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Medical microneedling

Medical microneedling creates thousands of tiny, controlled injuries that prompt the skin to repair itself with new collagen. It improves acne scarring, texture and pigmentation over a course of treatments, using the FDA-cleared SkinPen device.

Your practitioner
Patient with eye pads before microneedling

What microneedling can and can’t do

Microneedling is a good treatment for acne scarring and skin texture when you are prepared for a course and a modest result. It does not remove scars, and one session changes little.

It can

  • Soften rolling and boxcar acne scars over a course of three or more sessions. In the SkinPen approval study, just over half of people showed measurable improvement six months after the third treatment.
  • Improve skin texture, pore appearance and fine lines as new collagen forms over the following months.
  • Be used on darker skin types with less risk of pigment change than many lasers, when depth and aftercare are right.
  • Help topical treatments for pigmentation work better, as part of a combined plan.

It can’t

  • Remove deep or ice-pick scars. Narrow, deep or tethered scars need other techniques, and some scarring will remain whatever is done.
  • Work in one session. The approval study used three sessions a month apart, with the result judged six months after the last one.
  • Tighten loose skin or lift. It improves surface quality. It does not replace surgery or filler.
  • Treat pigmentation on its own. For melasma and age spots it supports skincare rather than replacing it, and in some people it can make pigment worse.
  • Guarantee a result. In the approval study, just under half of people showed no measurable change on the scar scale at six months.

Your practitioner will tell you at your consultation which of these apply to you.

Our aesthetic practitioner

This treatment is planned and carried out by our aesthetic practitioner and dentist, Dr Katy Nassar.

Dr Katy Nassar

Dentist and aesthetic practitioner

GDC-registered dentistMSc Skin Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine

Risks, and how often they happen

Every treatment carries risk. Here they are in three groups, with how often they happen where the evidence allows. Your practitioner will go through them with you, and they are in your written consent.

Expected Almost everyone, and they settle

  • Redness and warmth like a sunburn for one to three days.
  • Dryness, peeling or rough skin for up to a week.
  • Tightness, itching or mild tenderness for a day or two.
  • Pinpoint bleeding during treatment, settling within minutes.

Uncommon Some patients, and some need further treatment

  • Darkening of the treated skin (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation), more likely in darker skin and with sun exposure soon after. It usually fades over months with sunscreen and skincare.
    Uncommonmost reported side effect across 85 studies; none in 12 randomised trials
  • A flare of acne or cold sores in people prone to them.
    Uncommon
  • Swollen glands in the neck for a few days.
    Uncommon
  • Irritation from products applied afterwards, because the skin barrier is open.
    Uncommon

Rare but serious

  • Fine linear marks or track scarring, from too much depth or pressure.
    Rare
  • Infection of the treated skin.
    Rare
  • Granulomas or allergic reactions to products applied to open skin. Nothing is applied during treatment beyond a soothing product afterwards.
    Rare

For the long term

  • Results build over three to six months as collagen remodels, and improvement in scarring is lasting.
  • Maintenance sessions are suggested for texture and ageing; scar improvement does not need to be repeated.
  • Sun protection matters for weeks afterwards and is the main way to avoid pigment change. See our skincare page.
  • Sunscreen before and after. Daily sunscreen is part of every course, and for darker skin we may suggest preparing the skin first to lower the chance of pigment change.
Where these figures come from

Figures are drawn from the device’s regulatory approval data and published reviews, and your own risk may be higher or lower. More from the NHS on before you have a cosmetic procedure.

Frequently asked questions about microneedling

How much does microneedling cost?
Microneedling is £350 per session, and three to six sessions are usually recommended, depending on your skin concern. A first consultation with Dr Katy Nassar is £50.
How many microneedling sessions will I need?
Usually three to six sessions, depending on your skin concern. One session on its own changes little.
Will microneedling remove acne scars?
It softens rolling and boxcar acne scars over a course of treatment but does not remove them.
Is there downtime?
Expect redness and warmth like sunburn for one to three days, and some dryness or peeling.