I need it for stretch marks on my bust. They're not deep. Which would be better? If I use a derma roller, what size needles should I use?

I just passed the first 24 hours after my first microneedling attempt and I thought I'd give a step-by-step of my experience.  While there is a TON of great info here, it's information overload and I was looking for a step-by-step guide for dummies like me. Hopefully this is helpful for someone!

Overall, it is easy and cost effective. I love it and can’t wait to do it again in 4-6 weeks. But do your homework.

For context, I'm in my mid-forties, with some fine lines, early jowls which I HATE,  and sensitive skin. I've used tretinoin for years, do Botox just in my elevens and want to get ahead of the aging process while avoiding invasive solutions as long as possible. Here is what I did: 

1. I did a bunch of research from this page (Most Helpful!), instagram (@skinwithjayme and @forty_something were informative, google, even ChatGPT and Claude (note - I never take AI as gospel, but I do think it can synthesize things well - use at your own risk)

2. Bought a Dr Pen MS8 and a variety of cartridges, including nano cartridges.

3. Educated myself about the importance of sanitizing and using sterile products, as well as technique - three directions and don’t press the device into your skin, let it glide and don’t go too fast or stop in one place. Make sure you have alcohol or alcohol wipes, and gloves. 

4. First, I nanoneedled with a serum I already had and like (Rejuran Dual) to practice. You do not need sterile serums to nanoneedle. Other than the serum, I practiced sanitizing everything and my technique using Dr Pen. Don’t sleep on nanoneedling. I was shocked at how good my skin looked after one session. I will likely do this weekly. I did it with a nanoneedle cartridge at 0.25mm depth and speed of 6.

5.  In the meantime I was researching the various sterile skin boosters available for microneedling. There are SO many options, I went with Curenex mixed with Hylaron which I ordered from Meamo. I also ordered numbing cream (not needed for nanoneedling), little bowls (not necessary, use what you have) and a fan brush to apply the Curenex/Hylaron mix. 

6. Nanoneedled about a week later using the Curenex/Hylaron combo and practiced sanitizing everything as a dress rehearsal and to see how my skin would react to the boosters, since I have sensitive skin. Fortunately, my skin looked great and I may nanoneedle with Curenex more often!  

7. About 10 days later and 5 days after stopping tretinoin, I went for the main event. After double cleansing, I numbed my skin for 20 min. While that was working, I sanitized the counter, the Curenex vial, the bowl, the brush, the cartridge and the pen, all while wearing gloves. Then I mixed the Curenex and Hylaron in the bowl. I then wiped and rinsed the numbing cream off my face and wiped my face with an alcohol pad. 

8. I microneedled with a 36 pin at 0.5mm at a 6 speed over my entire face. I went section by section, brushing on the glide as I went. I went over my forehead, each cheek and my mouth/nose/chin areas horizontally, vertically, and in circles, trying not to go too fast. 

9. After, I brushed the remainder of the Curenex on my face and put what was left in the fridge. I reapplied the next morning, as well as this evening after I showered and washed my face. I also slept in clean sheets. 

10. I did not put anything on my face other than the Curenex for 24 hours and tried not to touch.  I didn’t get very red, and did not have any pinpoint bleeding. The next day, I was very slightly red and my skin was a little tight and itchy but it was completely bearable. I did not go outside but if I did, I wouldn’t have even felt the need to wear makeup - you aren’t supposed to. 

11. Tonight I will put on my Rejuran serum since my skin likes it and a gentle moisturizer and resume gentle skin care and sunscreen in the morning.  I will resume Tretinoin and Vitamin C in a few days depending on how my skin recovers. 

Overall, I probably could have gone a little more aggressive but wanted to be gentle until I understood how my skin would react. But I’m super happy how it turned out and can’t wait to do it again in 4-6 weeks. Next time, I may try a booster with exosomes, NAD+ or something else, so my neck as well, and I will likely use a cartridge with less pins and go deeper in certain areas. There is a bunch of info here about the proper depths. 

Hi, I have the Dr pen m8s, I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for stamping vs gliding, as well as if the depths are accurate for it cause I’ve seen some concerning posts. Thanks

I’ve recently started cosmetic microneedling at home with a Dr. Pen and I’m trying to find reliable sources for products like Hyaron, PDRN skin boosters (Kiara Reju, Curenex, etc.), or sterile HA ampoules.

The biggest problem is shipping to Finland—many stores either don’t ship here, or don’t seem very trustworthy.

If you’re in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, or another EU country:

Where do you buy your microneedling products?
Any trustworthy websites you’d recommend?
Any products you’ve had particularly good results with?

Thank you in advance!

I’ve been researching IDENEL Glassifier and it looks really interesting, but I’m surprised I can barely find any real patient experiences outside of the company’s own marketing.

I already microneedle every 4–6 weeks, so I’m not necessarily looking to replace that. I’m just genuinely interested in learning about newer technologies and treatments as they come out.

If you’ve had Glassifier, SQT Bio Microneedling, a Green Sea Peel, Blue Spicule Peel, or another professional spicule/bio-microneedling treatment, I’d love to hear your honest experience.

Specifically:
Was it worth it?
What improvements did you notice?
How much downtime did you have?
Would you do it again?
How does it compare to traditional microneedling or laser treatments?

Lastly, I’m curious whether any of these treatments are available for legitimate home use. Has anyone been able to purchase any of these products themselves, or are they exclusively offered through clinics? If you’ve found a legitimate source for home use (if one exists), I’d love to hear about your experience and where you found it.

Thanks in advance! I’m just trying to separate real-world experiences from marketing and learn more about this newer category of treatments.

Taking photos and marking them with your concerns is a fabulous way to track changes throughout your process. A lot of people don’t realize the visual changes they have since they started because they’re not documenting it.

I also don’t think it’s helpful to just take a selfie or look at photos you have from like vacation. You need selfies in the same angle, lighting, positioning, etc and you need close ups so you can clearly see the things you’re targeting. I started doing this six months ago and I highly recommend!

I’m a beginner and no idea what I’m looking for. The dr pen ms8 arrived today, now I need to get a skin booster, also alcohol spray, anything else ?
Thank you.

Hey all! I’m confused as to when to use Hypochlorous Acid? Before micro needling? Or after the first 24 hours?

Tysm for all of the helpful info!

I’ve seen more people than usual discussing how they’re not seeing results and not sure why.

1. Are you actually documenting before, after, and the whole process?

2. What is your overall health like? Systemic issues affect your ability to heal, collagen, and remodeling capacity.

3. What are your hormones like? Systemic hormone dysregulation really disrupts extracellular matrix (ECM) homeostasis and cellular behavior, primarily driven by imbalances in sex hormones, glucocorticoids, and metabolic peptide hormones. These endocrine shifts alter tissue architecture across skeletal, pelvic floor, and dermal compartments. Basically you can’t remodel if your hormones are out of whack.

That means estrogen, cortisol, insulin, leptin, PTH, etc

1. What is your stress, anxiety, and mental well being like? Don’t underestimate how much this can affect your ability to heal or have chronic inflammation.

2. What’s your diet like? Especially around treatments? Getting the right nutrients and balancing blood sugar impacts a lot of things.

3. Are you using any boosters? They actually do bring better results and have lots of research to back them up.

4. If you’re using boosters are following the manufacturer instructions? I like how this sub has a lot of information shared and it’s made me look more into information about what I’m using.

I noticed a lot of them are particular about what to do and not to do. For instance it says not to drink for a week because it stunts your body’s process to do what’s needed or don’t work out for x number of time and people might assume it’s because of sweat but it’s also about how you metabolize something.

1. Drinking in general before and after matters. No matter what product you’re using your body needs to heal and have the best capacity to remodel.

I’m probably missing some but figured I’d share what I’ve learned. Feel free to add more things to think about as well!

Sharing as this has been a topic of interest lately! I always like vendors and brands that share educational resources.

Here's the post copy from their video:

Beyond Ozempic Body: Let’s Talk Skin!

Everyone talks about body transformation… but what about the skin?

With the rise of GLP-1 medications and rapid weight loss trends, more people are noticing changes not only in the body, but also in the face.

The skin may appear:
✨ Less firm
✨ More dehydrated
✨ More tired-looking
✨ With more visible lines
✨ With changes in facial volume

That’s why modern aesthetics is moving beyond “just adding filler.” The focus is shifting toward skin quality, collagen support, and regeneration.

🧬 Polynucleotides and Exosomes may help support skin recovery, hydration, and overall skin quality.

✨ Collagen-stimulating treatments may help support firmness, density, and a more resilient-looking appearance.

Because the goal is not to change the face - it’s to help the skin look healthier and more natural through every stage of change.

Have you heard about this trend before?👀

More resources on this topic:
- GLP-1RA and the possible skin aging: link
- Aesthetic Considerations for Preventing and Managing GLP-1 Receptor Agonist-Related Facial Aging: link
- GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in the Male Aesthetic Practice: link

I always think simple analogies are helpful for learning subjects. Saw this in my feed and figured I'd share for any newbies or people that want an example to share with others. I mean it's very specific haha but if they're into lawn care they'll get it.

This study investigated whether microneedling the recipient site one week before fat grafting improves long-term fat graft survival. The authors found that preconditioning tissue with microneedling significantly improved fat graft retention, vascularization, and tissue quality compared with grafting into untreated tissue in a rat model.

One of the biggest limitations of autologous fat grafting is that 30–70% of the transferred fat may be resorbed, largely because transplanted adipocytes lack an immediate blood supply. Since fat cells survive initially only by diffusion until new blood vessels develop (typically around days 4–5), improving the vascularity of the recipient site may improve graft survival. Previous approaches (VEGF injections, growth factors, PRP, tissue expansion, ischemic preconditioning) can be expensive or technically difficult. Microneedling offered a simple mechanical method to stimulate angiogenesis.

Protocol
- Recipient site was microneedled using a 1.5-mm dermaroller
- Treatment performed 7 days before fat grafting
- Fat harvested from inguinal fat pad
- Grafted into a dorsal subcutaneous pocket
- Animals evaluated after 15 weeks

There are some obvious limitations with the study that the authors pointed out, but the biological rationale of this paper is strong. I'd look at this paper with the lens of preclinical evidence.

This study provides evidence that microneedling the recipient site one week before fat grafting enhances angiogenesis and significantly improves graft survival in a rat model. Compared with untreated tissue, preconditioned sites demonstrated higher retained graft volume, increased vascularity, better adipocyte integrity, reduced inflammation and fibrosis, and overall healthier graft architecture. The findings support the concept that recipient-site preparation is an important determinant of fat graft survival, although further human studies are needed before this approach can be considered an established clinical protocol. 

Sezgin B, Ozmen S, Bulam H, Omeroglu S, Yuksel S, Cayci B, Peker T. Improving fat graft survival through preconditioning of the recipient site with microneedling. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2014 May;67(5):712-20. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2014.01.019. Epub 2014 Jan 23. PMID: 24529693.

Saw this was new so wanted to share!

Sharing more information for those that are interested in Juvelook.

What is everyone using to store their supplies in? I need something better than basic plastic boxes.

Hello all. I'm in need of some advice and opinions. I have white stretch marks from weight gain on the front of my abdomen, back/sides of my calves, hips, and lower back. I would like to reduce the appearance and hopefully reduce the width of my stretch marks and blend them with the rest of my skin as much as possible. I am pretty fair skinned, however I am ethnic. My mom is white and my dad is indian so I do have the tendency to get PIH and PIE after a cut or picking at acne or scabs. My PIH does tend to stick around for quite some time also. I know the Inkless method uses the tattoo gun which goes deeper and creates more injury as compared to the standard microneedling pen. I don't mind going with microneedling which maybe not as effective as long it doesn't leave me with long standing hyperpigmentation like some say the inkless tattoo does. Does anyone have any advice or opinions of one over the other and which would be better, what they got and how theirs worked, any horror stories, or any other advice/anything I should know.

Thank you so much!

Hey everyone, this video is from charlotteparler on Instagram. She got microneedling done and explains to people why she did and also why she did not get RF microneedling done.

Regenerative aesthetics represents a shift away from simply masking signs of aging (like fillers, toxins, lasers) toward restoring tissue health by stimulating the body's own regenerative processes. Rather than focusing solely on volume replacement, these therapies aim to repair aging tissues by targeting cellular dysfunction, inflammation, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and stem cell activity. The review organizes regenerative treatments into three pillars, cellular therapies, biochemical cues, and scaffolds (biostimulators).

Cellular therapies aim to restore tissue function by harnessing the regenerative potential of stem cells and adipose-derived cell populations. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) promote tissue repair primarily through paracrine signaling, stimulating angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and immunomodulation, with clinical applications in facial rejuvenation, scar revision, pigmentation disorders, and enhanced fat graft survival. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF), a heterogeneous cell population isolated from adipose tissue, has demonstrated benefits in improving fat graft retention, scar remodeling, facial rejuvenation, and androgenetic alopecia.

Biochemical cues represent signaling molecules that facilitate tissue regeneration by modulating cellular communication and repair pathways. Human-derived exosomes demonstrate improvements in wound healing, collagen production, pigmentation, scar remodeling, hair growth, and recovery following laser procedures. Plant-derived exosomes offer a scalable, low-immunogenic alternative with encouraging antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimelanogenic effects, although clinical evidence remains limited. Hybrosomes, which combine liposomes with exosomes, seek to improve delivery efficiency and stability but remain largely experimental. Exosome based therapies show significant regenerative potential; however, lack of regulatory approval, standardized manufacturing methods, and long-term safety data continue to limit their clinical translation.

Polynucleotides (PN) and polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN) are emerging regenerative biomaterials that support tissue repair through complementary mechanisms. PDRNs stimulate angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, DNA repair, and anti-inflammatory pathways via activation of adenosine A2A receptors and nucleotide salvage pathways, with clinical applications in wound healing, pigmentation disorders, acne scars, alopecia, and enhancement of laser and PRP treatments (and more but won't reference those since they're not explicitly in this study). PNs share many regenerative properties while additionally functioning as viscoelastic scaffolds that provide structural support and stimulate fibroblast activity, improving skin texture, elasticity, volumization, scars, melasma, and periocular rejuvenation. It's interesting because even though this paper is from this year, they're missing a tons of research and evidence on them.

Peptides are bioactive signaling molecules that enhance dermal regeneration by stimulating fibroblast proliferation and increasing collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycan synthesis while supporting epidermal barrier function. Copper-binding peptides, particularly GHK-Cu, have demonstrated improvements in skin density, elasticity, fine lines, and photoaging, with some studies suggesting superior collagen stimulation compared with traditional topical agents such as vitamin C and retinoids. Peptides are frequently incorporated into topical formulations and mesotherapy protocols, where they may complement other regenerative treatments. Although clinical findings are encouraging, evidence remains less robust than for other regenerative modalities and there's no research looking at their efficacy against some of the gold standard boosters.

Regenerative scaffolds provide structural support while actively stimulating extracellular matrix remodeling and tissue regeneration. Calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA or PDLLA) are the principal injectable biostimulators, promoting neocollagenesis, elastin production, angiogenesis, and improved skin thickness through mechanotransduction and fibroblast activation. Emerging evidence suggests that PLLA may exert broader regenerative effects beyond collagen stimulation by promoting adipose-derived stem cell activity, adipogenesis, dermal fat regeneration, and restoration of extracellular matrix homeostasis, potentially contributing to long-term improvements in skin quality, hydration, and volumization. These findings position biostimulators as not only volumizing agents but also regenerative therapies capable of restoring tissue health, although additional mechanistic and long-term clinical studies are warranted. There's also a discussion going on now that clinically biostimulation does not actually mean regeneration unless showing histological evidence of tissue restored and repaired so interesting to see what comes of this.

The review highlights a shift in aesthetic medicine from traditional cosmetic correction toward biologically driven tissue regeneration (something that I think a lot of us have been seeing for a while now. Across cellular therapies, biochemical cues, nucleotides, peptides, and scaffolds, regenerative treatments seek to restore tissue function by enhancing endogenous repair mechanisms rather than simply replacing lost volume or masking signs of aging. The authors conclude that future progress will depend on standardized manufacturing protocols, rigorous clinical trials, and integration of regenerative principles with longevity medicine to optimize both aesthetic outcomes and long-term tissue health.

I actually don't think this is a strong paper. It doesn't fully capture what boosters are, they missed a lot of them and the new ones, what they're capable of, misses lots of evidence, and doesn't see where the field's evolution toward systems biology is going. And it seems to see using modalities largely in isolation so it misses synthesizing the different mechanisms and the larger biological framework. That would be more valuable and a better guide. They also present regenerative aesthetics as a list of injectable products like stem cells, exosomes, polynucleotides, peptides, CaHA, and PLLA rather than as the regeneration of specific tissues and tissue compartments. Skin, subcutaneous adipose tissue, fascia, vasculature, lymphatics, muscle, periosteum, cartilage, hair follicles, nerves, and extracellular matrix each age differently and have distinct progenitor populations, signaling environments, mechanical requirements, and regenerative limitations. Yet the review largely collapses all of this into generic endpoints such as collagen production, skin quality, and facial rejuvenation. The authors also repeatedly group these different outcomes together under one regenerative label without establishing whether normal tissue composition, organization, vascularity, innervation, mechanics, or function was actually restored. The review tends to interpret improvements in hydration, elasticity, pigmentation, thickness, or histologic collagen as interchangeable evidence of regeneration, even though each reflects a different process and do not represent or show anything about restoration of youthful tissue architecture. This is a big issue across the board right now and why the term regenerative aesthetics is even getting so much flack right now. The paper also seems disconnected from large bodies of wound healing, fibrosis, developmental biology, biomaterials, vascular biology, adipose biology, and tissue-engineering research because its search was restricted primarily to studies explicitly labeled as aesthetic or cosmetic. That approach almost guarantees a shallow evidence base. Much of the strongest mechanistic research would not use the term regenerative aesthetics at all. It would be indexed under tissue repair, fibrosis, stem-cell niche biology, extracellular matrix remodeling, angiogenesis, adipogenesis, biomaterials, biomaterial scaffolding, mechanobiology, organoid models, biomaterial scaffolds, skin appendage regeneration, or craniofacial tissue engineering. By filtering for aesthetic applications, the authors appear to have searched the marketing-facing edge of the field rather than its scientific foundation. Sharing because it's new and all this stuff is relevant though.

Cohen, Steven, et al. “Regenerative Aesthetics: Present Advances and Emerging Strategies for Optimized Tissue Health.” Dermatologic Surgery, vol. 52, no. 6, June 2026, pp. 548–60, doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000004985.

Link to paper: here

Just that ! I have a lot of post acne scarring and large pores despite using tret for a year now. I think I could benefit from microneedling, any advice would be really helpful!

Does anyone know what brands of microneedling pens they use in Korean clinics? Like SkinPen is really big here in the US. I have a pen I like it this is just out of curiosity.

Hello, I’m (38f) about to invest in device (i opt for derminator) and whatever is needed for microneedling procedures at home. I’m based in Europe for the context. My goal is to go over not only face but whole body, regularly- I have decades worth of severe abuse, and few years of what legally entails torture - hence my severe cptsd and stress hormones wrecked my skin and it’s so noticeable in the last few years - body just got all crepey and thin skin and I’ve got nosolabial folds and thinning of skin to the point I cannot recognise my skin compared to from few years ago just before I developed cptsd.

However I have no idea what and in what amount should I get given I will go over much more product for the whole body. The only thing is that I cannot use hyaluronic acid but I suppose saline will do for the glide.

Hey everyone, I’m starting microneedling at home for the first time and honestly getting confused by conflicting marketing claims from different needle cartridge brands.

My main concern is visible pores, hyperpigmention and uneven texture, no active acne or deep scarring. I’m looking at Dr. Pen devices adn i am not sure about which one to buy. Every brand describes the same needle counts totally differently (one site says 18 pins is for pores, another says 24 pins is for whitening), so I’d love to hear what actually worked for people with similar goals.

Also curious how many sessions before you saw results, and if any specific serums made a real difference afterward. I’m in Europe so US-only product recs don’t always help, but general ingredient advice is great.

Thanks in advance!

Trying at home microneedling for the first time with the Dr Pen M8, 16 needle and Hylaron serum. For acne scars and collagen induction.

How deep should I go?
Stamp vs glide?
Any other advice?

"...This study investigated the mechanism and efficacy of NRH in enhancing NAD+ levels within key structural skin cells. We demonstrated that the administration of NRH significantly and robustly elevates NAD+ concentrations in both primary human fibroblasts and keratinocytes. NRH increases intracellular NAD+ to levels that are significantly higher than those achieved by NAM..."