Microneedling
- Performed by:
- A licensed professional. Which licenses may perform microneedling, and under what supervision, is set by each state or province.
- Recovery:
- Redness and tightness are commonly described in the first days, then dryness or light flaking. The practitioner sets the recovery plan and the date normal skincare resumes.
Microneedling is a professional procedure in which a device makes many fine, controlled punctures in the skin. Practitioners use it for the look of uneven texture, visible pores and fine lines, usually as a course of sessions. The practitioner who performs it sets the recovery plan, including when normal skincare returns.
The protocol is the treating professional's clinical decision.
What it is
A pen-style device or a roller fitted with fine needles creates a pattern of small, controlled punctures across the treated area. The response to those punctures is the point of the procedure, and results are assessed across a course of sessions rather than after one.
In the United States, FDA treats microneedling products intended to pierce living skin as medical devices. This page is one of the professional treatments explained on this site. Related concerns: visible pores and texture and aging and firmness.
Who performs it
A licensed professional performs it, and which licenses may do so, and under what supervision, is set by each state or province.
What the skin goes through
Each puncture is a small, controlled injury. Published reviews describe the response in overlapping stages: an immediate phase with redness and swelling, a proliferative phase over the following days, and a remodeling phase that continues for weeks afterward.
The surface closes quickly, but the barrier is not working normally in the first period after treatment. That is why aftercare is strict about what touches the skin, and why the practitioner decides when the skin counts as intact again.
Some devices combine needles with radiofrequency heat. That is a different procedure with its own recovery, covered under radiofrequency and RF microneedling.
Recovery
Redness similar to a mild sunburn, tightness and some pinpoint marks are commonly described in the first days, with dryness or light flaking afterward. The practitioner who performed the treatment describes what is expected for your skin and your session, and that description is the reference.
Typical aftercare avoids heat, makeup, actives, exfoliation and direct sun until the practitioner lifts each restriction. Redness that spreads, discharge, blistering, fever, or pain that increases rather than settles is a reason to call the practitioner the same day.
What serum is used during microneedling?
Practitioners apply a glide or topical product during needling. Which one is the practitioner's choice, made within their training, their device and their scope of practice. The protocol is the treating professional's clinical decision.
We do not publish device protocols.
On the sterility question, no regulation in the United States or Canada requires a topical used in microneedling to be sterile. Public-health guidance in Canada and state boards in the United States attach sterility to the needle and the cartridge. Full answer: Do serums used in microneedling have to be sterile? For practitioners comparing suppliers: Choosing a serum for a microneedling practice.
Questions to ask your practitioner
- Is microneedling within your license here, and who supervises it?
- Which topical will you use during the procedure, and can I see its full ingredient list?
- Is the needle cartridge new for my session?
- What should my skin look and feel like each day this week, and what would be outside that?
- When can I resume my normal skincare, and which products wait longer?
- How many sessions do you recommend, and how far apart?
- Who do I call if something changes after hours?
Caring for skin once it is intact
The timing question in full: Can you apply a serum after microneedling?
Once skin is intact, the routine is ordinary topical care, kept short:
- Cleanse gently. Comfort Cleansing Milk with cool to lukewarm water.
- Hydrate on damp skin. One 1.5 ml application from a sealed vial of Hyaluronic Skin Repair NanoSerum, used as described in vial handling, or Hydrating NanoSerum as the daily serum.
- Moisturize. AquaCell Moisturizer, with Barrier Repair Cream at night where the skin feels tight.
- Protect. Daily broad-spectrum sun protection from any brand. Vegalab does not sell an SPF product.
Bring back acids and retinoids one at a time, on the date the practitioner gives, not before.
Related professional protocols
- Post-treatment calming: comfort care in the treatment room, run only on intact skin and only with clearance from the professional who performed the primary treatment.
- At-home maintenance after a professional treatment: the written week between the appointment and the return to a standing routine.
- Consultation and skin mapping: the assessment that decides which treatment runs at all.
Other resurfacing options: chemical peels and dermaplaning.
References
The studies below describe the procedure.
- Alster TS, Graham PM. Microneedling: a review and practical guide. Dermatologic Surgery, 2018;44(3):397-404.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Regulatory Considerations for Microneedling Products. Guidance for industry and FDA staff, November 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What serum is used during microneedling?
The practitioner chooses any topical used during the procedure, within their training, their device and their scope of practice. The protocol is the treating professional's clinical decision. No Vegalab product is recommended for use during microneedling.
Does a serum used during microneedling have to be sterile?
No regulation in the United States or Canada requires a topical used in microneedling to be sterile. Public-health guidance in Canada and state boards in the United States attach sterility to the needle and the cartridge. The full answer is on the Vegalab knowledge page on microneedling serum sterility.
How long does recovery from microneedling take?
It depends on the device, the settings the practitioner chooses and your skin, so the practitioner is the person to ask. Redness and tightness in the first days are commonly described, followed by dryness or light flaking. The practitioner also sets the date your normal skincare resumes.
When can I use my usual skincare after microneedling?
When the practitioner confirms the skin is intact and clears normal skincare. Start with a gentle cleanser, a hydrating layer, a moisturizer and daily sun protection. Bring acids and retinoids back one at a time, on the date you were given.
Who is allowed to perform microneedling?
A licensed professional, within the scope of practice set by their state or province. The rules differ between jurisdictions, so ask your practitioner what their license covers and who supervises the treatment.
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