In this article:
What is microneedling?
What can microneedling do?
Microneedling and uneven tone
Microneedling and anti-ageing
Microneedling and skin texture
Microneedling and skin care
Types of microneedling devices
Do at-home microneedling devices work?
Microneedling key takeaways
Microneedling is a skin care technique with a name that pretty much sums up what it is and what it does: It’s a device with tiny needles that repeatedly punctures skin. Sounds fairly straightforward? It isn’t!
Questions about microneedling abound for good reason: The claims for what it can do are pretty unbelievable. Microneedling is touted as the solution for everything from improving blemish scarring to diminishing wrinkles and helping skin care ingredients penetrate better to growing hair (1)! This laundry list of possible claims makes it easy to understand the intense interest in the question, “Does microneedling actually work?”
The answer is yes, to some extent. However, despite hundreds of published studies and articles about microneedling, it isn’t easy getting to the truth about what it can and can’t do. Here’s the basics of what you need to know to make an educated decision about whether microneedling is for you.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that works to encourage skin to generate integral substances, like collagen, through puncturing skin with tiny needles (2). The theory is that the wounds the needles create set off skin’s healing process, which can help skin rectify a series of concerns like dark spots and uneven texture.
Because it promotes collagen production, microneedling is sometimes also called ‘percutaneous collagen induction’ or ‘collagen induction therapy.’ Microneedling generates the best results and is safest when a trained professional, like a dermatologist, completes the treatment in a sterile office, however a rising amount of people are carrying out this procedure at home.
Although microneedling seems out-of-the-ordinary, it’s common in dermatologic practices. It’s even used as the base step in “vampire facials,” a process that consists of microneedling skin and then applying PRP (platelet-rich plasma) to skin. PRP has a blood-like look, hence the name “vampire facial!”
What can microneedling do?
It’s not easy getting to the bottom of what microneedling can and can’t do. Although research exists on the subject, much of the information is often skewed by either poorly controlled studies* or is done by people selling the devices or procedures, meaning there’s built-in motivation for favourable outcomes. We scoured through reputable research to give you answers about this procedure's limitations and benefits.
*Poorly controlled studies are characterised by issues such as no control group, inconsistent or lack of appropriate follow-up, or methodological issues that had a high likelihood of skewing the results, among other variables.
Microneedling and uneven tone
Microneedling, especially when done in a medical setting, is recognised by research for improving many different types of blemish scars (3). When completed in-office by a medical professional, microneedling is often paired with other techniques to tackle the uneven tone that blemish-prone skin tends to have (4).
However, the before and after photographs you’re shown are always the ones that are the most impressive; you’ll rarely see pictures of the people who had less than stellar results. Just know that not everyone will get the “best” results. Anyone selling such treatments should be cautiously optimistic about how they frame the expected results.
The claims touting microneedling for skin discolourations and pore size have research that’s somewhat less clear.
Microneedling and anti-ageing
When it comes to improving the look of fine lines and wrinkles, some studies show worthwhile results, while others show lackluster outcomes (5). However, in theory, at least when it comes to wrinkles, it should work because it helps support collagen in the lower layers of skin.
Microneedling and skin texture
When it comes to cellulite (dimpled skin), even some of the companies selling or using microneedling devices make it clear they don’t work for that. This condition occurs when uneven fibrous connective tissue mixes with fat, even small amounts of fat, and creates areas of what’s known as “cottage cheese” skin. You simply can’t puncture that away.
Skin striations and stretch marks due to pregnancy or rapid weight changes can have some minor improvements from microneedling by “loosening” up the tread marks, but it doesn’t raise up the skin or replace the scar tissue (technically, broken bands of elastin) with normal tissue (6).
Microneedling and skin care
Another claim about microneedling is that it enhances penetration of skin care ingredients. There is limited research showing microneedling helps to more effectively deliver topical prescription-only ingredients into skin when done in a very controlled setting, but this does not apply to all skin care ingredients (7).
Keep in mind that skin care ingredients penetrate based on their molecular structure, and not all skin care ingredients, like sunscreen actives, need to penetrate deeply into skin. A brilliant skin care product contains ingredients that interact with varying layers of skin. If everything was absorbed deeply, it wouldn’t be where skin needs it most.
Skin care ingredients like antioxidants, sunscreen actives, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and skin-replenishing ingredients in general must stay in the top layers of skin—its first line of defense—to have benefit.
Environmental damage hits skin’s surface layers first, so if there’s nothing there to help stop these external troublemakers, they simply keep going and can damage skin.
Some ingredients, such as retinol, could benefit from deeper absorption, but that's not always a good thing. When skin is compromised (like during microneedling), direct absorption of impactful ingredients, like retinol, can cause a sensitising reaction. An enhanced slow-release delivery system in the retinol products you buy is so much better for skin.
Overall, deeper absorption of skin care ingredients does not always mean more benefits. Sometimes, it means sensitisation.
Types of microneedling devices
There are so many kinds of microneedling devices with different product names and claims available. It’s impossible to list all of them. We compiled a summary of the more popular microneedling devices you need to know about:
Dermarollers resemble small manual paint rollers with a round, rotating cylinder that has up to 200 tiny needles protruding from it and a handle for moving it around your face. These are sold for at-home use. Yes, they puncture hundreds of tiny holes in your skin. Thankfully these rarely break the skin—but as we explain below, using such tools at home is probably not a good idea.
Dermapens look like a pen, with a circular head studded with tiny needles. The motor-driven needles move in and out of the skin, piercing it with thousands of tiny punctures. The concentration of the needles in a tiny point is helpful for small, dented blemish scars. These are mostly used in a medical setting, but they can also be purchased for at-home use but again, this could be a bad idea.
Dermastamps resemble Dermapens but have a larger head with more needles protruding from it for use on larger areas. Dermastamps may be motorised or manual and work exactly as the name implies: Rather than rolling needles over the skin the needles are systematically stamped into skin.
Microneedling devices used with light emitting diodes (LED) combines a microneedling device with an LED device*. LED light has been shown to have benefit for skin rejuvenation. However, published research about this combination doesn’t exist at this time except from companies promoting it.
*In-office or at-home handheld devices that emit various wavelengths of light using bulbs known as light-emitting diodes, hence the “LED” acronym. Research on their efficacy for signs of ageing and breakouts is promising, predominantly for the devices used in a professional setting.
Microneedling devices used with radiofrequency involve a machine that uses needles to penetrate skin and simultaneously release radiofrequency currents* from the needle tips producing heat remodeling at the same time. This is quite new and the research showing the combination is better than radiofrequency by itself doesn’t exist yet.
*A type of controlled heat energy that can help remodel collagen and elastin, reducing the look of wrinkles, sagging, and even post-blemish scarring. This treatment has contraindications so be sure to discuss with your doctor whether it is right for your skin.
Do at-home microneedling devices work?
The major question we’re asked is whether at-home microneedling devices work. The truth is there’s very little unbiased research showing positive results. Beyond this, microneedling at home brings about risk, especially when you overuse the device, which is so easy to do.
Repeatedly injuring the skin is a bad thing. In some instances, at-home overuse of microneedling devices leads to repetitive injuring of skin and may quickly bring about signs of irritation such as redness, swelling or skin feeling prickly. In other cases, the visible repercussions may take longer to appear. Think of it as micro-aggressions that add up over time, impairing skin’s ability to look and feel healthy and youthful.
Another important factor to consider is that at-home microneedling devices are not yet regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means there are no regulations establishing legitimate guidelines for what these devices can do (or even claim they can do) and what their risks may be. The FDA is working on it but in the meantime it’s a jungle of claims and no oversight.
Microneedling key akeaways
Key takeaways:The fine point on microneedling is that in some situations, such as doctors’ offices, this practice can have benefits, especially for reducing the appearance of scarring and wrinkles. For microneedling at-home, there’s not enough unbiased research to support adding this tool to your skin care routine. The potential negatives outweigh any possible benefit if you overuse it and knowing when or if you’ve gone too far can be hard to determine, especially if you’re seeing good results initially.
Learn more skin tips.
Learn more about our editorial mission.
References for this information:
- Journal of International Trichology, January-March 2017, pages 14-18
- Burns, August 2014, pages 966-973
- Dermatologic Surgery, January 2020, pages 86-92
- Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, December 2016, pages 434-443
- Aesthetic Surgery Journal, October 2022, pages 1,154-1,160
- Minia Journal of Medical Research, January 2022, pages 12-13
- Biomedical Microdevices, October 2020, pages 1–11