After microneedling: redness, home care and what to avoid

People talk a lot about what happens during microneedling, and far less about what comes after. Yet it's a question that often comes up at the end of a session, hand already on the door handle: what will my skin look like tonight, tomorrow, and what should I do — or not do — in the meantime?

This article sticks to what we actually know and do. It doesn't replace the instructions you're given at the clinic: it explains what they're for, why they matter, and what's best not to improvise in the days that follow.

First, what just happened in your skin

Classic microneedling doesn't put anything under your skin: nothing is injected. Fine sterile needles, changed for every client, create micro-channels at the skin's surface to prompt its natural renewal. Depth and areas were adapted to your skin and your goals, during a session of about 60 minutes that includes the time for the soothing cream applied beforehand.

That starting point explains everything else. Skin that has just been worked this way is skin at work: over the following days, you support it rather than push it around. One useful clarification: we're talking about classic microneedling here, without radiofrequency. Potenza™ is a different treatment, with its own page and its own instructions.

Redness: what to expect, and for how long

Redness is possible for one to a few days. That's the exact wording on our treatment page, and every word counts. “Possible”, because not every skin reacts the same way. “One to a few days”, because how long it lasts depends on your skin and on the session: we won't give you a day-by-day figure in an article, because it would be wrong for some of the people reading it.

What this changes in practice is your calendar. The treatment is for people who want to work on their skin quality without major downtime — but “not major” doesn't mean “none”. If you have a group photo, a wedding or a job interview coming up, mention it when you book: we'll pick the date accordingly, rather than count on luck.

Home care: the instructions you're given

Before you leave, you're given care and sun-protection instructions. They aren't a formality: they're the instructions that apply to your skin, after your session. They come before anything you read elsewhere, this article included. If something isn't clear as you're leaving, ask on the spot: that's when the answer is easiest to get.

Sun protection deserves a closer look. In the fall or on a grey day, it tends to get put away with the swimsuit. Our treatment page doesn't mention seasons at all: sun-protection instructions are part of what you're given, full stop.

For the rest of your routine, the principle is plain common sense: no experiments. If you're wondering when to go back to your usual serum, your makeup or your workouts, ask before you leave. The answer depends on your skin and on the session, and we'd rather give it to you in person than write it here blind.

What to avoid in the days that follow

You won't find a list of banned products here, copied from one website to the next: it would be wrong for some skin. Here instead is what, by plain common sense, works against the treatment:

• Booking the day before an important event, when redness is possible for one to a few days.
• Heading out without the sun protection in your instructions because the sky is overcast.
• Improvising: trying a new product, a scrub or an at-home device right afterwards, without asking first.
• Swapping the instructions you were given for advice read online, or heard from a friend whose skin isn't yours.
• Keeping a worry to yourself: if something seems unusual, call the clinic rather than wait.

Between sessions

Microneedling is planned as a series: a series of spaced-out sessions is usually advised, for a gradual improvement in texture and radiance. The plan is set with you at the consultation, based on your skin and your goal. It isn't sold upfront, and you won't find a number of sessions here.

When you leave, you can take the date of your next session if you'd like one. In between, watch your skin without scrutinizing it every morning: the changes you're after are gradual, and they vary from person to person. At the next session, tell us how the days after went. Depth and areas are adapted to your skin, and what you noticed is part of what's useful for us to know.

If your skin changes in the meantime, or if something worries you, say so before the session. Some skin conditions mean waiting, or choosing something else: that's a conversation to have in front of your skin, not a diagnosis handed down by an article.

If your skin texture, visible pores, marks left behind or a dull complexion are what bother you, microneedling is one of the treatments we look at with you — and if the RF version fits your goal better, we'll tell you straight. The consultation at the clinic in Ahuntsic is there to confirm the treatment suits you and to talk about the days after before your first session even happens. The price is on the Prices page, and the Microneedling treatment page describes how a session runs, how long it takes and what comes after.