Microneedling: Many Tiny Pricks

1. What Is It Actually?

“Micro” means “very small”. Microneedling is therefore a treatment with very small needles. A small device has many fine needles. It looks a bit like a tiny brush. Someone carefully runs it over the skin or taps it on the skin with it.

The needles are very short. They only reach the top layer of the skin. They do not go deep. That is why it is not a deep puncture. How strongly it is felt varies from person to person.

And what happens next? The skin presumably notices that something has occurred. It reacts as though there were a tiny graze. And it begins to repair itself. It forms new cells and new fibres. The skin renews itself.

Microneedling is not a substance. It is a method. Nothing is swallowed or drunk. Instead, the skin itself does the work. Sometimes a cream is added beforehand or afterwards. Researchers check whether the skin absorbs it better afterwards.

2. Where Does It Come From?

Microneedling does not grow in a meadow. It is not found in a plant or a stone. It is a tool that people have built. They wondered: what happens if we gently nudge the skin?

The tool for this is small and handy. It has many fine needles. Some devices look like a small roller. Others look like a stamp that is used to tap gently.

Where is it used? On the skin. On the scalp, on the face, sometimes also on the gums in the mouth. Always where someone hopes for help for the skin.

Important: microneedling is not intended for children. It is carried out by adults who have learned how to do it.

3. What Do Researchers Investigate?

There are 717 papers on microneedling. In 524 of them, research was conducted on humans. 205 of these were controlled studies. In a controlled study there are two groups. One receives the treatment, the other does not. The results are then compared. This makes it easier to see whether a change really comes from the treatment.

Researchers look, for example, at hereditary hair loss. A small study examined whether microneedling changes anything in this regard. Such small studies are indications. They show: there could be something there. Larger studies must clarify the question.

Other papers examine dark spots on the face. Others look at the gums in the mouth. And some check whether the skin absorbs a light treatment better after microneedling.

What remains open: how well does it help? In whom does it help? And how long does the change last? Researchers continue to investigate this.

4. An Experiment for Reflection

Think of a small scratch. Perhaps you once tripped on the asphalt and grazed your knee.

On the first day the spot is red and it stings a little. The next day a thin crust forms. After a few days the crust falls off. And underneath is new, light skin.

Nobody did anything. The skin regulated everything on its own. It noticed that something was missing and filled the gap.

Microneedling relies on exactly this ability. The tiny punctures are presumably a signal to the skin: please repair!

Think about it: if the skin can do so much on its own, why does it need any help at all? Researchers ask themselves similar questions. That is exactly why they conduct their studies.

For adults and professionals: the detailed page on microneedling.