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How Long Does Skin Needling Take To Heal? Skin Needling Downtime

How Long Does Skin Needling Take To Heal? Skin Needling Downtime

After skin needling, a short downtime period needs to be observed.

This depends on the needle lengths used and the face or body area you had the session for.

Today, we go over how long skin needs to heal by needle size and location.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will "feel" healed within 1-2 days, no matter the location or needle size, but you need to wait the required time before repeating a session.

Skin Needling Downtime By Needle Size

0.25mm Needle

The 0.25mm only goes deep enough to help absorb skincare serums. Aim to use this size at night before bed, and you can go about the following day as usual. The 0.25mm can be used 2-3 times a week.

0.5mm Needle

The 0.5mm requires a 2-week break between sessions to get the best long-term results.

Some people like to use this size once per week, but we don't recommend this. You'll find that over the long term, the results will slow down your skin won't recover as it should.

If you like the feeling of your skin texture after a session, we suggest using a 0.25mm needle size in your off weeks. For example, 0.50mm on week 1 and 0.25mm on week 2.

1mm Needle

The 1mm derma roller requires a 4-week break between sessions in almost all cases.

The only exception to this is for people to stimulate hair growth; more on that later.

1.5mm Needle

The 1.5mm requires a 6-week break between sessions.

When we start getting up to large needle sizes such as 1.5mm, it's essential not to overdo it. Your skin feels recovered quickly, but a lot is going on below the skin's surface.

2mm Needle

The 2mm requires an 8-week break between sessions.

The 2mm is used for body rolling on stretch marks and needs an 8-week break between sessions. Skin needling more often than this with this size will not give you a better result.

A worse result is possible.

2.5mm Needle

The 2.5mm or larger requires an 8-week break between sessions.

This is the largest size anyone should be using, and numbing cream may be needed depending on the location you're using the needles and how sensitive your skin is.

How You Feel After Microneedling Treatment

how you feel after treatment

If using a derma roller of 1mm or smaller for your microneedling, you'll notice that you'll feel recovered the next day (or perhaps immediately).

It's important to remember that the skin's surface may feel recovered, but the magic is happening underneath the surface.

Several microneedling healing stages are in effect, and they must be respected to ensure you get excellent results.

People often worry about microneedling downtime, but it's not worth considering.

Skin needling is a minimally invasive procedure you can do yourself at home in a few minutes before bed.

Skin Needling Downtime By Skin Location

When asking yourself, "How long does skin needling take to heal?" It's important to consider the needle size and the treatment location.

Face & Neck

Micro-needling the face and neck is usually done for wrinkles, skin elasticity, acne scars, enlarged pores, skin tone, pigmentation and more collagen production. The healing process for these locations ranges from 2 days to 4 weeks.

If using a 0.25mm for enlarged pores and skin tone, you'll feel normal immediately and can have another session 2 days later.

If using a 0.5mm or 1mm for acne scarring or deep lines and wrinkles, you'll need to ensure you have 2-4 weeks off between sessions.

Stomach

Micro-needling on the tummy is typically done to treat stretch marks or body scarring. In this scenario, you'll be using a 1.5mm-2.5mm needle. It will take 6-8 weeks for your skin to heal and come back stronger before your next session fully.

It won't "feel" like it will take that long, but a lot is happening below the skin surface.

Chest & Boobs

For the chest and boobs, you'll need 6 weeks for the skin to heal. You should use a 1.5mm body roller on this area to cover the most surface area in the shortest time.

Arms & Hands

It will take anywhere from 2 days to 6 weeks for these areas.

The arms and hands are tricky places to treat for skin needling. This is because the thickness of the skin can vary quite a lot for the hands and the arms.

Usually, a 1.5mm needle is used (once per 6 weeks, stretch marks), but if you are pretty thin, it is often better to use a 1mm needle (once per 4 weeks, skin aging) for collagen induction therapy.

A 0.25mm needle is also great on the hands because you can use it 2-3 times per week to help your skin creams perform better through excellent absorption.

Legs & Bum

It will take 6-8 weeks to heal from a micro-needling session on the legs or bum.

You'll be treating stretch marks or scarring on these areas, and it will take a full 6-8 weeks before a session can be repeated.

Scalp

The healing period for the scalp is 2- 4 weeks.

The scalp is the only exception to all of our rules above.

Through experience, we have found that you need to stimulate hair growth as much as possible and consider the skin's healing rate.

You should micro-needle with a 1mm derma roller once per fortnight for 3 sessions and then take 1 month off, then repeat.

We've found this to be the perfect routine to stimulate hair growth and give the skin the necessary break time.

What To Do With Your Newly Exposed Skin

After skin needling, you have a much higher chance of sun damage, so protecting your skin from the sun is important. Depending on your skin type, your skin may become more sensitive to sunlight (sensitive skin), and some people may find that their skin peels (depending on the needle size used).

You should use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a higher sun protection factor in the days after your collagen induction therapy (micro-needling).

After your skin needling sessions, you should limit your intense workouts for 24 hours because this may cause you to sweat heavily, making your skin treatment area more sensitive.

If you like to wear makeup, give yourself at least 12-24 hours after your sessions before applying it.

Clogging the pores at this stage will slow down the new skin tissue.

Read more here - How long after skin needling can I wear makeup?

Dry skin is possible, so you should keep up the skin hydration with a serum such as hyaluronic acid.

Chemical peels and glycolic acid must be avoided following your micro-needling treatment for at least 2-3 weeks; this allows your skin plenty of time to recover.

For more in-depth information on what to do after skin needling, read our guide - Skin Needling Aftercare: Microneedling Aftercare Instructions

Summary

Recover times on skin needling are very fast, and you'll feel normal within a few hours of your treatment. Take note of the skin cells tissue healing rate before you consider having further micro-needling sessions.

Results from microneedling treatment vary and it's important to consider your medical history before considering a treatment. Skin conditions that prevent healthy collagen production or people with keloid scars should seek medical advice.

For more information on skin needling, please check out the following articles:

Micro-Needling Depth Guide

Does Skin Needling Hurt?

 

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