Microneedling Aftercare: Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

After microneedling, skip make-up for 24 hours, avoid the gym, sauna and steam for 24 to 48 hours, pause retinol and acids for a few days, and wear sunscreen every day. Redness and a sunburn-like feeling usually settle within a few days to a week.¹

What’s normal after microneedling?

Redness is the most common effect.² You may also feel as if you have a mild sunburn, and brown skin can look a little darker for a while. These reactions usually fade within a few days to a week.¹ In one comparison trial, redness lasted an average of 1 day.²

You can go back to work straight after treatment.¹ Don’t expect to judge your result yet. You may see improvement within a few weeks, and the full result usually takes several months.¹

What should I do in the first 24 hours?

• Leave make-up off for the full 24 hours.¹
• Use only the aftercare cream your doctor gives you.¹
• Keep your hands away from your face.
• Skip the gym, sauna and steam for 24 to 48 hours.

How do I care for my skin in the first week?

• Wash gently with a mild cleanser, using your fingertips.
• Moisturise with a plain product your doctor is happy with.
• Pause retinol, acids and scrubs for a few days.
• Wear sunscreen every day, and stay out of strong sun. Tanned or sun-exposed skin is a reason to delay your next session.¹
• Let any flakes fall away by themselves.

Can I use vitamin C or other serums straight away?

Ask your doctor first. Needling opens tiny channels, so a product can reach deeper than it normally would. In one report, three women developed open, inflamed lumps called granulomas on the face after microneedling. Two of them had received the same vitamin C moisturiser during treatment, and both reacted to it on patch testing.³

A review of the field calls side effects rare, and it advises caution when microneedling is used to help products sink in.² Your doctor can choose a suitable serum where one would help.

Which mistakes can set your results back?

• Skipping sunscreen. It protects your healing skin, and sun protection also slows collagen loss.¹
• Smoking, which works against the collagen you are trying to build.¹
• Booking sessions too close together. Overuse can irritate skin.¹ Our doctors usually space sessions 4 to 6 weeks apart.
• Picking at your skin, which raises the risk of marks.
• Trying a home roller. Non-medical use carries a higher risk of infection, scarring and long-lasting colour change, and it can spread warts and herpes across the skin. Home devices also usually give less noticeable results.¹
• Judging too early. Compare photos at the end of your course, after a few months.

How should I prepare for my next session?

Following a skin care routine for 2 to 4 weeks beforehand improves your response, and your doctor may ask you to pause retinoids for a few days.¹ Your session will wait if you have a tan, a skin infection, or painful, deep pimples. If you have taken isotretinoin, at least a month must have passed since your last pill, so tell your doctor.¹

When should I contact the clinic?

Contact your clinic if redness lasts more than a week, or if you notice pus, growing pain, swelling that gets worse, blisters, a cold sore or dark patches that aren’t fading. These aren’t the usual course of healing, and it is better to have them looked at early.

Is microneedling right for me?

Read our microneedling page for sessions, results and who should avoid it. If your scars are deeper, RF microneedling may suit you better, and its aftercare is very similar. Consultations are free at all 12 of our clinics, and you can ask for a female doctor.

Not sure if microneedling suits you? Ask a skin specialist in Lahore or a skin specialist in Faisalabad.

Medically reviewed by Dr Sadaf Saleem, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 62494-P; Dr Junaid Rabbani, Dermatologist, PM&DC 44510-S; and Dr Shegref Mushtaq, Dermatologist, FCPS (Dermatology), PM&DC 19827-N

1. American Academy of Dermatology. Microneedling can fade scars, uneven skin tone, and more.
2. Iriarte C, et al. Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol, 2017.
3. Soltani-Arabshahi R, et al. Facial allergic granulomatous reaction and systemic hypersensitivity associated with microneedle therapy for skin rejuvenation. JAMA Dermatol, 2014.

Treatments in this article

Sessions, downtime and results for each, on its own page.

MicroneedlingAppointment: 20–30 minutes, plus numbing · Downtime: Redness for a few daysRF Microneedling (INFINI)Appointment: About 40 minutes, plus numbing · Downtime: Redness for 1–3 days

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