Skin Pen Microneedling Is Trending. Here’s What We Chose Instead, and Why.

The right device. The right hands. The right result.

Written by Kerri Lewis, Co-founder | Medically reviewed by Nurse Natalia Ostrowska RGN and INP | The Skin to Love Clinic, St. Albans | CQC regulated | Save Face accredited 

If you’ve been searching for skin pen microneedling in St. Albans or Hertfordshire, you’re in good company. Skin pen is one of the most searched aesthetic treatments right now, and the curiosity is understandable; the before and after images can be compelling, the treatment sounds straightforward, and the pen has become almost synonymous with microneedling itself.

But before you book, there are things a search result might not tell you: the branding matters far less than the device quality. The engineering behind the device and the expertise of the clinician holding it... those are what determine your safety and results. Here’s what we think you need to know.

What is Skin Pen, and why is everyone talking about it?

Skin Pen is a brand name for a professional microneedling device, manufactured by Crown Aesthetics in the U.S. It was the first microneedling device to receive FDA clearance in the US, classified as a Class II medical device, and it has peer-reviewed clinical data behind it; this includes a published study showing significant improvement to neck wrinkles following a course of treatment. It’s a legitimate, clinical-grade device.

What has changed in 2026 seems less about the device and more about the marketing. Supplier-driven campaigns have elevated the brand name where many patients now search specifically for Skin Pen rather than for microneedling generally, in the same way that people often refer to the brand Hoover, when they mean vacuum cleaner.

The treatment the name represents, collagen induction therapy (also called microneedling), is well evidenced and genuinely effective. The question worth asking is not whether Skin Pen is a good device, it appears to be. It is whether the brand name alone should determine which clinic you choose and which device treats your skin. And the honest answer to that is: it should not.

Does the device actually matter? Yes, significantly more than the branding

There are three tiers of microneedling and the difference between them is clinically meaningful. Understanding which tier you're in helps you to adjust your expectations to a realistic level and understand if it’s able to target your specific concerns.

Tier one: at-home dermaroller

At-home dermarollers sold online typically use needling of less than 0.15mm in length. This typically reaches the epidermis only, not the deeper dermis layer. The dermis is where the fibroblasts live: the cells responsible for producing collagen and elastin. If the needles don’t reach this depth there's no meaningful wound healing cascade; this means no collagen being stimulated and no release of natural growth factors.

Nurse Natalia Ostrowska at The Skin to Love Clinic in St. Albans tells us: “At home devices can be good for supporting product absorption and with superficial skin maintenance but they do not deliver clinical microneedling results. You can’t meaningfully compare the two types of results because they’re not really in the same ballpark”.

There’s also a documented safety concern. A published case report describes a patient who caused the spread of varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox) across her face by using an at-home dermaroller over an active lesion, likely not recognising the lesion to be anything to be cautious of.

Tier two: quality within professional devices

Amongst professional-grade devices, quality varies significantly. Key variables include motor type (mains power vs battery powered), needle retraction, needle head construction, and whether the device carries published cross-contamination data. These are not marketing points; they affect your outcome and your safety. A microneedling device comparison at a professional level comes down to these engineering points.

A 2018 clinical study of 48 patients being treated with an automated professional microneedling device (think a medical-grade motorised pen, the clinical equivalent of what you may have seen referred to as a 'dermapen', rather than a manual roller) showed across a course of four sessions:

• An excellent safety profile.
• Significant improvement in:
  - Skin laxity
  - Skin texture
  - Wrinkles around the eyes

The study explicitly notes that automated devices allow the practitioner to define the depth the needles go and the frequency in which they enter the skin which reduces the variability in treatment results seen with manual techniques.

Tier three: the right device, in the right hands

Now we’re talking! This is where the results happen. A well-engineered device in the hands of a trained, experienced practitioner who understands and respects needle depth by treatment area; has assessed your skin and any contraindications, and who has designed a treatment protocol for your specific concerns is what professional microneedling actually means. The right device matters. A practitioner who knows how to use it and who understands the skin matters equally.

“At the depths used for some scar treatment many professional insurers will only provide cover for medically qualified practitioners.” Nurse Jane tells us. “At our CQC-regulated clinic in St. Albans, our nurses are fully covered for this depth range.”

What microneedling device does The Skin to Love Clinic use, and why?

We use the Derma FNS, a professional microneedling pen distributed exclusively by SkinMed UK. SkinMed states it was the first UK company to introduce automated microneedling into the aesthetics market and to commission clinical studies on their use; that track record mattered when we chose it.

So, what makes it different?

Most microneedling pens push their needles in, then let them retract passively; meaning that the needles drift back out without any force. This is where ‘drag’ can happen. The Derma FNS does something no other pen on the market does: it actively pulls the needles back out at the same speed they went in; over 80,000 insertions per minute and over 80,000 retractions.

According to SkinMed’s data, this means that the needle never drags on the way out. The logic is straightforward: a needle that’s pulled cleanly away from the skin creates a more precise channel and possibly less trauma than one that drifts out. A more precise channel means a more controlled healing response which is where your results come from.

A clinical study of 48 patients treated with an automated microneedling pen found real results in skin elasticity, collagen, and skin texture, with a strong safety record throughout.

“Cross-contamination and hygiene is another point worth explaining.” says Nurse Natalia. “Every time one of our practitioners use the Derma FNS, we fit a brand new, sealed, single use needle cartridge. After your treatment it goes straight in the clinical waste bin”.

“Additionally,” says Nurse Jane “the device has a sealed design which means nothing, no fluid or blood, can travel back up into the body of the device. That matters because not all devices are built this way”.

A U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation into a HIV transmission case at a spa found that infection control failures during microneedling were at the root of it. It’s a stark reminder that the device you’re treated with and the standards of the clinic and practitioner using it are not small details.

At our Hertfordshire clinic, every microneedling treatment is carried out by a fully qualified and trained practitioner, under our CQC-regulated clinical standards. Single-use equipment. Documented protocols. Safety as the priority, at every step. You can read about Derma FNS’s assurances of no cross-contamination here.

What does the practitioner’s expertise truly add?

The microneedling device determines the ceiling of what’s possible to achieve. The practitioner determines what’s achieved within that scope. The most important clinical variable a practitioner controls in the needle depth.

The published literature is clear: needle depth matters and it varies by the area being treated. Research shows that to stimulate collagen effectively, depth needs to be adjusted treatment zone by treatment zone: deeper for areas like the cheeks, shallower for areas like the eyes where the skin is naturally thinner.

Getting this right requires both the right device and clinical judgement; neither alone is enough.

A 2024 split-face comparative study treated patients with atrophic scars at two different needle depths on opposite sides of their face; one side at 2.5mm depth and the other at 1.5mm. The 2.5mm side showed a significantly better clinical improvement, better collagen formation, and improved elastic fibre characteristics compared to the other side. The difference between the two depths might not sound much, but it was clinically significant. Depth matters and a trained practitioner can make that assessment.

Nurse Natalia tells us “The ‘wound healing cascade’ that microneedling results rely upon; the release of growth factors, fibroblast activity, and therefore the production of collagen and elastin, only starts when the controlled injury microneedling creates is delivered at the right depth in the skin. Too shallow, and there’s no signal being made. Too deep and, particularly in those with darker skin tones, you risk post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.”

The correct depth is an educated, clinical judgement made individually for each patient, their goals, and the treatment zones.

“The practitioners' expertise also extends to the consultation before treatment” says Nurse Jane. “Contraindications; Fitzpatrick skin typing to determine safe treatment depths; and protocol design, including combination approaches with other appropriate skin treatments, such as Fraxel Dual laser, are all important parts of the treatment that your practitioner influences.”

What can professional microneedling actually do?

A 2024 comprehensive review found real, documented improvements in skin texture, fine lines, skin laxity, pigmentation, and overall skin quality. A separate systematic review of randomised controlled trials, the gold standard of clinical evidence, found significant improvement in atrophic acne scarring across multiple studies. Even the neck and décolletage, areas that often get forgotten, show meaningful results, as seen in a dedicated clinical study. The clinical evidence is solid.

It does a lot. But we’re also honest about what it can't do.

Professional microneedling won't add volume, lift deep structural changes in the face, or replace treatments that work at a deeper level. If those are your concerns, we'd have a conversation about whether something like Radiesse, SculptLift, or Thermage would serve you better, or whether a combination approach makes more sense.

That's exactly the kind of conversation we have at your consultation.

What should I expect and when will I see my microneedling results?

Professional microneedling stimulates new collagen production within five to seven days of treatment. Peak skin remodelling occurs at four to six weeks after each session; this means microneedling before and after results are not visible immediately as results build gradually rather than appearing immediately.

“Most patients complete a course of three to six sessions, spaced four to six weeks apart.” says Nurse Natalia. “Skin texture and luminosity are usually the first improvements noticed, sometimes after just one or two sessions. Firming, improved elasticity, and visible reduction in scarring or fine lines tend to become clear once the full course is complete”.

A standard professional microneedling course at The Skin to Love Clinic includes:

• A full consultation prior to deciding to treat.
• Three to six sessions depending on your skin concern
• Four to six weeks between each session
• The option of maintenance sessions once or twice a year to sustain results

Results vary by individual skin type, age, and concern, which is why every treatment plan at The Skin to Love Clinic begins with a consultation.