Microneedling is about using 0.25mm to 0.5mm needles to make thousnads of micro channels in the skin. The ides being that this causes the body to react by sending new fibroblast cells as well as collagen and elastin to the surface of the skin which in turn then helps to plump out any fine lines and mask scarring. A typical session lasts between half and hour and an hour. In theory, needles to a length of 1.5mm may be used but unless the person offering the treatment is a qualified medical practitioner, then the 0.5mm needle is the maximum that should be used.

The treatment is mainly used on the face though may be used elsewhere on the body. It is a treatment which can be especially helpful for sun damaged skin and pigmentation. The treatment is generally well tolerated and the downtime is usually around 24 to 48 hours which is much less than the downtime that may be experienced with chemical or laser type peels. The procedure should not be used when pregnant, for those with heart disease, on open wounds or cold sores. It can be used on historic acne scarring but not if the acne is still active. Even with historic acne scarring, the process can in some cases cause acne to restart so the skin may get worse before it gets better.

The main treatment device is the dermaroller and for more targeted treatment, the dermapen is available as well as the dermastamp. No matter what solution you choose, because the needling process does puncture the skin, even lightly, it is vitally important to make sure the equipment is thoroughly sterilised between uses.