Microneedling

Sam Assassa, MD is a certified educator for the International Academy of Aesthetics and serves on the advisory committee of the American Aesthetic Medicine Association. He founded Beverly Hills Aesthetics in 1995, is board certified in Internal Medicine, and has performed more than 25,000 aesthetic procedures.

“Microneedling is the treatment I recommend most often to patients who cannot take downtime, and the one I most often tell people will need a series. One session is a facial. Four sessions is a treatment.” — Sam Assassa, MD

How Microneedling Stimulates Collagen

A device carrying an array of fine needles creates controlled micro-injuries through the epidermis and into the dermis at a depth set for the area and the concern being treated. Those channels close within hours. What matters is the wound healing response they trigger, which produces new collagen and elastin over the following weeks and months.

The formal name for the mechanism is collagen induction therapy, and the word induction is the important part. Nothing is added and nothing is removed. The skin is prompted to rebuild itself, which is why results develop gradually and accumulate across sessions rather than appearing at an appointment.

Needle depth is adjusted to the target. Fine lines and general texture are treated superficially. Acne scarring requires deeper penetration, which is why scar treatment carries more downtime than a texture session.

What Microneedling Treats

• Acne Scarring: Particularly boxcar and rolling scars, often combined with subcision where scars are tethered.
• Skin Texture: General roughness, unevenness, and dullness.
• Fine Lines: Superficial lines, especially around the eyes and mouth.
• Enlarged Pores: Improving the appearance of pore size.
• Stretch Marks: Softening the texture and appearance of striae on the body.
• Surgical And Traumatic Scars: Improving texture and blending.

Microneedling Compared With Laser Resurfacing

These two get positioned as competitors and they are better understood as different tools.

Fractional CO2 laser resurfacing is ablative, removes tissue, produces a larger result in fewer sessions, and requires five to seven days of visible recovery. It carries a higher risk of pigmentary change, which matters considerably in deeper skin tones.

Microneedling is not ablative, produces a more modest result per session, and requires a series to reach a comparable outcome. Downtime is a day or two of redness. Because there is no thermal injury to the epidermis, the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is lower, which makes it a more appropriate first choice for many patients with medium and deeper skin tones.

Patients with significant sun damage or deep scarring generally get further with laser. Patients who cannot take downtime, or whose skin type makes ablative treatment a higher risk proposition, generally do better with a microneedling series.

What to Expect From Microneedling

Topical numbing is applied thirty to forty-five minutes before treatment, and the treatment itself takes roughly thirty minutes for a full face.

Expect redness resembling a moderate sunburn for one to three days, with mild swelling and some tightness. Deeper treatment for scarring produces more of both. Most patients are comfortable returning to work the next day and wearing makeup after twenty-four hours.

Results build across a series, typically several sessions spaced four to six weeks apart, with improvement continuing for months after the final session as collagen remodels. A single treatment produces a temporary glow. A series produces the structural change patients came for.

Microneedling Risks and Safety

Expected effects include redness, mild swelling, dryness, and flaking as the skin recovers.

Risks include infection, which is why sterile single use needle cartridges and proper technique matter and why at-home rollers are a genuinely poor idea. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can occur, less commonly than with ablative treatment but not never, and more often in deeper skin tones. Treating over active acne, active infection, or open lesions can spread bacteria and worsen the condition. Patients with a history of keloid scarring, active eczema or psoriasis in the treatment area, or recent isotretinoin use should discuss timing before scheduling.

Sun protection afterward is important, since newly treated skin is more vulnerable to pigmentary change.

Individual results vary and no outcome can be guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Microneedling

How many microneedling sessions will I need?

Most concerns need a series rather than a single session, typically several treatments spaced four to six weeks apart, with acne scarring generally requiring more than texture or fine lines. That interval exists because collagen remodeling takes weeks, and treating sooner works against the process rather than accelerating it. Improvement continues for months after the final session. A single treatment produces a temporary glow rather than lasting change, which is worth knowing before booking one.

Does microneedling hurt?

Topical numbing is applied thirty to forty-five minutes beforehand and most patients find the treatment tolerable, describing a scratching or vibrating sensation with more discomfort over bony areas like the forehead and along the jaw. Deeper settings used for scarring are felt more than superficial texture work. The treatment itself takes about thirty minutes for a full face and afterward feels like a sunburn rather than a wound.

Is microneedling better than laser resurfacing for acne scars?

Neither is better across the board, and the right answer depends on your scars and your skin. Laser resurfacing produces more improvement in fewer sessions and suits deeper damage, at the cost of five to seven days of recovery and a higher risk of pigmentary change. Microneedling requires a series and produces less per session, with a day or two of redness and a lower pigmentation risk, which matters more in medium and deeper skin tones. Many patients do best with both, and rolling and boxcar scars often need subcision alongside either.

Can I do microneedling at home with a derma roller?

The devices are not equivalent and the risk profile is not either. Professional treatment uses sterile single use cartridges, controlled and adjustable depth, and a clinical setting, while home rollers are typically reused, are difficult to sterilize properly, and cannot reach or control depth in the same way. The two most common problems with home use are infection and inconsistent injury producing uneven results. A home roller is not a cheaper version of this treatment.

Is microneedling safe for darker skin?

It is generally a better option than ablative laser resurfacing for medium and deeper skin tones, because there is no thermal injury to the epidermis and the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is lower. Lower is not zero, and depth, technique, aftercare, and sun protection all affect that risk. Your skin type is assessed at consultation and treatment parameters are set accordingly rather than applied from a standard protocol.

How much does microneedling cost in Beverly Hills?

Cost depends on the area treated and the number of sessions, and treatments are frequently priced as a series since that is how the results are actually achieved. Pricing is confirmed at consultation and current figures are published on the fees page. Cosmetic treatment is generally not covered by insurance and several payment options are available.

Why Patients Choose Beverly Hills Aesthetics for Microneedling

• Depth Matched To Concern: Settings adjusted for texture, fine lines, or scarring rather than a standard protocol.
• Skin Type Assessment: Pigmentation risk evaluated before treatment, particularly in deeper skin tones.
• Combination Planning: Microneedling paired with subcision or resurfacing where scarring calls for it.
• Physician Directed: Treatment planned and supervised by Dr. Assassa.
• Realistic Series Planning: Patients told upfront that one session is not a treatment.

Schedule a Microneedling Consultation in Beverly Hills

If your concern is texture, scarring, or fine lines and you cannot accommodate the recovery that resurfacing requires, microneedling is worth discussing. Dr. Assassa will assess your skin and tell you how many sessions your specific concern is likely to need, and whether another treatment would serve you better. Beverly Hills Aesthetics serves patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Century City. Request a consultation or schedule your appointment online.

BEFORE & AFTER

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