Before Microneedling: How to Prepare Your Skin and What to Expect

Microneedling works best on calm, healthy skin. Here is how to prepare in the days before, and what happens on the day.

In the video, Sam, one of our practitioners, talks you through it: how to get ready, what happens at your appointment, what's normal, and the questions worth asking, whether you come to us or go somewhere else. Everything is written out below so you can come back to it.

Sam appears in real video filmed at our clinic; the voice is AI-generated and lip-synced, made with consent. The treatment footage is real and used with consent.

Getting ready

Before you book

Microneedling works best as a course. Your skin will look like mild sunburn for a day or two, so plan around events.

Three to five days before

Stop retinol, acids, exfoliants and harsh scrubs. Avoid sunburn, sunbeds, waxing and fake tan on the area.

The day before

Keep skincare simple: a gentle cleanser and moisturiser. If you get cold sores, tell us, as you may need an antiviral first.

On the day

Come with clean, make-up free skin. Eat normally and drink plenty of water. Arrive 10 minutes early, bring a list of any medicines and supplements you take, and wear something comfortable.

Your appointment, step by step

Arriving

When you arrive, we welcome you and you settle in a private treatment room. There's no rush: ask anything you like.

Your consultation

Your consultation comes first. We go through your medical history, medicines and allergies, talk about what you'd like to change and why, and give you an honest view of what's realistic. If a treatment isn't right for you, we'll say so.

Photos

We take clinical photos, so we can compare the result later. They are kept in your confidential record.

Your consent

We explain the benefits, risks, side effects and alternatives, then give you a consent form to read and sign. You can take time to think, and you can change your mind at any point.

The treatment: what you'll see and feel

We cleanse your skin, apply numbing cream, then pass the pen over the area in small sections. It feels like light scratching or vibration. It takes about 45 minutes, including the numbing.

Straight after

Straight after, we show you the result, go through your aftercare, and you'll receive a written aftercare email and video. Our 24-hour line is there if anything worries you, and we book your review if you need one.

What's normal

• Redness like mild sunburn for one to three days
• Tightness and pin-point bleeding during treatment

Please call us before you come if

• You feel unwell, have a temperature or an infection
• You have a cold sore, spots or broken skin on the area
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or might be
• You have started a new medicine, or had a vaccine or dental work in the last two weeks (tell us and we'll advise)

Questions to ask, whichever clinic you choose

• What are your qualifications, and are you on a professional register (NMC, GMC, GDC or GPhC) or a PSA-accredited register such as Save Face or the JCCP?
• How many of these treatments have you done?
• Who is the prescriber, and will I see them face to face before any prescription-only treatment?
• What product will you use, and can I see the box and batch number?
• What are the risks and side effects, and what alternatives are there?
• If something goes wrong, who looks after me, how quickly, and is there an out-of-hours number?
• Do you have insurance for this treatment?
• What needle depth will you use for my skin?
• What should I use on my skin for the next week?

Questions before your appointment? Call the clinic on 020 7252 3333, or our 24-hour line on 07414 163998.

Need a doctor or a health check?

Our private GP, Dr Ayaz Tokhi, is on hand for video appointments from £75 (telephone £65), and we offer private blood tests at the clinic from £69.50. See our health services and book.

Already had your treatment? Read our microneedling aftercare guide, with a video and a day-by-day timeline.

Want to know more first? Read about our skin treatments at our Brentwood clinic.

This is general information, not personal medical advice. Your clinician will advise you on your own situation at your consultation. Results vary. Treatments are for adults aged 18 and over.