Microneedling

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure for your skin. Your healthcare provider uses thin needles to make tiny holes in the top layer of your skin. The damage helps stimulate your skin’s healing process, so it produces more collagen and elastin. These proteins keep your skin firm and smooth.

Most people get microneedling on their face, but you can also get it on your legs, back, neck or other areas where you notice damaged or aging skin. You’ll probably need multiple treatments to achieve your desired results.

Your healthcare provider cleans your skin and applies a numbing cream or ointment, such as lidocaine gel. They do this about 30 minutes to 45 minutes before your procedure, so the ointment has time to work.

Next, your healthcare provider uses a hand-held roller or an electric tool to make the wounds in your skin. The roller has tiny needles. Your healthcare provider rolls it slowly and gently across your skin. If they use the electric device, needles pulse up and down to puncture your skin. They can change the length of the needles on the electric device. Longer needles go deeper into your skin, which might be necessary if you have deep scars or pockmarks from acne. Needle lengths can range from 0.5 millimeters to 2 millimeters.

You might feel warmth or a scratching sensation on your face once the microneedling starts. Some people feel discomfort if the needles are near bony areas, such as your cheekbones. Deep microneedling might cause a little bleeding.

A microneedling procedure can take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours, depending on the size of the area that needs treatment.