Microneedling depths explained: why deeper is not better

The first question many people ask about microneedling is how deep we go. It is a reasonable question, and it often comes with an assumption attached: that a deeper treatment must be a stronger one, and a stronger one must work better. For most of the concerns people bring to us, that assumption does not hold up.

This post explains what needle depth actually controls, what the evidence says about going deeper, and why the right depth for your cheeks is usually the wrong depth for your forehead.

What microneedling actually does

Microneedling uses a pen with fine, sterile needles to make thousands of tiny, controlled punctures in the skin. Each puncture is a small wound. The skin responds the way it responds to any minor injury: a brief inflammatory phase, then a repair phase in which cells called fibroblasts lay down new collagen and elastin, then a remodelling phase that continues for weeks. The effect on texture comes from that repair process, not from the needles themselves.

That point matters for depth. The repair signal starts as soon as the needles pass through the outer layer of skin and reach the upper dermis. Going further does not switch on a different or better process. It makes a bigger wound.

A quick guide to how deep skin is

The outer layer of facial skin, the epidermis, is very thin, roughly a tenth of a millimetre in most areas. Below it sits the dermis, where collagen lives. Its thickness varies a great deal across the face: skin around the eyes and on the forehead is thin and sits close to bone, while the cheeks have a thicker dermis with more padding beneath.

So a single depth setting does not mean the same thing everywhere. A setting that reaches the mid dermis on the cheek can pass well beyond it on the eyelid or temple. This is why a well planned treatment changes depth as it moves across the face, rather than running one setting over everything.

What the evidence says about going deeper

The research on depth is less complete than marketing suggests, and we would rather say that plainly. Most studies compare microneedling with other treatments, not one depth with another, and outcome measures vary widely.

What we do have points in a consistent direction. An animal study by Zeitter and colleagues (Burns, 2014) found that treatment with 1 mm needles produced collagen and epidermal changes comparable to much deeper 3 mm medical needling, and that repeating the shallower treatment added to the benefit. That is an animal model, so it cannot be applied directly to people, but it supports the idea that repetition at a sensible depth can achieve what a single aggressive session is often expected to do.

A 2025 systematic review of microneedling for facial rejuvenation (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 21 studies, 723 patients) found that most trials used a course of several sessions, reported high patient satisfaction, and recorded mostly mild, short lived side effects. The authors also noted that the lack of standardised outcome measures means the true size of the effect is still uncertain.

The picture that emerges is this: results come from a course of treatment at the right depth for each area, spaced to let the skin complete its repair, rather than from pushing the needles as far as they will go.

Where deeper does make sense

Depth is a tool, not a virtue, and there are times to use more of it. Rolling and boxcar acne scars sit deeper in the dermis than fine lines, and treating them usually needs deeper passes over the scarred areas than treating general texture would. Stretch marks on the body, where skin is thicker, are another example. Even then, the deeper setting is applied to the area that needs it, not to the whole face.

What goes wrong when depth is pushed too far

Deeper treatment means more bleeding, more swelling and a longer recovery. A 2021 systematic review of adverse effects (Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology) found redness, discomfort and swelling in almost everyone, usually settling within a few days. Less common problems included post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, infection and track-like marks where the pen was used with too much pressure. To help that settle, we can add a session of LED light therapy straight after needling, which calms redness and is included free alongside any other treatment.

Open channels also let whatever is on the skin travel further in. Soltani-Arabshahi and colleagues (JAMA Dermatology, 2014) described three patients who developed persistent granulomas, firm inflammatory lumps, after serums not made for injection or needled skin were applied during treatment. Deeper channels and non-sterile products are a poor combination. We only apply products that are formulated for use on needled skin, and we explain what they are before we use them.

Darker skin tones deserve a specific mention. Microneedling has no heat and no pigment target, which is why reviews such as Desai and colleagues (Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2023) consider it one of the more suitable resurfacing options for skin of colour. That advantage shrinks if treatment is more aggressive than it needs to be, because more inflammation means more risk of dark marks afterwards.

How we choose depth at Nova

At our East Finchley clinic we use the 1NEED Pro, a medical grade pen with adjustable depth. We set it area by area: shallow around the eyes and forehead, moderate for general texture on the cheeks, and deeper only over scarring that needs it. Most people having treatment for texture or fine lines need around three sessions; acne scarring usually needs four to six, spaced four to six weeks apart. You can read more about the treatment itself on our microneedling page.

If your main concern is dullness or very superficial texture, microneedling may not be the best first step at all. A resurfacing treatment such as one of our chemical peels can sometimes address the surface more directly, with a different recovery profile.

Who microneedling does not suit

We will not treat you if you have active acne, a rosacea flare, a cold sore, eczema or psoriasis in the treatment area, or any skin infection. We also do not treat during pregnancy or breastfeeding, if you have a history of keloid scarring, if you have taken oral acne medication recently, or if you have had sunburn, a peel or laser treatment in the area recently. If you bleed or bruise easily, or take medication that affects clotting, we need to discuss that first. And if you are hoping to lift sagging skin, microneedling is not the right tool: it improves texture and quality, not position.

The short version

Deeper is not better. The right depth is the one that reaches the layer your concern sits in, and no further. A course of well judged sessions will usually do more for your skin, with less recovery and less risk, than one aggressive treatment.

Not ready for needles? A hydrofacial in East Finchley cleans and hydrates the skin and you can usually go straight back to your day, and microneedling can follow when you are.

If you would like to know what depth and how many sessions your skin would need, book a free 30 minute consultation. Our clinical team will examine your skin, explain what is realistic, and tell you honestly if microneedling is not the right choice for you.