Dermapen treatment 2mm needle: Can this needle depth cause further scarring?

Question

Just had a dermapen treament for acne scarring Pen was set to 2mm This treatment was aggressive. Can this cause further scarring?

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

I have been performing medical microneedling using manual rollers for about fifteen years and Dermapen for about 8 years. Although different areas of the face may require differing needle lengths, the usual range for treating atrophic (indented, depressed) acne scars is between 1.5mm and 2mm. So, I really don't think there should be any problem here. That having been said, I would like to reiterate a point I have made in many of my answers on RealSelf that microneedling is best reserved for treating tone and texture problems that remain after other methods, such as subcision lifting, with or without the addition of fillers, for example, have been used to elevate the depressions. By itself, microneedling, whether manual or automatic, is not the best approach to treating any, but the most shallow acne scars. Be sure you are being treated by a board certified aesthetic physician with experience and expertise in all forms of scar treatments. Best of luck.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This is a normal depth and shouldn't cause additional scarring. Acne scars require a combination of lasers, microneedling/prp, subcision and fillers to get improvement. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with an acne scarring expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Tess Mauricio, MD · Answer

Generally, microneedling treatments, even at 2mm are very safe in the hands of an experienced practitioner. There are many factors that contribute to your risk of long-term scarring from an in-office, professional grade microneedling treatment. Risk factors include your skin color, your ethic background, the natural sensitivity of your skin, how many passes were performed in the treatment area, which part of your skin was treated (some areas are more delicate than others) and whether or not you incur any issues during the healing process.

In our practice we discourage patients from doing microneedling treatments as a sole treatment for acne scarring. The treatment alone is usually not able to produce enough collage production to see a clinically significant improvement. For the best results, we recommend the microneedling treatment be performed with platelet rich plasma (PRP).

We have personally not seen any cases of long-term scarring caused by a microneedling treatment but that does not mean it cannot happen. The best advice I can give you for any future treatment is to always choose a reputable practice that specializes in your skin type/issue and the treatment you’re interested in. Cosmetic treatments are extremely operator dependant and choosing a good practitioner is worth it.

Bruce K. Smith, MD · Answer

Anything is possible but for acne scarring this should be ok. I definitely would not treat more aggresive that that setting. Good Luck!

Philip Young, MD · Answer

Micro-needling with a 2 millimeter dermatend and can it cause scarring... Definitely it can. I just recently treated someone who had scars that were from micro-needling. She has these little bumps and scars that she didn't have before. So I treated this for her and she's doing much better and she's really happy with the results. So be very careful of micro needling you can definitely get scars and it doesn't necessarily improve your scars that you already have in my experience. We have a 5-7 step process that treats all types of acne scars in about 2hours with just one treatment!

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

I haven't seen this nor have I heard any mention on Realself about scarring after Dermapen. I wouldn't worry about this. 2 mm is a deep dermal depth and shouldn't lead to scarring.

Dermapen treatment 2mm needle: Can this needle depth cause further scarring?

Answers (6)

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