What microneedling for the first time was actually like

I spent thirty minutes sitting in a very pretty waiting room with a thick layer of numbing cream on my face, looking like a glazed donut, trying not to think about the fact that I had already lost the intro to this whole thing. My camera card corrupted about four seconds after I filmed it. Incredible start.

But I had been on a skincare kick for a while, and I finally booked it. My pores felt huge to me, I had some fine lines starting, and I had just gotten a round of breakouts on the right side of my face, which is my least favorite side anyway. I think I sleep on it. I have no proof.

For someone who is anxious about basically everything, lying back while a professional stamps tiny needles into my face was a big ask. I went anyway.

What it actually felt like

Honestly, it reminded me of getting a tattoo. Same category of sensation, way shorter. The numbing cream does most of the heavy lifting, and for most of it I was just lying there chatting.

There were a few passes near the end that got a little spicy. Not scary, not tears, just the kind of thing where you go "okay, okay, that one I felt." Completely doable. I would do it again without thinking about it.

The serum gets needled in and then layered on top so it keeps soaking in, and the second it went on it felt like aloe on a sunburn. Cold and instantly better. Then I sat up, looked in the camera, and realized I looked like a strawberry.

That was the part I was most nervous to show, so of course that is the part I filmed the most. I also had to walk out with my hat sitting weirdly high on my head and my jacket over the top, because you cannot be in the sun with a fresh face and I did not think to bring a real sun hat. Very glamorous.

Microneedling recovery, day by day

That first night I did not wash my face at all. They leave a layer on your skin on purpose, and you can rinse it in the morning if you want to. I got back, sat down, and slept about thirteen hours. I do not know if that was the treatment or just me finally stopping, but I was gone.

Day one, I washed with the gentlest hydrating cleanser I had with me. No scrubs, no acids, no exfoliating anything, nothing with beads in it. Then a lipid replenishing cream they sent me home with, which was the creamiest thing I have ever put on my face without it feeling heavy. My skin drank it.

If you looked close, you could see all the little needle marks, especially across my forehead. Less red than I expected. I had braced for a week of hiding and it was more like a long sunburn that faded fast.

Days two through five were quiet on purpose. Out of the sun, no makeup, low key. Then the holidays happened, family happened, and I completely forgot to film for a few days, which is extremely on brand for me.

The results, and why I am going back

By day seven or eight I was genuinely happy. My pores look smaller. The overall redness in my skin calmed way down. The breakouts I walked in with were big ones, and they healed lighter and flatter than mine usually do, which never happens.

The thing nobody tells you: it is not one and done. You usually want a few sessions, spaced out every few months, and the plan changes depending on what you are actually trying to fix. Mine were pretty deep acne scars, so the next round I am booking is straight microneedling rather than the same brightening treatment, because that is what they told me works better for scarring.

I am obviously not a skincare professional. I am a girl with a camera who asked a lot of questions and took notes. If you are thinking about it, go ask the actual experts what your skin needs, because mine needed something different than I assumed walking in.

The makeup test that sold me

Here is the moment I got obsessed. A few days later I did my makeup and I only used a tinted moisturizer, the Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint, plus a little concealer under my eyes and on the spots I wanted brighter.

That is it. That is all I put on. Normally I am in full coverage foundation, and I was standing there going, wait, where did my pores go. My skin felt so soft and smooth that the makeup just sat on top of it instead of sinking into everything.

The whole day is on my YouTube if you want the messy version, numbing cream face and all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v96hEObNZ5o

Have you tried microneedling, or is it on your someday list? Come tell me on Instagram or TikTok, especially if you have a gentle cleanser you swear by, because I am still building my routine from scratch over here. 🥰