Microneedling in NYC: What to Expect
28 October 2026
How a microneedling visit at Minori runs, who it may suit, what it cannot do, and how to prepare for your first session.
Microneedling is a treatment people ask about at our NoMad studio, and it is easy to leave a consultation with more questions than you arrived with. This guide sets out the treatment as it is performed at Minori Skincare: what a visit involves, who it may suit, what it cannot do, how to prepare, what happens in the days afterwards, and what to ask when you come in.
What microneedling is
Microneedling uses a handheld device with very fine needles to create controlled micro-channels in the skin. The channels are the point of the treatment: they are what allow a professional serum to be absorbed more effectively, and they are what your skin's own repair process responds to in the days that follow.
The device we use for microneedling at the studio is Dermapen 4, made by DermapenWorld. It is a medical-grade microneedling treatment, and every treatment is customized around your skin condition and your goals.
How a Dermapen 4 visit runs
Four steps, in the same order, every time.
Consult: a skin analysis and an honest plan, tailored to your goals. Suitability is settled here, before any treatment is scheduled.
Prepare: a gentle cleanse and prep to ready the skin for treatment. A numbing cream is applied first, and most people feel light pressure and a vibration rather than pain.
Treat: the core treatment, performed by a certified specialist. Ultra-fine sterile needles create tiny micro-channels in the skin, which is what allows targeted serums to penetrate more effectively.
Glow: aftercare guidance for the days that follow.
The appointment takes about 30 minutes.
Who may suit it
Dermapen 4 is used at the studio for uneven skin texture, acne scars and post-acne texture, and the fine lines and early signs of aging that come with it. It suits most skin types, and every treatment is customized to your skin condition and your goals.
It is not suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or over active acne infection, cold sores, eczema or broken skin. Before you book, tell us about any history of keloid scarring, recent isotretinoin use, blood-thinning medication and recent sun exposure. A professional consultation is required before treatment.
What it cannot do
Dermapen 4 is aimed at a specific list of concerns: fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars and post-acne texture, and uneven skin texture. If your concern is not on that list, this may not be the treatment for it.
It is also not a replacement for medical advice or for a clinician's assessment. Individual results vary, and no treatment can promise a particular result: what a course of sessions looks like for you depends on your skin, and that is part of what the consultation covers.
If you are considering RF microneedling
Not all microneedling is the same, and the difference is worth understanding before you book.
The studio also offers radiofrequency microneedling, known here as Morpheus8. It follows the same four-step structure at the appointment, but a session takes about 90 minutes rather than 30, and recovery commonly runs two to five days rather than a day or two. The Morpheus8 page recommends three to four treatments, spaced four to six weeks apart. We have written a separate article comparing the two treatments side by side if you want the detail before you decide.
How to prepare
There is nothing dramatic to do before a session. The useful preparation happens in the consultation itself: come with an honest account of your skin history, including keloid scarring, isotretinoin use, blood-thinning medication and recent sun exposure, and come with a clear idea of the concern you would like to discuss.
On the day, arrive with clean skin if you can, and leave make-up at home, because it goes on after the treatment rather than before it.
Aftercare, in general terms
For the first day, cleanse with lukewarm water and clean hands only, and pat dry. Apply only what your provider gave you or recommended, and no active serums.
Once the skin allows, keep it moisturised and wear a high-factor sunscreen every day. Leave make-up off until the skin has settled. Pause acids, retinoids, vitamin C and scrubs for a few days.
Skip the gym, swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms for the first 24 hours. Use a clean pillowcase, and keep your hands off your face.
With radiofrequency microneedling the guidance runs a little longer: keep the skin clean and hydrated, avoid make-up for about 24 hours unless your provider says otherwise, avoid strenuous exercise, saunas and hot tubs for 24 to 48 hours, and hold off exfoliating products, retinoids and acids for around five to seven days, or until your provider advises you can resume them.
If you develop increasing pain, spreading inflammation, pus or fever, contact the clinic.
Questions to ask at consultation
Which treatment suits my skin, and why that one rather than the other?
How many sessions would you expect me to need, and how will we judge progress?
What will my aftercare look like, and who do I contact if something changes after I leave?
Can I see photographs from clients with skin similar to mine?
What happens if my skin reacts, and what would you change in the plan?
The studio is at 146 W 29th St, 3E, New York, NY 10001, open every day from 10:00 to 20:00, and you can call (929) 648-7331 to book. A consultation is what determines whether microneedling is the right starting point for your skin, your history and your goals.
