No. 04 · Nurse-led

Micro-
needling.

SkinPen collagen induction with medical-grade serums. Soft pink afterwards, brighter skin in weeks.

Duration

60 mins

Downtime

24 hrs redness

From

£80

The approach

What to expect.

SkinPen is the only FDA-cleared microneedling device. We pair it with targeted serums to reduce scarring, minimise pores and restore an even, luminous tone.

Areas we treat: Texture · Scarring · Brightening

How it works

Three steps.

Consultation

We start with a conversation about your goals, history and suitability — never a needle.

Treatment

Delivered by Rachel with medical precision, using prescription-only products sourced through licensed pharmacies.

Two-week review

Included with every appointment. Small tweaks at this review are on the house.

Pricing

What it costs.

Microneedling is priced per session. The mesotherapy upgrade adds growth-factor and vitamin infusion to the treatment for clients who want the bigger glow at the same appointment.

Treatment	Per session
Microneedling facial — 60 mins	£80
Microneedling with mesotherapy — 60 mins	£110
Glow Package — 3 sessions + complimentary skin booster on session 3	£280

A course of three sessions four weeks apart is the protocol most clients need for proper results. Free 30-minute consultation if you’re new.

The science, plainly

What it actually does.

Microneedling uses a precision medical pen with sterile, single-use micro-needles to create thousands of controlled, microscopic punctures in the upper layer of your skin. The skin reads these as injuries and triggers its own repair process — producing new collagen, elastin and healthier tissue as it heals.

It’s called “collagen induction therapy” for that reason. We’re not adding anything to the skin (unless we add mesotherapy serum); we’re asking the skin to make more of what it’s already capable of making, just less efficiently as you age.

Best results come over 3 sessions, four weeks apart — the spacing matters because collagen production peaks around 3-4 weeks after each session. Doing it more often doesn’t speed it up; doing it less often means each session is starting from a colder baseline.

The mesotherapy upgrade infuses growth factors, peptides or vitamins through the same micro-channels at the end of the session — for clients who want the brightness boost at the same appointment.

Suitability

Who this is for.

Microneedling suits you if you:

Have acne scarring you’ve been told is “permanent”
Want to soften pigmentation, sun damage or stretch marks
Have enlarged pores or uneven texture
Want general skin-quality improvement without injectables
Are happy to commit to a 3-session course for proper results
Are 18+, in good general health

I’ll postpone or send you elsewhere if you:

Have active acne (cystic or inflamed) — we’d wait until it’s calmed
Have a current cold sore or active skin infection
Are on roaccutane / isotretinoin (need to be 6 months off before microneedling)
Are pregnant or breastfeeding
Have a history of keloid scarring
Have wedding photos or events in the next 5-7 days — pinpoint redness can take 2-3 days to fade

On the day

From door to done.

Numbing cream goes on for 20 minutes — longer than for filler because we’re treating the whole face. While we wait, we cleanse the skin thoroughly and we go over the protocol.

The microneedling itself takes 20-30 minutes. The needle depth is adjusted for different areas — deeper on the cheeks where the skin is more robust, shallower around the eyes and forehead. You’ll hear the device, feel a vibrating sensation and some prickling. It’s manageable rather than painful.

If we’re doing mesotherapy, the serum is massaged in at the end. We finish with a calming mask and SPF. Whole appointment is around 60 minutes.

Aftercare

The first 24 hours.

Skin will look like a light sunburn for 12-24 hours, sometimes 48
No makeup for 24 hours — the micro-channels need to close first
No active skincare (retinol, AHAs, vitamin C) for 5-7 days — just a gentle cleanser and the post-treatment moisturiser
SPF 30+ daily, no exceptions, for at least 2 weeks
No saunas, hot yoga or swimming pools for 48 hours
No exercise on the day of treatment
Mild peeling 3-5 days later is normal and a good sign
The full result builds over 6-8 weeks as new collagen forms

Risks, openly

What I tell everyone.

Common: redness for 24-48 hours, mild swelling, mild peeling at days 3-5, occasional pinpoint bleeding during the session.

Less common: post-inflammatory pigmentation in clients with darker skin (we adjust depth and aftercare to mitigate), temporary breakout from the disturbance to the skin barrier, prolonged redness in very sensitive skin.

Rare: infection (preventable with strict aftercare), worsening of pigmentation if SPF isn’t used religiously.

NMC-registered, fully indemnified, and on the regulators’ lists at NMC, Save Face and JCCP.

Common questions

Good to know.

Does it hurt?

Numbing cream goes on for 20 minutes first. With that, most clients describe a mild prickling and vibrating sensation rather than pain. The cheeks are usually the most comfortable area; forehead and around the lips can be more sensitive.

How many sessions do I need?

A course of 3 sessions, four weeks apart, is the standard protocol for proper results. For deeper scarring or stubborn pigmentation, we might recommend 4-6.

What’s the downtime?

Skin looks flushed for 12-24 hours, sometimes 48 — like a light sunburn. Most clients return to normal by the next morning. Day 3-5 you might see mild peeling — that’s a good sign, not a bad one.

Will it help with acne scars?

Yes — microneedling is one of the few treatments with strong evidence for atrophic (pitted) acne scarring. Realistic improvement takes 4-6 sessions over 6-9 months. We agree on realistic targets at consultation.

Will it help with pigmentation?

Often, yes — especially sun damage and post-inflammatory marks. For melasma we’re more cautious because heat or trauma can sometimes worsen it. We adjust depth and aftercare carefully if you have melasma.

What’s the difference between microneedling and dermarollers/at-home rollers?

Significant. Medical microneedling uses sterile single-use needles at controlled depths (0.5-2.5mm). At-home rollers are usually short, blunter, and can’t be properly sterilised. They’re fine for product penetration; they don’t induce real collagen response and they can introduce infection.

What’s mesotherapy and is it worth the upgrade?

Mesotherapy infuses growth factors, peptides or vitamin cocktails through the same micro-channels at the end of the session. Worth it if you want maximum brightness in the same appointment. For pure scarring or texture, the basic microneedling is enough.

Can I have it during summer?

You can — but SPF compliance becomes critical. Sun exposure on freshly-treated skin causes pigmentation. If you’re going on holiday in the next 4 weeks, we’d typically wait.

What if I’ve been on roaccutane?

You need to be at least 6 months off roaccutane (isotretinoin) before microneedling. The medication affects your skin’s healing for that long.

Can I have it if I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?

Pregnancy: no — we’d wait. Breastfeeding: limited evidence; we generally defer until breastfeeding is complete.

Take it home

Homecare pairing.

Rachel often pairs microneedling with WBco’s prebiotic cleansing balm for gentle post-session cleansing. Shop the WBco homecare range at shop.refinedmedicalaesthetics.uk.

Ready?