Does Microneedling Help Hair Growth

Microneedling can help your hair grow out by improving overall health and promoting collagen and elastin production. It’s most effective when combined with other hair growth treatments, such as minoxidil and lasers, but some people have reported more dramatic results when using these treatments on their own.

In this guide, we find out: Does Microneedling Help Hair Growth, microneedling for hair loss cost, how long to see results from derma roller for hair, and microneedling for hair loss results.

Does Microneedling Help Hair Growth

If you’re looking for ways to grow out your hair, microneedling may be a good solution. Microneedling is a procedure that uses tiny needles (like those in a tattoo gun) to puncture the skin and create channels into which collagen and elastin can flow. These channels promote healing, which can lead to healthier hair growth as well as reduced signs of aging and acne scarring. But does it help with hair growth?

What is microneedling?

Microneedling is a cosmetic procedure that involves using a medical-grade roller to puncture the skin. It’s also known for being one of the best solutions for acne scarring and stretch marks, but it can also be used to treat fine lines and wrinkles.

In microneedling, small needles are rolled over the surface of your face or body in order to create thousands of tiny holes in your skin. This process increases collagen production by stimulating your fibroblasts (cells responsible for producing collagen) which causes them to multiply faster than usual so they can heal those wounds quicker than normal!

Microneedling and hair growth

Microneedling is a skin treatment that uses tiny needles to create small injuries in the skin. This causes the body to respond by producing new collagen, which helps smooth out wrinkles and scars. It also stimulates blood flow and promotes cell regeneration, which can help fade acne scars or improve the appearance of stretch marks.

As for hair growth, microneedling works in two ways: it increases circulation around follicles (which improves nutrient delivery), and it stimulates cell turnover at their base (which makes room for new hairs).

There isn’t enough evidence to know if microneedling really helps with hair growth.

It’s important to note that there isn’t enough evidence to know if microneedling helps with hair growth.

Microneedling is a treatment that uses tiny needles to puncture the skin. It can be used for acne and scarring, but some people think it also has benefits for thinning or balding areas of the scalp.

The science behind microneedling is still developing and there aren’t any studies specifically looking at its effects on hair growth yet, so we don’t know if it will help you get thicker locks or not!

microneedling for hair loss cost

Microneedling may cost anywhere from $200 to $700 per session. Although the number of sessions can vary, most people need three to six sessions for optimal results. With this in mind, you may spend anywhere from $600 to $4,200 overall.

Microneedling is considered a cosmetic procedure, so it usually isn’t covered by insurance. This means that all payments are made out of pocket. Your doctor may agree to a payment plan to help spread out the expense, but this varies by clinic.

It’s important to note that these are averages only. The precise cost of microneedling can depend on:

Read on to learn more about how these costs break down so you can be prepared to discuss the expected bill from your provider before you book your first treatment.

There’s no one set fee for microneedling. Your bottom line depends on many factors, such as type, location, and doctor.

Cosmetic or home sessions

Cosmetic forms of microneedling are done at home without the assistance of a medical professional. This process involves the use of a portable tool called a derma roller that you swipe across your skin.

These home devices work best for fine lines and other surface skin concerns. The length of the needle on the device will determine how often you need to use it.

The cost of an at-home derma roller is typically between $15 and $140, depending on add-ons.

With added topical serums

Topical serums, such as hyaluronic acid, may be used as an anti-aging boost for wrinkles. The cost of microneedling with a serum may cost as little as $240 per session, with at least three treatments spaced out every few weeks.

With added radiofrequency

Microneedling with radiofrequency uses electromagnetic waves to treat scarring. Most people need at least four treatments spaced six weeks apart for optimal results. Scar treatment is often more expensive. Radiofrequency with microneedling is no exception. Some estimates report an average price of $1,525 per session.

With platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

Some microneedling treatments are used in conjunction with PRP injections. PRP further stimulates skin tissues to encourage tightening. PRP is typically used to target wrinkles, scarring, and other signs of aging.

This combination may cost around $750 per session. You may need three to six treatments spaced out every few weeks for best results.

PRP injections are also sometimes marketed as a “vampire facial.” This is a trademarked name. It may only be used by people who have received specific training and use specific products by the company that trademarked it.

Overall, the cost of microneedling varies more by type and overall surface area than it does by individual body part. This is especially true for microneedling done in combination with added serums or PRP.

A larger surface area means more time spent on the treatment and more product. More product typically results in a higher price tag.

The official Dermapen website estimates that face treatments may be the least expensive per session at about $300 each.

This treatment is commonly used for skin concerns caused or enhanced by a loss of a collagen. This includes:

Microneedling may also be used in other areas of the body to treat:

Just remember that the wider the area of treatment, the higher the cost may be.

Recovery time is relatively short with this treatment, but it can still influence your budget.

According to Emory Aesthetic Center, each microneedling session takes about 30 minutes. You may also have a numbing ointment applied to your skin before treatment. This usually adds an additional 30 minutes to wait for it to take effect.

Once you’re done with your treatment, your doctor will apply a calming solution to reduce redness and irritation.

Since this is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical procedure, you aren’t expected to take time off work. Still, you may be at your appointment for a couple of hours. You might consider taking the day off and returning to work the next day. Otherwise, you should consider taking at least a half day off from work.

Redness from the procedure should ease within a couple of days. You may use makeup if you wish. But if the redness bothers you, you may consider taking a few days off after each procedure. You can also schedule the treatment on a Friday so that you have the weekend to recover if you work Monday through Friday.

Depending on how many paid days off you have, you may also need to consider the cost of your recovery time into your microneedling budget.

Another consideration is that microneedling isn’t a one-and-done treatment.

Microneedling typically requires nine months of treatment. During this time, you’ll need three to six treatments spaced out every two to six weeks to see full results. The exact number of treatments and the time between them will vary by type, location, and skin concern.

It’s also important to know that the results aren’t permanent. You’ll probably need additional sessions as part of a long-term maintenance plan. Microneedling for scars may require touch-ups every six months. Other cases may only need treatment once every year. Touch-ups typically have the same per-session cost as your initial treatments.

Microneedling is usually billed on an out-of-pocket basis. You may qualify for insurance reimbursement if your doctor determines that the procedure is medically necessary.

People who have scars from a traumatic injury or a required surgery may fall into this category. You’ll need to check with your insurance provider to learn more.

Many facilities offer payment plans for microneedling services. There’s also financing available in some instances. For example, some doctors accept Care Credit. This is a type of credit card used for healthcare purposes. You’ll need to apply for the card ahead of time. Unless you’re able to pay off the full amount within a set promotional period, you may have to pay a monthly interest fee on the balance owed.

how long to see results from derma roller for hair

Clinical studies show that microneedling once every 1-3 weeks helps to regrow hair. Then again, 1-3 week intervals are the sole frequencies studied for pattern hair loss. With men on hair loss forums reporting amazing results from microneedling as often as once per day, could we be missing something? How often should we microneedle for hair regrowth. Once every two weeks? Once per week? Once per day? More? Hair loss forums still debate this very question. Maybe. See the studies, photos, results, and suggestions from this article on microneedling as an effective hair loss treatment

Microneedling Once Every 1 to 3 Weeks

Yes, evidence confirms that microneedling once every 1-3 weeks helps to regrow hair. At the identical time, these intervals are the sole microneedling frequencies tested (so far) in humans with androgenic alopecia (AGA). In the case study, a 12-week randomized, comparative, evaluator blinded study was conducted at the Department of Dermatology, Lokmanya Tilak Muncipal Medical College and Hospital, Sion, Mumbai from October 2011 to June 2012. A total of 100 men with AGA were enrolled in study after taking an informed consent. They were randomly allocated into Microneedling (N = 50) and Minoxidil group (N = 50) by using the ‘tossing coin’ method. All patients’ scalp was shaved off before treatment to ensure equal length of hair shaft at baseline. In the Microneedling group, patients received a weekly Microneedling procedure on the scalp with 1 ml of 5% Minoxidil lotion applied twice daily. In Minoxidil group, patient applied only 1 ml of 5% Minoxidil lotion twice daily. The mean change in hair count at week 12 was significantly greater for the Microneedling group compared to the Minoxidil group. (source: A Randomized Evaluator Blinded Study of Effect of Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Pilot Study)

Microneedling Frequency Depends on Variety of Factors

The short answer: microneedling frequency depends on variety of factors: needle depth, applied pressure, and individual variances in wound-healing intervals. There aren’t any concrete answers on how often we must always microneedle. And at the upper ends, we also have to balance out wounding frequencies with any potential increased risks of cancer.

What is Microneedling and how does it work?

Microneedlers (also referred to as dermarollers) are devices with tiny needles that are pressed or rolled onto the skin. These needles create “micro-injuries”. And, when repeated often, these micro-injuries accomplish some things:

Here are a summary of the results: the needle lengths used, how often the microneedling devices were used, the hair count increases, and more.

Microneedling Findings

A quick glance at these results suggests two things:

Feedback from Users

This user (with hair thinning) utilised a 2.0mm dermapen weekly alongside 5% minoxidil for his first 2 months. After 2 months, he moved to 10-14 day wounding intervals. He does not use minoxidil on the days that he does microneedling. 

This user employed weekly microneedling with a 1.5mm dermaroller alongside topical minoxidil (percentage not specificed). After 1.5 months, he transitioned to microneedling only with these results after 3 months (Note: left photo is +3 months; right photo is +0 months).

Microneedling frequencies: what you need to consider

There are two issues that will arise from more frequent microneedling sessions or deeper needle penetration (that of which is set by needle length and therefore the amount of pressure used during any given session): scarring, and an increased risk of cancer.

Recovery time

Wound healing windows depend entirely on the character of an injury. This can be true even with microneedling – because the pressure applied, the amount of needles used, the duration of the procedure, and therefore the needle depth penetration all influence the time needed to heal from a session.

The goal: to wound deep enough / often enough to evoke follicle proliferation – but not deep enough / often enough to cause scarring.

So, what does the evidence say about average healing times for wounds this deep? Specifically, wounds incurred by medical grade needles at depths of 0.25mm to 2.0mm (the same ones people experiment with for hair loss).

The short-answer: we don’t yet know. this can be because following microneedling in human skin, we’ve yet to actually thoroughly study the three stages of wound-healing (aside from clotting): inflammation, proliferation, and maturation.

Stage 1: Inflammation of the scalp area

​When it involves needle lengths to avoid scarring, Dunkin et al. (5) found that skin cuts to depths of 0.5–0.6 mm may show signs of inflammation for 24-48 hours following the injury; however, these wounds will close with none trace of connective tissue.

Other researchers have also argued that wounding with longer needle lengths – 1.5mm to 2.00mm – also shouldn’t cause scarring… only if the needles are medical grade and used less frequently (i.e., once every 1-2 weeks).

This is why many of us feel comfortable employing a 0.5mm needling device on a daily basis, and why most clinical trials on microneedling have used 1.5mm to 2.0mm rollers with less frequencies (every 1-2 weeks).

Stage 2: Proliferation and Healing of Wound

After the initial inflammatory response, the subsequent stage of wound-healing is proliferation. this can be when the wound is rebuilt with new tissues – extracellular matrix, collagen, etc. – that then build the inspiration for brand new blood vessels (i.e., angiogenesis) in the entire scalp.

The proliferation phase starts immediately after microneedling and should reach its peak after 2 months. nowadays it’s not known how epidermal and dermal stem cells are laid low with microneedling.

Stage 3: Remodelling and Maturation

​New type III collagen fibers integrate into the present skin matrix with none trace of fibrotic tissue. a motivating fact is that the new collagen formation is deposited from a depth of 0.6 mm upwards and towards the basal membrane, in most cases when needles with a length of 1.5 mm are used. (8)

Wounds heal within 4-6 weeks. But, the wounding initiated by microneedling may be a (for the foremost part) controlled micro-injury. As such, these wounds take significantly less time to heal.

microneedling for hair loss results.

After trying countless shampoos that claim to thicken your fine locks, serums designed to combat your excessive shedding, and even outlandish at-home hair growth treatments from TikTok — all to no avail — you might be looking to take your anti-hair-loss efforts to the next level. One option: A microneedling treatment for your scalp, performed in-office by a hair care pro. But what does the procedure involve, exactly, and can it actually help you get the Rapunzel-like locks you’ve been longing for?

Here, experts break down everything you need to know microneedling for hair loss — including the benefits, risks, and the treatment process — before you book an appointment.

What is microneedling for hair loss?

A microneedling for hair loss treatment is exactly what it sounds like: A hair care professional will run a manual or motorized device equipped with fine, tiny needles across the scalp, which will penetrate just into the upper portion of the dermis — the layer of skin where the hair follicle lies, says Rae Lynne Kinler, M.D., an expert hair restoration surgeon and the clinical director of Ziering Medical of Greenwich, Connecticut. All that puncturing can help stimulate blood flow and collagen production, but more significantly, it creates “microchannels” that enable topical treatments for hair loss, such as minoxidil and finasteride, to be more effective, she says. “It helps the absorption of topical treatments to be a little bit better because they’re not being blocked by the skin,” she explains. “…It actually gets into the level of the hair follicle and can potentially make it start thickening up the existing hair, putting it into an active growth phase, making it stronger, getting it longer, and making it a little bit darker in color.” (FTR, the color change is extremely subtle, if detectable at all — you won’t arrive as a blonde and leave as a brunette.)

The minimally invasive procedure is also believed to cause the scalp to release platelets and hair growth factors in the traumatized areas, which help thicken the existing follicles, adds Andrew Kashian, the founder of Solve Clinics, a hair transplant clinic in Chicago. “With microneedling, people think, ‘Oh, there’s new follicles growing,’ but oftentimes that’s not the case,” he says. “It’s the thin follicles in that area that are getting thicker and back to their normal, healthy state, so it gives off the aesthetic of new growth when in reality it’s just a thickening of what’s already there.” To enhance the process, some clinics will also combine the treatment with injections of a patient’s own platelet-rich plasma, which is thought to release growth factors needed in the wound healing process and, in turn, may promote hair growth, says Kashian. “The end result is your hair gets thicker faster, and the treatment outcome is significantly more substantial,” he says. (

Who could benefit from microneedling for hair loss?

If you’re dealing with general hair loss or thinning, or you’re suffering from androgenetic alopecia — a genetic hair loss disorder that’s caused by an excessive response to the hormones androgens — a microneedling treatment might do you some good, says Kashian. “A lot of times we use it where there’s those little, fine, miniaturized hairs — or baby hairs — that are on their way out,” adds Dr. Kinler. “Essentially, they’re the ones getting ready to be lost permanently, [but] we can turn that around and make it a fuller, stronger, thicker hair.”

People who have already lost all their hair in a particular area or on the entire scalp aren’t going to see much, if any, benefit, she says. In those cases, the bulbs of the hair follicles — which receive signals to form a new hair and grow it up out of the scalp — may not be producing hair, or they might have “shriveled up and died” entirely, says Dr. Kinler. Since microneedling increases the density of existing hair — but doesn’t stimulate brand new follicle growth — doing the treatment in a bald area is “a lost cause,” adds Kashian. Instead, hair transplant surgery, which involves removing small pieces of scalp with hair follicles from a donor site and grafting them on a bald or thinning area of the scalp, is your best bet, agree Dr. Kinler and Kashian. (

Unsurprisingly, microneedling isn’t recommended for folks who already have a full head of hair, says Dr. Kinler. “You can actually damage the hair that’s on the outside of the scalp and you can damage the hair follicles underneath the scalp, especially if the needle depth is too much,” she explains. (FTR, the needles usually penetrate 1.5 millimeters into the skin, says Kashian.)

What are the risks of microneedling for hair loss?

As with any procedure that involves cutting the skin and creating an open wound, microneedling for hair loss does come with the risk of infection, says Kashian. That said, “the risk of infection for microneedling is extremely small,” he explains. “The size of those incisions is so little that, in our years doing thousands of these in our clinic, we’ve never seen an infection from one of our patients.”

A larger concern, particularly if you receive the treatment at a medical spa or a clinic that doesn’t specialize in microneedling for hair, is permanent hair damage and loss, says Dr. Kinler. Providers who aren’t trained in the procedure may increase the needle depth too much, which can cause damage to the hair bulb when it enters the scalp, she explains. “I have seen patients come in with superficial breakage of the hair shaft at the scalp, which obviously takes a while to regenerate,” she says. “But I’ve also seen patients with areas of patchy, permanent loss where the needle has penetrated [too deep] and actually knocked off the hair bulb so it’s no longer able to regenerate a new hair shaft. Then they have patchy areas of baldness that they didn’t have before, and then there’s really nothing much you can do with that other than transplantation to fix those areas.”

For that same reason, Dr. Kinler cautions against giving yourself an at-home microneedling treatment for hair loss. “There’s a higher risk of causing damage to the hair, so I don’t recommend that option,” she says. “I prefer for it to be done in a qualified, trained physician’s office who deals specifically with hair.” (Wait, should you be dermarolling your face at home?)

Given the potential risks and the availability of “superior” hair loss treatments, Dr. Kinler generally steers clear of microneedling for hair loss or thinning. Instead, she often recommends KeraLase, a laser treatment available at dermatologists and hair restoration clinics that creates those same beneficial microchannels by disrupting the water bonds in your scalp — no needles required. “It doesn’t disrupt the hair follicle, it doesn’t disrupt the bulb, and it doesn’t disrupt the external hair shaft,” she says. “…It’s a very popular treatment that we offer, and we don’t see any of that risk of damaging the external hair or the hair follicle. We don’t see any patchy hair loss or permanent hair loss with this treatment.”

Compared to microneedling, Dr. Kinler says KeraLase is easier to tolerate, particularly in the sensitive areas of the scalp, such as the front hairline and the sides of the head. The treatments take about the same amount of time to complete, though KeraLase is given more regularly; the first four treatments are spread four weeks apart, and your provider may recommend additional treatments roughly a year later, she explains.

What to Expect During a Microneedling for Hair Loss Treatment

If you chat with a hair loss expert and decide microneedling is your best course of action, there are a few things you’ll want to know ahead of your appointment. Before your microneedling for hair loss treatment, make sure your scalp is freshly cleaned and free of any hair products, as they may get into the wounds and potentially cause an infection, says Kashian. At the clinic, your hair care professional might apply a topical or local anesthetic to ease any pain, then start running the roller over the affected areas to create microtrauma, says Dr. Kinler. The needles will feel similar to a rubber band snapping against your skin, and you’ll experience some redness and bleeding, says Kashian. All in all, the procedure typically takes just 20 to 30 minutes, adds Dr. Kinler. A microneedling treatment with PRP injections, however, might take 45 to 60 minutes, says Kashian.

If your provider recommends applying a topical hair growth treatment, you’ll wait 24 hours after the procedure to do so, as the retinoic acid in those products can cause irritation if applied before the scalp is healed, says Dr. Kinler. You’ll also want to ditch the shampoo, conditioner, and alcohol-based hair products for two to three days following a microneedling treatment, she says. “We want to give the skin a chance to heal, and we don’t want to introduce anything that may be detrimental to that,” she explains. “We also want to give the growth factors a chance to get fully absorbed into the scalp.” It’s also key to keep your scalp out of direct sunlight, as it could lead to hypersensitivity and hyperpigmentation, she adds.

Most importantly, remember that this isn’t a one-and-done treatment. “Consistency is key — this isn’t an overnight fix,” says Kashian. “You can’t microneedle once, wait a month, and think your hair is basically going to get thick. You have to stick with it.” For the first six to eight months, you’ll likely need to get a treatment every four to six weeks, then once every six to 12 months after that, says Dr. Kinler. How long you continue the treatment after those first eight months is entirely up to you. “We’ll take photographs so we can see the changes that the patients are having, but sometimes they either just don’t feel like they’re getting enough of a result and then they opt to discontinue the treatment, while some patients come in once a year — they feel like the benefits of the treatment are lasting that long,” she says.

Regardless of how many rounds of microneedling you receive, you may not see an improvement in your hair loss or thinning if you don’t apply those topical growth treatments, such as minoxidil or finasteride. “The only time I’ve ever really seen microneedling help is when you combine it with grow factor therapy, which is something that is external that is applied to the scalp topically after the little microchannels are created,” says Dr. Kinler. And research has yet to show the treatment’s effects without these topicals: While a 2016 study on mice found that microneedling on its own increased hair growth, the available human studies that demonstrate the procedure’s benefits all involved treating participants simultaneously with microneedling and topical growth factor treatments.

So, should you get microneedling for hair loss?

If you’re dealing with hair loss or thinning, microneedling can be an effective way of boosting your locks’ thickness and giving you the look of a full, luscious head of hair, says Kashian. That said, the treatment doesn’t resolve the issue at the root of your hair loss, and neither microneedling or KeraLase will stop the progression of it, adds Dr. Kinler. “These things are helpful to improve the existing hair on the head — make it fuller, make it thicker,” she explains. “They just give [the patient] a little bit more confidence, either as they wait for surgery or to become a candidate for surgery. Even if they say they never want to have a procedure, [these treatments can] help move them along in terms of improving their confidence and the appearance of their hair.”