17/04/2026
Let's talk about microneedling.
There's content circulating on social media claiming that pinpoint bleeding during microneedling means your treatment is working, and that if you're not bleeding, you've wasted your money.
Here's what the science actually says:
Pinpoint bleeding can occur during microneedling and isn't inherently harmful. It happens when needles reach the capillary network in the dermis. The problem isn't the occasional pinpoint bleed, it's the claim that bleeding is the goal, the proof, or something to celebrate. But it isn't.
For anti ageing and collagen induction, the clinical target is the dermal-epidermal junction, reached at around 0.5mm. At that depth, the correct endpoint is even erythema (pinkness).
Significant or heavy bleeding is a different matter entirely. It indicates the needle has gone past the therapeutic zone and into deeper vascular tissue. That increases inflammation, raises the risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and puts melanocytes (the cells responsible for your skin tone) at unnecessary risk.
At Refresh we treat to the clinical standard. If you leave us pink, that's exactly right.
