I Tried Microneedling: Here’s What It Really Looked & Felt Like

As the owner of Just Us, I spend a lot of time talking about treatments, recommending them and explaining what to expect. But sometimes the best way to really understand a treatment is to get into the treatment bed yourself!

So, in the name of research — and hopefully some beautiful skin 😉 — it was my turn for microneedling with Larissa.

And because one of the biggest questions we get is “What am I going to look like afterward?”, I took pictures along the way. No filters, no perfect before-and-after lighting. Just the real thing.

Before My Treatment

First things first: I made a point of not drinking any wine the night before.

If you know me, you know this deserves mentioning. 😂

Instead, I drank more water than usual. Staying well hydrated certainly never hurts — and apparently water makes a decent wine substitute when required.

My skin was thoroughly cleansed, numbing cream was applied and then I got to relax while it did its thing.

Okay… Does Microneedling Hurt?

I'm not going to tell you I felt absolutely nothing.

There were definitely a few moments when I could feel my head sinking a little deeper into that pillow. LOL.

But overall? Very manageable.

The numbing makes a huge difference, and some areas are definitely more sensitive than others. Before I knew it, we were finished.

Microneedling works by creating controlled micro-channels in the skin, which triggers the skin's natural repair response and supports collagen production. That's why it's used to improve the appearance of things like fine lines, uneven texture, enlarged pores and acne scarring.

Immediately After: RED. Not Pink. 😂

Let's just call it what it was.

I wasn't a little pink.

I was RED.

My skin felt warm and looked a bit like I'd had a pretty decent sunburn. But this is exactly why I wanted to share the photos. I think it's much more helpful to see what the downtime can actually look like than simply be told you “may experience some redness.”

And then we need to talk about that flaky photo.

No, That's Not My Skin Falling Off! 😂

I promise.

Larissa uses medical-grade hyaluronic acid during the treatment to provide slip for the microneedling device and hydration while she's working on the skin.

What you're seeing in that photo is excess dried product.

As Larissa's client, I was quite happy to see all that beautiful hyaluronic acid. I used a soft cloth with lukewarm water to very gently moisten the excess rather than rubbing at my freshly treated skin.

As Larissa's salon owner, however...

I may have had a few questions about portion control. 😂

The Next Day

This was the part that surprised me.

Yes, I was still a little pink the next day, but honestly, no one would have known I'd had microneedling unless I told them.

I was completely comfortable going about my normal day.

I also discovered that the minute someone tells you not to touch your face, apparently all you can think about is touching your face. 😂

I kept my skincare very simple and followed my post-treatment instructions. And, of course, SPF was non-negotiable.

Three Days Later

By day three, the redness had settled and the biggest thing I noticed was how SOFT my skin felt.

I'm using my Eminence Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream at night and happily letting those peptides do their thing.

In the morning, I'm still using Copper Tri-Peptide Serum before my day cream — which, in case you were wondering, is Eminence Bakuchiol + Niacinamide Moisturizer.

And now comes the part that requires a little patience.

Microneedling isn't really about what your skin looks like three days later. The exciting part happens over the weeks that follow as the skin goes through its natural repair and collagen-remodelling process.

That's also why we generally recommend microneedling as a series of three treatments spaced approximately 4–6 weeks apart.

Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely.

There was a little downtime. I was definitely red immediately afterward and a little pink the next day, but it didn't stop me from going about my day.

The treatment itself was very manageable, and three days later I couldn't get over how soft my skin felt.

For me, the few hours of looking very red were a pretty easy trade-off for a treatment that's working on the longer-term quality of my skin.

And now?

I get to let my skin do the work.

If you've been curious about microneedling but have been nervous about the needles, the redness or the downtime, hopefully seeing my real experience helps take away some of the mystery.

And if you still have questions, come talk to us. We can take a look at your skin, talk about what you'd like to improve and decide whether microneedling is the right treatment for you.

Healthy skin starts here. 🤍

Everyone's skin is different, and individual treatment experiences and recovery times can vary.