours after your treatment.

• Can microneedling be done under eyes?

  Yes! We love microneedling, especially when boosted by Vampire Therapy, to improve thin, crepey skin under the eyes. If you’ve got a lot of fine lines under your eyes, microneedling is a great choice!

• Do you peel after microneedling?

  You can, but we recommend you wait until your skin has healed from the microneedling first. Too much inflammation without time to heal in between can create scarring. Always ask your doctor for clearance before resuming your at-home results-oriented treatments.

• Does microneedling help broken capillaries?

  No, only lasers that treat blood vessels with help with broken capillaries. That’s either the Vbeam or a Q-Switched Laser, depending on your skin tone and blood vessel color.

• Is micro needling better than laser?

  No, microneedling is different than laser but, in general, the Skinpen or Dermapen type of automated microneedling is going to create less of an effect in each session than a single session of any of our lasers. However, microneedling doesn’t have the downtime of a laser, is safe for all skin types, and when we do a series of microneedling, you can create a similar impact at a similar price point.

   

  We offer over 70 different lasers and technologies and will be happy to compare and contrast the options that would work for your needs so that you can choose the most convenient option for yourself – this is included during your free consultation with one of our cosmetic physicians!