Great skin isn't found—it's built. And if the last few years have taught us anything, it's that the path to radiant, resilient skin increasingly runs through the tip of a very fine needle.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling has quietly become one of the most in-demand treatments in professional skin-care treatments. It works by creating thousands of microscopic channels in the skin's surface, triggering the body's own healing response, so the skin rebuilds itself—firmer, smoother and with renewed luminosity. "This isn't about chasing 'perfect' or glass skin. It's about strengthening your skin, so it functions better, looks healthier, and reflects you in the most authentic, confident way,” says founder and lead injector at B. Beauty Medical Aesthetics, Kevin Lamont Bachar, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC.
The Benefits of Microneedling
"Microneedling is hands down one of my favorite treatments—both to recommend to patients and personally—because it allows us to rebuild the foundation of the skin. It stimulates collagen and elastin, improves texture and tone and helps soften hyperpigmentation. But within my practice, it's never just about treating one concern,” says Bachar. From prevention to evening out tone, microneedling is one of the few treatments that addresses what already exists while laying the groundwork for what's coming—making it as relevant for a 28-year-old focused on prejuvenation as it is for a 50-year-old seeking visible renewal.
Few cosmetic procedures can claim the breadth of benefits that microneedling delivers. From the perspective of Nashville dermatologist Michael H. Gold, MD, the treatment's versatility is precisely what makes it so compelling for today's patients. "Microneedling provides many benefits to our patients, including skin rejuvenation and prejuvenation, skin tightening, as well as treating acne scars,” he says. “Recent evidence even suggests that with microneedling, pigment and redness can also improve—making microneedling one of the most sought-out cosmetic treatments today."
While the aesthetic outcomes are often the end goal, there’s more to microneedling than that. "What's happening beneath the surface is just as important as what we see. With microneedling, we are creating controlled micro-injuries where we activate the skin's natural wound healing cascade — stimulating collagen and elastin, which I often describe to patients as the scaffolding that supports healthy, strong skin,” explains Bachar.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Bachar notes that the beauty of microneedling is how universal the treatment can be when in the right hands. He finds that patients whose skin has lost its luminosity, those managing post-acne scarring and anyone ready to get ahead of early aging are some prime candidates for microneedling. But there's a thread that runs through all of them. "The 'right candidate' is someone who's open to a long-term journey. With microneedling and collagen stimulation, patience truly is the name of the game. And, like many of my patients, I say, 'The best things do come with time.' This isn't about a one-time treatment or a quick fix—it's about building a plan where your results evolve with you, not change you."
One of microneedling's most democratizing qualities is its wide-ranging applicability, but that accessibility comes with an important asterisk. Not all devices are created equal, and not all practitioners are equally equipped to use them safely and effectively. "In my opinion, generally anyone can be a candidate for microneedling. One must understand that all microneedling systems currently available are not the same—if the machine is set at 1.5 mm under the skin, we need to make sure that we are actually at that depth. And not all needling devices are,” says Dr. Gold. Precision, in other words, isn't optional — it's everything in the treatments I perform. A treatment promising to reach the deeper layers of the dermis is only as good as the device that can deliver on that promise, which is exactly where Dermalogica's Pro Pen enters the conversation.
What Makes Dermalogica Pro Pen a Standout?
Engineered for professional use and built on decades of cosmeceutical expertise, the Dermalogica Pro Pen brings precision to the treatment room. Designed for consistency, it's the tool that turns the promise of microneedling into a measurable, repeatable result.
"The Pro Pen is a microneedling device that was developed with an over-30-year track record in skincare. Dermalogica is a tried-and-true brand—actually one of the first cosmeceutical brands that I brought into my office over 30 years ago. The Pro Pen is designed well, easy to use, and delivers the depths that we are intending for them to do,” says Dr. Gold.
Topical products, no matter how sophisticated, can only penetrate so far, which is where microneedling comes in. "Skin care works at the surface and, to some extent, below. The Pro Pen allows for tissue regeneration deeper into the dermis—so you are elevating the experience with the needling component of the therapy,” says Dr. Gold. By creating those precise micro-channels at controlled depths, microneedling unlocks the dermis as a site of active regeneration—stimulating collagen, elastin and the body's natural repair cascade in ways that surface-only approaches cannot replicate. The result is skin that isn't just treated, but fundamentally rebuilt from within.
The Process and Recovery
For anyone who has hesitated at the idea of needles near their face, the real-life experience of microneedling may come as a pleasant surprise. "For most of our clients or patients, pain with the treatment is minimal—topical numbing can be used as needed,” says Dr. Gold. He notes that “Patients will be red for several hours to a day, but most get their treatments and are back to their lives immediately after the procedure. It is tolerable for almost everyone.”
