Myth-Busting Microneedling: Everything You Need To Know

Microneedling is taking the skincare world by storm. As one of the first brands to offer an at-home microneedling device, we couldn’t be happier to see the trend take off. For those who don’t know, microneedling is a treatment where you apply very small needles to the skin to stimulate a natural healing response and activate collagen production. The treatment can help soften fine lines, give skin a plumper look, minimize dark spots, and soften acne scarring.

Despite its surge in popularity, there’s still a lot of misinformation out there so we thought we’d debunk some of the most common myths. Read the truth about microneedling here.

MYTH

Medical microneedling is the same as at-home microneedling

Medical microneedling (the kind you have done at a dermatologist’s office) is very different from the microneedling you do at home with a device like our MicroNeedling Tool. While both treatments make thousands of miniscule needle punctures in the skin, the main difference is the length of the needles. At-home microneedling devices like our MicroNeedling Tool have small 0.2 mm needles that are not painful and are safe to use daily to plump and firm the skin as well as aid in product absorption. Needles larger than 0.2 mm should only be used in a professional setting because they come with greater risk of skin injury and infection.

Medical microneedling treatments use either a roller or a microneedling pen with needles up to 2 mm long, and are often paired with PRP (plasma rich platelets) to accelerate collagen production and healing. To get the PRP, blood is drawn from the patient's arm and spun in a centrifuge to separate out the platelets. PRP contains growth factors from your own body that help stimulate collagen and soften fine lines. The PRP is brushed on the skin before or after the microneedling to help enhance the benefits of the treatment. The subsequent wound-healing response generates collagen that can alleviate acne scars, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.

You can watch our founder, Kerry, get a PRP microneedling treatment with a DermaPen here if you’re curious!

MYTH

Microneedling is dangerous and painful

At-home microneedling is 100% safe and painless. Many of our users say that our MicroNeedling Tool feels like a coarse brush or a very slight tingle when applied to the skin. Because the needles are so small, the roller does not draw blood or cause severe injury to the skin.

Medical microneedling can be slightly more painful because the needles are so much longer. Some penetrate as far as 2 mm into the skin, which will cause blood to come to the surface. Luckily, a numbing cream is usually applied before the treatment begins, which makes it virtually painless for most people. When done by a licensed professional, medical microneedling is completely safe.

MYTH

At-home microneedling is useless because it doesn’t go deep enough

At-home microneedling is very effective at minimizing the look of fine lines, acne scarring, and dark spots despite the fact that the needles are only 0.2 mm long. It’s true that you’ll see much swifter results from a medical microneedling treatment than you would from an at-home device, but the benefits of using a microneedling device multiple times a week have the power to make a real difference in your skin. Because the needles in an at-home device are smaller, they trigger a smaller healing response from your body. But you’re also able to use our MicroNeedling Tool daily, causing a cumulative effect that’s similar to what you get from an in-office treatment.

Want more info about microneedling? Please check out this post about the benefits of microneedling at home.

About the Author

Kerry Benjamin, a licensed aesthetician, has over 12 years of experience. Kerry is the driving force behind StackedSkincare. As the company's CEO, Kerry has dedicated her career to revolutionizing skincare. Her innovative approach combines peels, serums, and specialized tools toeffectively address a wide range of skin concerns. CA LE license number Z98459.