Clifton / DHA
Closest to you4.8(984)
3rd Floor, 4C, Khayaban-e-Tanzeem, Tauheed Commercial Area, DHA Phase-5
How does microneedling help pigmentation?
For pigmentation, the needles are set shallow, usually no deeper than 1.5 mm. They open thousands of short-lived channels, and a serum such as tranexamic acid or vitamin C is spread over them, so far more of it reaches the cells that make pigment than a cream alone can.
As your skin heals, its tone evens out. In one trial of 60 people, microneedling with tranexamic acid improved melasma scores by 44%, ahead of 36% for injections. It calms pigment rather than removing it, so daily sunscreen keeps your result.
Who shouldn’t have microneedling for pigmentation?
It isn’t suitable in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, with a cold sore, infection or acne flare in the area, if you form keloid scars, or soon after isotretinoin. Your doctor waits until any tan has settled.
Microneedling for pigmentation, step by step
- Free consultation: your doctor checks whether your patches are melasma, sun spots or acne marks.
- Preparation: cleansing, then numbing cream for about 30 minutes.
- Treatment: shallow needling with a brightening serum, about 20–30 minutes.
- Course: 3–6 sessions, each 4–6 weeks after the last.
- Home care: daily sunscreen and any cream your doctor prescribes.
Pigmentation results and recovery
Patches start to lighten from about four weeks, with a clear change by three months. Melasma is long-term, so sun, heat and hormones can bring it back; broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, reapplied through the day, protects your result.
Your skin looks pink or flushed for one to three days and can feel tight, and on brown skin it can briefly look darker. Most people return to work the next day.
Aftercare
- No make-up for 24 hours
- Avoid heat, gym and steam for 48 hours
- Don’t scrub or pick at dry skin
- SPF 30+ daily, reapply outdoors
Why choose Cutera Aesthetics
- Doctor-led: your microneedling treatment is assessed, planned and performed by our qualified doctors.
- Free consultation: an honest assessment and a clear plan before you commit to anything.
- A plan made for you: your treatment is tailored to your goals, your skin and your health.
- 12 clinics in 7 cities: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Sialkot. Find your nearest clinic.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology. Melasma: diagnosis and treatment. Sun protection, combined treatment, microneedling, tranexamic acid and how long results take.
- Bailey AJM, Li HO, Tan MG, Cheng W, Dover JS. Microneedling as an adjuvant to topical therapies for melasma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2022; 86(4): 797–810.
- Simin H, Siliang X, Wei C, et al. Efficacy of microneedle as an assisted therapy for melasma: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2025; 49(6): 1755–69.
- Roddaje T, Saowarat S, Norchai P. Efficacy and safety of microneedling with tranexamic acid versus microneedling with vitamin C in the treatment of melasma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medicine and Life, 2026; 19(6): 433–44.
- Iriarte C, Awosika O, Rengifo-Pardo M, Ehrlich A. Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017; 10: 289–98.
