Microneedling
Controlled micro-injury that prompts the skin to rebuild — over a course, not a single session.
What is Microneedling?
Fine needles create controlled micro-injuries in the skin to trigger a collagen-building healing response, optionally combined with platelet-rich plasma or topical exosomes.
Microneedling creates thousands of controlled micro-injuries in the skin. The healing response to them lays down new collagen, which over a course of treatments improves texture, pore appearance and fine lines. The important word is course: a single session produces a modest, temporary glow, while three to four spaced several weeks apart produce the structural change people are actually after. Acne scarring needs a deeper protocol and usually four to six. The treatment can be combined with your own platelet-rich plasma or with topical exosomes, both of which amplify the healing response rather than changing what the needling itself does. Beyond the face we treat the neck, décolleté and abdomen, where crepey texture and stretch marks respond to the same mechanism.
How does microneedling improve skin?
Fine needles create controlled micro-injuries through the surface of the skin. Each one is small enough to heal quickly, but collectively they trigger the skin’s repair response — new collagen and elastin laid down as the channels close. The result is textural: firmer skin, refined pores, and softening of scarring where the fibrous tissue is broken up and replaced over successive sessions. It works on the quality of the skin rather than on volume or on muscle, which is why it addresses texture, scarring and laxity but not lines caused by muscle movement or hollows caused by lost volume. The channels also allow topical preparations applied immediately afterwards to reach past the outer layer, which is why platelet-rich plasma or exosomes are frequently combined with it in the same appointment.
How many microneedling sessions will I need?
A course, not a single appointment. Each session builds on the collagen laid down by the last, and one treatment produces at most a temporary glow rather than the change most people are seeking. Scarring in particular responds to repetition: the fibrous tissue is remodelled progressively, and results accumulate across a planned series with intervals long enough for the skin to complete each healing cycle. The number of sessions depends on what is being treated and how the skin responds, and your clinician will set it at consultation rather than in advance. Maintenance sessions afterwards are common. Anyone promising a transformation from one appointment is describing something other than how the treatment works, and expecting it is the most reliable route to disappointment.
What is the recovery from microneedling?
Expect to look as though you have caught the sun for a day or two: redness and warmth immediately afterwards, fading over the following day, sometimes with mild flaking as the skin turns over. Most people are comfortable returning to work the next day, and makeup is generally avoided for the first day to leave the channels undisturbed. Sun protection afterwards is not optional — freshly treated skin is more vulnerable to pigmentation, and unprotected exposure can undo what the session achieved. Active acne, an open infection or a current cold sore outbreak all defer treatment. Recovery is longer where treatment has been more aggressive, which is one of the things adjusted to your skin and your goals rather than being fixed. Your clinician will give you specific aftercare for the depth used.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sherwin Hariri, MD, Medical Director & Chief Longevity Physician. Last reviewed August 2026.
This page is for information only and is not medical advice. Suitability for any treatment is determined at consultation.
10 treatments in this category
Microneedling - Full Face
Controlled micro-injury that stimulates collagen to improve texture, pores and fine lines. A course of three to four is usual.
Microneedling - Face + Neck
Full face plus the neck, treating laxity and crepey texture together.
Microneedling - Neck Only
Targeted treatment for neck laxity and horizontal lines.
Microneedling - Decollete / Chest
Treats sun damage, crepey texture and fine lines across the chest.
Microneedling - Face, Neck + Decollete
All three areas treated in one appointment for an even result.
Microneedling - Abdomen / Stretch Marks
Targets stretch marks and skin texture on the abdomen.
Microneedling - Acne Scarring (Face)
Deeper protocol targeting rolling and boxcar acne scars. A course of four to six is usual.
Microneedling with PRP - Full Face
Microneedling combined with your own platelet-rich plasma for a stronger regenerative effect.
Microneedling with Exosomes - Full Face
Microneedling with topical exosomes to amplify healing, calm redness and boost collagen.
Microneedling with Exosomes - Face + Neck
Exosome-enhanced microneedling across face and neck.
Common questions
How many microneedling sessions will I need?
Three to four spaced several weeks apart for texture, pores and fine lines. Acne scarring needs a deeper protocol and usually four to six. A single session gives a short-lived glow rather than lasting change.
Is microneedling with PRP or exosomes worth the difference?
Both amplify the healing response the needling sets off — PRP using your own platelets and growth factors, exosomes using a topical preparation that also calms redness. Neither changes what the needling does; they raise what it achieves.
Microneedling or a chemical peel?
Peels work on the surface, resurfacing the outer layers to address tone and pigment. Microneedling works below it, stimulating collagen for texture and scarring. They address different problems and are often alternated.
Also consider
PRP
Your own platelets and growth factors, drawn and processed in clinic at the time of treatment.
Learn more →Chemical Peels
Medical-grade resurfacing, with the formulation matched to what your skin actually needs.
Learn more →Exosomes
Signalling molecules applied to support regeneration, most often alongside microneedling.
Learn more →Glowtox
Neurotoxin delivered into the skin rather than the muscle, combined with resurfacing.
Learn more →
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