If you have been thinking about microneedling but not quite sure what it actually involves, what it does to your skin or whether it is worth the investment, this is the post for you. We are going to cover everything - how it works, what it treats, what to expect during and after your treatment and why winter is the one season you really should be booking it.
What is microneedling?
Microneedling - also known as Collagen Induction Therapy or CIT - is a professional skin treatment that uses a device to create precise, controlled micro-channels in the skin's surface. At Reveal we use the DermaPen 4, one of the most advanced microneedling devices available.
Those tiny channels trigger your body's natural wound-healing response. Your skin reads them as micro-injuries and responds by producing fresh collagen and elastin - the proteins responsible for smooth, firm, youthful-looking skin. The treatment isn't damaging your skin. It's prompting it to repair and rebuild from within.
The result over a course of treatments is genuinely measurable. Not surface-level results that fade when the glow wears off - structural improvements that compound with each session and continue developing for weeks after each appointment.
What does microneedling treat?
Microneedling works across a wide range of skin concerns. If any of these sound familiar, it is worth a conversation with your therapist.
Fine lines and wrinkles - particularly around the eyes, forehead and mouth where collagen loss shows up first. Microneedling stimulates collagen in exactly the areas where it depletes fastest as we age.
Uneven texture and enlarged pores - rough, bumpy skin that doesn't feel smooth. Microneedling resurfaces from below the surface rather than just treating the top layer, which is why the results feel fundamentally different to an exfoliating facial.
Loss of firmness - skin that has lost its bounce and sits a little heavier than it used to. The collagen and elastin produced through microneedling rebuild the structural support beneath the surface over time.
Acne scarring and uneven tone - old acne scars, post-inflammatory marks and pigmentation that skincare alone isn't shifting. Microneedling breaks down scar tissue and accelerates cell turnover over a course of treatments.
Post-summer skin - if your skin has been through a season of UV, salt and SPF and is showing it, a series of microneedling treatments through winter is one of the most effective ways to reset it before spring.
How does microneedling actually work?
Your senior therapist starts by cleansing your skin and applying a hydrating serum to prepare the surface. The DermaPen 4 is then moved across the treatment area in a consistent, controlled pattern. The depth and intensity are adjusted zone by zone - finer around the eye area, deeper where the skin is more resilient.
Most clients describe the sensation as mild prickling rather than pain. We don't offer numbing cream as it affects the results of the treatment - but the good news is that most clients find it far more comfortable than they expected.
The micro-channels close within hours. The collagen-building response they trigger develops over the following four to six weeks, which is why spacing treatments a month apart delivers such different results to booking sessions back to back. Giving your skin time to complete each cycle before the next treatment begins is what creates the compounding effect.
A full face microneedling treatment takes around 45 to 60 minutes. Your skin will look flushed at the end - this is completely normal and settles within a few hours.
Why every microneedling treatment at Reveal is delivered by a senior therapist
This is worth talking about because it genuinely matters.
At Reveal, every single therapist is senior level. Not a title we hand out - a standard we hold. It means years of hands-on experience, ongoing professional development and the kind of clinical judgment that only comes from having treated thousands of different skin types over time.
Many clinics in New Zealand operate with a mix of experienced and recently trained staff. At Reveal that is not the case. Whoever you book with, you are always getting the most experienced option available. That level of experience makes a real difference to what you get off the table - how the treatment is customised, how depth and intensity are adjusted and how your skin is read throughout the session.
We also use the DermaPen 4 - one of the most advanced microneedling devices available - and every treatment is fully customised to your skin and your specific concerns. No two treatments are the same because no two skins are the same.
Why winter is the right time for microneedling
This is important and it is something a lot of people don't know.
After microneedling you need to avoid UV exposure for at least 48 hours while your skin is in its healing response. In summer that is genuinely difficult - you are at the beach, you are outdoors, the UV index is high and your skin is getting daily sun exposure that works directly against what you have just done in clinic.
In winter that problem largely disappears. You are spending more time indoors, UV levels are lower and your skin can recover properly between sessions without anything undoing the results. It also means you can use stronger actives alongside your treatments - retinol, vitamin C, AHAs - without the sun fighting against them.
Three treatments spaced four weeks apart fits perfectly across the winter months. You start in July, do the work through August and arrive at spring with skin that has had a proper corrective programme run on it. That is a meaningful outcome.
How many microneedling treatments do you need?
One session of microneedling gives you a noticeable result. Your skin will look and feel different in the days after - better texture, more plumpness, a freshness that is hard to put your finger on. That result is real.
But one session is the beginning of a process, not the full outcome.
Your skin cells turn over roughly every 28 days. Each treatment triggers a collagen response that runs its course over that cycle. By your next appointment your skin has completed that response and is sitting at a better starting point than before. The second treatment builds from there. By treatment three, clients consistently describe a shift that feels qualitatively different - not just better skin, genuinely different skin. Texture that is smoother. Firmness that wasn't there before. Tone that is clearer and more even.
For most clients we recommend starting with a package of three treatments spaced four weeks apart. For deeper concerns - more significant scarring, advanced texture issues or substantial loss of firmness - a package of five delivers noticeably greater results.
What to expect before and after your treatment
Before your treatment, avoid retinol, AHAs and BHAs for 48 hours. Come in with clean skin and no makeup. If you have had any skin treatments elsewhere recently, let your therapist know at the start of your session.
After your treatment, avoid UV exposure, hot showers, saunas and exercise for 48 hours. Keep your skincare simple for the first few days - a gentle cleanser and your Synergie ÜberZinc SPF is all you need. Your therapist will give you a full aftercare guide at your appointment.
You will notice something immediately after treatment - a freshness and plumpness in the skin. The deeper collagen-building results develop over the following four to six weeks and compound with each additional session.
Microneedling packages at Reveal
We offer microneedling treatment packages at both our Mount Maunganui and Papamoa locations, available to purchase online or in salon.
Package of three - $783.00 (valued at $870.00) - save $87
Package of five - $1,305.00 (valued at $1,450.00) - save $145
All packages must be paid upfront to receive the package price. Treatments are spaced four weeks apart and managed by your therapist.
Not sure if a package is right for you? Book a free skin consultation first and we will work it out together.
Purchase a package in advance online to save!
Is microneedling right for you?
If you have been sitting on the fence about microneedling, winter is genuinely the window to do it. The conditions are right, the UV is low and you have enough time before spring to complete a full course of treatments and actually see the result.
Come in and talk to your therapist. A free skin consultation takes around 20 minutes and you will leave knowing exactly whether microneedling is right for your skin, how many sessions makes sense for your concerns and what to expect from your first appointment.
Book online at revealyou.co.nz or call us directly.
Papamoa - 07 542 1770
Mount - 07 543 1771
