Medical microneedling · texture, scarring and skin quality
Controlled micro-injuries prompt the skin to rebuild its own collagen. It is the least glamorous treatment we offer and one of the most reliable, because it works with a process your skin already knows how to do.
Assessed before it is recommended. If it is not the right treatment for you, we will say so.
A cluster of fine needles creates thousands of controlled micro-channels in the skin. Each one is a small, deliberate injury, and the body responds the way it responds to any wound — by producing collagen and elastin to repair it.
There is no heat and no energy involved. That is the point. It makes microneedling one of the safer options for skin of colour, where heat-based treatments carry more risk of pigment change.
It is a workhorse, not a miracle. It improves texture, softens shallow scarring and thickens skin that has thinned. It will not tighten significant laxity or replace lost volume.
Both are microneedling. The difference is whether radiofrequency energy is added, and that difference decides which one you need.
| SkinPen | Morpheus8 | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Needles only — no energy | Needles plus radiofrequency heat |
| Depth reached | Upper and mid dermis | Variable, including deeper structural layers |
| Best for | Texture, shallow scarring, skin quality and thickness | Laxity and contouring as well as scarring |
| Downtime | 1–2 days of redness | 1–3 days |
| Sessions | Usually a course of three to six | Usually one to three |
| From | $550 face and neck | $1,150 |
| Choose it when | The concern is surface quality, and budget or caution matter | There is laxity or deeper scarring to address |
Starting with SkinPen and moving up is a perfectly sensible path, and often the one we suggest. Read about Morpheus8.
Scarring almost always needs a course. Where that is the case we tell you the expected number of sessions and the total cost at your assessment, rather than after the first one.
If your scarring is ice-pick type, microneedling alone will underwhelm you and a different approach is more honest. If your main concern is laxity, this is the wrong tool — it improves skin quality, it does not tighten.
Active acne, active infection, certain medications and a recent course of oral acne treatment are all reasons to wait rather than proceed.
All medical procedures carry risk, and individual results vary. Suitability is determined at assessment, not on the phone.
Topical anaesthetic is applied first. Most people describe pressure and vibration rather than pain, with the forehead and upper lip being the more sensitive areas.
Three to six is typical for scarring, spaced four to six weeks apart. Maintenance is less frequent. You will be given an expected number at assessment.
Because no heat or light energy is involved, microneedling is one of the safer options across all skin tones. Suitability is still confirmed individually.
A medical pen creates vertical channels at a controlled depth. A roller drags across the skin at an angle, which is less precise and more traumatic. They are not the same treatment.
Often, and sequencing matters. It is frequently paired with skincare that supports collagen production between sessions.
Usually 24 to 48 hours, once the skin has settled. We will give you specific aftercare on the day.
For some concerns it is exactly right and the cheapest correct answer. For others it will underdeliver and we would rather tell you that before you book a course.
240 Riley St, Surry Hills · (02) 8074 1559
