SkinPen
The SkinPen up close. The disposable cartridge on the front holds the needles, and it is changed for every patient.
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Dermapedia / CompareProcedures
Skin Pen vs Microneedling
SkinPen is a microneedling device, not a rival to microneedling. If a clinic treats you with a SkinPen, the treatment you had was microneedling. What varies between pens is the cartridge and how the needles move, not the idea behind the procedure. Sharp, sterile needles that go straight in and out do a cleaner job than blunt ones that drag, and that is the difference worth asking about.
At a glance
| The difference | SkinPen | Microneedling |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | One brand of motorised needling pen | The procedure that any pen performs |
| What it is used for | Acne scars, texture, fine lines | Acne scars, texture, fine lines |
| Downtime | One to three days looking sunburnt | One to three days looking sunburnt |
| Cost | Often priced as a branded treatment | Priced per session, and it is a course |
Microneedling
Side by side
The differences that matter
What it is
SkinPen
One brand of motorised needling pen
A handpiece that drives a cartridge of fine needles in and out at speed. Several companies make one.
Microneedling
The procedure that any pen performs
Thousands of tiny channels are made in the skin. Healing them is what builds new collagen.
How it works, illustrated
Microneedling
What happens in the room
SkinPen
Numbing cream, then passes over the skin
About 20 to 30 minutes for a face, plus half an hour for the numbing to work.
Microneedling
The same appointment
The pen brand does not change the shape of the visit.
What it is used for
SkinPen
Acne scars, texture, fine lines
SkinPen is the pen with the most published work behind it, mostly on facial acne scars.
Microneedling
Acne scars, texture, fine lines
The same list. Deep icepick scars improve least, whichever pen is used.
What varies between pens
SkinPen
Needle sharpness, retraction and depth
Its cartridges are single-use and sterile, and the needles retract straight rather than on a spring. That reduces sideways drag across the skin.
Microneedling
The same three things, on any brand
A cheap pen with a blunt or reused cartridge is a worse treatment than a good pen, and it is also the main infection route.
Downtime
SkinPen
One to three days looking sunburnt
Redness on the day, then light flaking. Make-up is usually fine after a day.
Microneedling
One to three days looking sunburnt
The same recovery. Depth and how many passes were done change it more than the brand does.
How many sessions
SkinPen
Usually three to six, a month apart
Microneedling
Usually three to six, a month apart
Cost
SkinPen
Often priced as a branded treatment
Clinics that have paid for the brand tend to charge for it.
Microneedling
Priced per session, and it is a course
Ask for the total, and ask which pen is included in that price.
The at-home or drugstore version
SkinPen
There is no home SkinPen
The cartridges are sold to clinics. Devices sold online under similar names are not the same product.
Microneedling
A roller is a different thing
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.
What does not change with the brand
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
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
Common questions
Questions Patients Ask
Is SkinPen the same as microneedling?
Yes. SkinPen is one brand of microneedling pen, so a SkinPen treatment is a microneedling treatment. The comparison is a brand against the procedure it performs.
Is SkinPen better than other microneedling pens?
It is a well-made pen with single-use sterile cartridges and the most published work behind it. Whether that is worth a higher price depends on what the alternative clinic is using and how skilled they are.
Does the brand of pen change my results?
Far less than the needle depth, the number of passes and the person choosing them. A fresh, sharp cartridge matters. Which company made it matters much less.
How many SkinPen sessions do I need?
Usually three to six, about a month apart, with results building for a few months after the last one. That is the same course you would be given on any microneedling pen.
Can I buy a SkinPen for home use?
No. The device and its cartridges are sold to clinics. Home rollers and pens sold online are shorter, blunter and are not the same product.