Laser resurfacing
Light, in thousands of tiny columns The laser treats a fraction of the surface and leaves the skin between the columns alone. That untreated skin is what heals the rest.
← All comparisons
Dermapedia / CompareProcedures
Laser Resurfacing vs Microneedling
Laser resurfacing does more in one go, and asks for more time off. It heats or removes columns of skin, and the skin rebuilds itself over the following weeks. It handles scars, wrinkles and sun damage together. Microneedling is the gentler course. It uses no light, so texture and acne scars improve without the pigment risk a laser carries. One split-face study in deeper skin tones found the laser did more for rolling and boxcar scars, and left more dark marks behind.
At a glance
| The difference | Laser resurfacing | Microneedling |
|---|---|---|
| What it is best at | Scars, wrinkles and sun damage | Acne scars and rough texture |
| What it feels like | Hot snaps, then a sunburnt face | Scratching and pressure |
| Downtime | Several days, sometimes two weeks | One to three days looking sunburnt |
| Cost | Fewer visits, larger bills | Less per visit, more visits |
Microneedling
Side by side
The differences that matter
What touches your skin
Laser resurfacing
Light, in thousands of tiny columns
The laser treats a fraction of the surface and leaves the skin between the columns alone. That untreated skin is what heals the rest.
Microneedling
Steel needles, no light at all
A motorised pen makes thousands of channels into the dermis, the layer where collagen is made. Repairing them builds new collagen.
What it is best at
Laser resurfacing
Scars, wrinkles and sun damage
It works on texture and colour in the same session, because heat and light both act on the surface layers.
Microneedling
Acne scars and rough texture
Rolling and boxcar scars, open pores and general roughness. Deep, narrow icepick scars improve least.
How it works, illustrated
Microneedling
Conditions treated
Microneedling
Ice Pick Scars
Narrow and deep, like a puncture. A needle passing over the surface cannot reach the bottom of the tract. These need TCA CROSS, punch excision, or a laser.
1 / 10→
Stretch Marks
Fine needles make controlled micro-injuries that prompt new collagen in the scarred layer. Improvement is modest and needs a course of sessions, but it carries a lower risk of leaving dark marks than lasers do, which makes it the more sensible first device on deeper skin tones. It works on both red and white marks.
←2 / 10→
Acne Scarring
Fine needles injure the skin just enough to trigger new collagen. It does most for rolling and shallow boxcar scars, and very little for icepick ones. It is the gentlest of the resurfacing options, which also makes it the slowest — expect four to six sessions and judge it at a year, not at a month.
←3 / 10→
Male Pattern Hair Loss
Fine needles rolled or stamped into the scalp, used alongside minoxidil rather than instead of it. The small trials that exist favor the combination over minoxidil alone. Sessions are spaced weeks apart, and doing it too often or too deeply irritates the scalp without adding anything.
←4 / 10→
Wrinkles and Fine Lines
Fine needles make controlled injuries that prompt the skin to lay down collagen. Improvement in fine lines and texture is modest and builds over three to six sessions. Its advantage here is a lower risk of pigment problems on deeper skin tones than lasers or deep peels carry, which makes it a common first choice.
←5 / 10→
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Fine needles make controlled channels that help topical treatments penetrate and encourage the skin to remodel. It is mainly a scarring treatment, and its effect on pigment alone is small. It is a reasonable choice when true scars and dark marks sit together, but it can inflame reactive skin, so conservative depths are used on deeper skin tones.
←6 / 10→
Melasma
Fine needles make temporary channels that help tranexamic acid or other treatments reach deeper, and that combination is where the evidence sits — not needling on its own. It has to be done gently. Aggressive needling inflames the skin, and inflamed skin with active pigment cells makes more pigment, not less.
←7 / 10→
Dark Circles Under the Eyes
Thickens the skin slightly over a course of sessions, which can make the vessels underneath a little less visible. The evidence around the eye is thin and the change is subtle. It will not fill a hollow, and on deeper skin tones it carries its own risk of leaving marks, so it is not a first choice here.
←8 / 10→
Rolling Scars
←9 / 10→
Boxcar Scars
←10 / 10
What it will not do
Laser resurfacing
It will not lift loose skin
Resurfacing changes the surface. Jowls and a slack neck need a different kind of treatment.
Microneedling
It will not even out colour
Needling works on the shape of the skin, not its colour. Brown patches and redness stay where they are.
Related topic illustrations
Microneedling
Fractional CO2 laser
Strong evidence, and the most effective single option for indented acne scars. In exchange it brings a week of real downtime, higher cost, and a genuine risk of lasting pigment change, especially on deeper skin tones.
1 / 4→
RF microneedling
Moderate evidence. Adds heat at depth, which does more for laxity and can do more for scars, at the cost of more discomfort, more downtime, and a higher price. Still safer on deeper skin tones than ablative lasers.
←2 / 4→
Subcision
Strong evidence for one specific job. It cuts the fibrous bands tethering rolling scars downward, which needling cannot reach. Often done alongside microneedling rather than instead of it.
←3 / 4→
Chemical peel
Strong evidence for pores and brown marks, none for indented scars. Superficial peels work on the surface and cannot lift a scar floor.
←4 / 4
What it feels like
Laser resurfacing
Hot snaps, then a sunburnt face
Numbing cream first, and stronger settings may need more than that. The heat lingers for hours afterwards.
Microneedling
Scratching and pressure
Numbing cream first as well. The forehead and jawline are the tender spots.
Downtime
Laser resurfacing
Several days, sometimes two weeks
The gentler lasers give redness, swelling and a bronzed, flaky look for about a week. The strongest ones remove surface skin, and that means proper wound care for one to two weeks.
Microneedling
One to three days looking sunburnt
Redness, then light flaking. Make-up is usually fine after a day.
How many sessions
Laser resurfacing
One strong, or three to five gentle
A single ablative session can do the job. The non-ablative version is a course, four to six weeks apart.
Microneedling
Three to six, about a month apart
Deeper scarring often needs the longer end of that range.
How long it lasts
Laser resurfacing
Years, for texture and scars
New collagen is real change. Sun exposure brings new pigment back sooner.
Microneedling
Several months to a year per course
Also real change, in smaller steps. Many people repeat a session or two each year.
Skin tone
Laser resurfacing
Light and heat both raise the risk
Any laser can leave a patch that heals darker or lighter, and that is more likely on deeper skin tones. It is managed with lower settings and longer gaps, not ignored.
Microneedling
There is no pigment target
No light is involved, so the mechanism behind laser burns is absent. This is why needling is often the first choice for deeper skin.
Cost
Laser resurfacing
Fewer visits, larger bills
An ablative treatment may be one big number. Ask what a full plan costs, not one visit.
Microneedling
Less per visit, more visits
Ask for the price of the whole course.
The at-home or drugstore version
Laser resurfacing
A retinoid cream is the honest version
Home fractional wands put a fraction of the power into the surface and never reach the depth a clinic laser works at. A nightly retinoid is slower and it genuinely works on texture and fine lines.
Microneedling
A roller is not a smaller version
A roller drags sideways as it turns, so it tears the skin instead of puncturing it. Home needles are short and blunt quickly, and a blunt needle does more damage than a sharp one.
Who each suits
Laser resurfacing
- Best for — Deeper scarring, wrinkles and sun damage together.
- The trade — Real time off work for a bigger change.
Microneedling
- Best for — Shallow acne scars and rough texture.
- The trade — Smaller steps, spread across more visits.
Two very different treatments share the name
Laser resurfacing
"Laser resurfacing" covers a wide range of strength. The word on a price list tells you very little on its own, and two clinics quoting it may be selling very different weeks of your life.
What a head-to-head study found
Microneedling
One split-face study compared fractional carbon dioxide laser with microneedling in deeper skin tones. Each side of the face got one treatment, so the comparison is as fair as it gets.
Before you book
More photographs
Microneedling
Common questions
Questions Patients Ask
Which is better for acne scars, laser resurfacing or microneedling?
One split-face study found fractional carbon dioxide laser improved rolling and boxcar scars more than microneedling did. The same study found the laser left more dark marks behind, which matters most on deeper skin tones.
Is microneedling safer than laser for dark skin?
It carries less pigment risk, because no light is involved and there is nothing aiming energy at colour. Lasers are still used on deeper skin tones, with lower settings and longer gaps between sessions.
How much downtime does each one need?
Microneedling gives one to three days of looking sunburnt. Non-ablative laser resurfacing gives about a week of redness and flaking, and ablative resurfacing needs one to two weeks of wound care.
Can I have microneedling and laser resurfacing together?
Not in the same visit. Both ask the skin to heal an injury, so clinics leave weeks or months between them and usually run a course of one before starting the other.
Which one lasts longer?
New collagen from either treatment stays, and your skin keeps ageing around it. A strong laser session generally makes a bigger change in one go, so the result is more obvious for longer.
Do home devices do the same thing?
No. Home fractional wands put a fraction of the power into the surface and never reach the depth a clinic laser works at. A nightly retinoid is the honest home comparison for texture and fine lines.