THE SKIN HEALTH JOURNAL
JOURNAL NO. 5
THOUGHTFULLY CHOSEN. BEAUTIFULLY BALANCED.
Helping you understand your skin.
Can Microneedling Help Active Acne?
Emerging research challenges an old rule—and gives us another reason to keep watching everyone's favorite child.
If you've looked into professional microneedling in Sugar Hill or Buford, GA, you've probably heard about its use for acne scars, fine lines, texture, pigmentation and collagen remodeling.
But what about active acne?
For all of my career, one of the standard rules surrounding microneedling has been simple:
Don't microneedle active acne.
The concern has traditionally been that a professional pilot clinical study looked specifically at microneedling active facial acne—not simply the scars left behind—and the findings challenge some of what we've traditionally been taught. that treating over active acne could spread bacteria, create excessive inflammation or potentially make breakouts worse.
As someone who has worked with skin for many years, this is exactly the kind of research I love following at Skin Clinic DH Med Spa in Sugar Hill, Georgia.
It doesn't mean we immediately change how every client is treated.
It means we stay curious as the science evolves.
Researchers Actually Microneedled Active Acne
This wasn't an acne-scar study.
Researchers treated participants who had active acne vulgaris and measured both inflammatory lesions—such as papules and pustules—and non-inflammatory lesions, including open and closed comedones.
Twelve participants completed the study.
One group received three professional microneedling treatments spaced four weeks apart. A smaller second group received four treatments every two weeks.
Two months after their final treatment, both groups had fewer acne lesions.
The group treated every four weeks experienced approximately:
58% fewer inflammatory lesions
48% fewer non-inflammatory lesions
The smaller group experienced approximately:
37% fewer inflammatory lesions
54% fewer non-inflammatory lesions
The reductions in the larger group were statistically significant at the two-month follow-up.
For such an early study, those findings certainly caught my attention.
But What About Spreading Bacteria?
This is probably the first question many experienced skincare professionals will ask.
Acne isn't simply “bacteria in the pores.”
It's a complex inflammatory condition involving sebum production, follicular keratinization, immune signaling, hormones, the skin microbiome, and other influences that can vary tremendously from one person to another.
Historically, we've worried that microneedling active lesions could mechanically spread acne-associated microorganisms and worsen the condition.
That wasn't what researchers observed in this small pilot study.
Instead, acne lesion counts decreased.
Does that mean every person with active acne should receive microneedling?
Absolutely not.
But it does mean an old assumption deserves another look.
Why Would Microneedling Help Active Acne?
This is where it gets fascinating.
I don't love describing professional microneedling simply as creating “micro-injuries.”
That doesn't adequately describe what we're actually trying to accomplish within the skin.
I prefer to think of it as:
Controlled rebuilding activation.
We're providing a carefully controlled stimulus that activates the skin's natural repair and remodeling response.
That response involves complex cellular communication, inflammatory signaling, fibroblast activity, collagen production, extracellular matrix remodeling, and changes within the epidermis.
Researchers are still determining exactly why microneedling might influence active acne. There are interesting theories involving cellular and inflammatory pathways, but the mechanism hasn't been established.
And that's what makes research exciting.
Good research doesn't always give us an immediate treatment protocol. Sometimes it gives us a better question.
Microneedling Really Is Everyone's Favorite Child
I have to smile because microneedling continues finding its way into seemingly every conversation surrounding corrective and regenerative skincare.
Fine lines.
Texture.
Acne scars.
Collagen remodeling.
Pigmentation.
Ingredient-delivery research.
And now researchers are asking increasingly interesting questions about active acne.
Microneedling really does seem to be everyone's favorite
And I don't think it's going anywhere.
Part of the reason is beautifully simple.
Rather than relying exclusively on an ingredient to create change, professional microneedling activates something incredibly sophisticated:
your own skin.
We initiate controlled rebuilding activation and allow the skin's own signaling, repair and remodeling systems to participate in what happens next.
And that brings me to another area of research I'm particularly interested in right now:
What happens when we intelligently support the skin during that rebuilding period?
PDRN + GHK-Cu With Microneedling: Supporting the Repair Conversation
This research feels especially relevant right now because I've recently introduced a PDRN + GHK-Cu enhancement to my professional microneedling treatments at Skin Clinic DH Med Spa.
These are two very different compounds, but both are fascinating areas within regenerative and skin-repair research.
PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) is being studied for its relationship with tissue repair, regeneration and inflammatory signaling.
GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding peptide that has been studied for its relationship with cellular signaling, wound repair, extracellular-matrix remodeling and collagen-related pathways.
That does not mean PDRN + GHK-Cu combined with microneedling has been proven to treat active acne.
That's an important distinction.
What interests me is the larger concept:
Controlled rebuilding activation + intelligent support during repair.
Instead of asking:
How aggressively can we treat the skin?
I'm much more interested in asking:
How can we create an appropriate signal—and then support the skin while it rebuilds?
That is where I believe some of the most interesting conversations in regenerative skincare are happening.
More Inflammation Doesn't Automatically Mean Better Results
This is especially important with advanced treatments.
I don't believe your first microneedling treatment with a new provider should necessarily be your strongest.
Think about working with a great personal trainer.
You wouldn't walk into the gym on your first day and have an experienced trainer immediately put 200 pounds on your squat bar.
They're going to assess you.
Watch how you move.
Learn your strengths and vulnerabilities.
Then progressively increase the challenge.
I approach skin similarly.
I want to understand your barrier, sensitivity, pigment history, Fitzpatrick characteristics,
inflammatory tendencies, overall health, home care and—most importantly—how your skin responds.
Then we progress thoughtfully.
The goal isn't maximum inflammation.
The goal is enough controlled rebuilding activation to encourage meaningful change while respecting the skin's ability to recover beautifully.
This Is Progress—Not Proof
This is where keeping research in perspective becomes important.
Only 12 participants completed this study.
The participants were between 18 and 45 years old and represented Fitzpatrick skin types II–IV.
This was a small professional pilot study—not a large clinical trial establishing microneedling as a standard treatment for active acne.
We need larger studies, longer follow-up, broader representation across Fitzpatrick skin types, and much more information about treatment parameters and patient selection.
But this is how our field progresses.
A small study challenges an assumption.
Researchers ask another question.
Larger studies follow.
And eventually, our understanding changes.
This study doesn't close the book on microneedling and acne. It opens another chapter.
And I'll be watching closely to see what researchers discover next.
Professional Microneedling in Sugar Hill & Buford, GA
This conversation around signaling, rebuilding and repair also happens to coincide beautifully with the launch of my newest microneedling enhancement at Skin Clinic DH Med Spa in Sugar Hill, GA, serving clients from Buford, Suwanee and surrounding North Georgia communities.
CURRENT MICRONEEDLING SERIES
Purchase a series of four professional microneedling treatments and receive one complimentary enhancement, valued up to $200, during one treatment in your series.
Choose from:
PDRN + GHK-Cu
A regenerative-focused enhancement pairing PDRN with the copper peptide GHK-Cu.
Bio-Stimulating Collagen Enhancement
For clients whose individualized treatment plan is focused on collagen stimulation and rejuvenation.
A second enhancement during your series may be added at 50% off.
As always, your treatment plan—and how quickly we progress—is based on your individual skin.
Because more isn't always better.
Better is better.
The Future of Skincare Is Understanding More
This is why I continue reading the research.
Skincare shouldn't be based solely on doing something because that's how we've always done it.
But it also shouldn't be about chasing every new study or trend.
It's about staying curious.
Understanding the evidence.
Understanding the individual sitting in front of you.
And knowing when emerging science is ready to influence what we do in the treatment room.
The future of skincare isn't about doing more to the skin.
It's about understanding more about what's happening within the skin—and making better decisions because of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you microneedle active acne?
Traditionally, active inflammatory acne has often been considered a reason to avoid microneedling because of concerns about worsening inflammation or spreading acne-associated microorganisms. Early clinical research is challenging the idea that this must always be the case. However, the evidence is still limited, and active acne requires careful assessment and individualized treatment planning.
Does microneedling help acne scars?
Microneedling is widely used professionally to improve the appearance of certain types of acne scarring by stimulating the skin's natural collagen-remodeling response. The appropriate treatment depends on the type of scar, skin type, pigment history, and overall condition of the skin.
What is controlled rebuilding activation?
Controlled rebuilding activation is the way I describe the purpose behind professional microneedling. Rather than thinking only in terms of creating “micro-injuries,” we're using a carefully controlled stimulus to activate the skin's natural repair, signaling, collagen-building and remodeling processes.
What are PDRN and GHK-Cu?
PDRN is a polynucleotide-derived compound being investigated within regenerative and tissue-repair research. GHK-Cu is a naturally occurring copper-binding peptide studied for its relationships with cellular signaling, tissue remodeling and collagen-related processes.
At Skin Clinic DH, I pair them as an optional enhancement within an individualized professional microneedling treatment plan.
Where can I get professional microneedling near Buford or Sugar Hill, GA?
Skin Clinic DH Med Spa provides professional microneedling and individualized corrective skin treatments in Sugar Hill, Georgia, serving clients from Buford, Suwanee and surrounding North Georgia communities.
My approach is intentionally progressive: assess the skin, learn how it responds and build treatment intensity thoughtfully rather than assuming more inflammation will create a better result.
Research Referenced in This Journal
Alqam ML, Jones BC, Hitchcock TM.Study to determine the safety and efficacy of microneedling as an effective treatment for acne vulgaris.Skin Health and Disease. 2023;3(5).
This was a pilot clinical study.
Twelve participants completed the study, and further research is needed before its findings can be generalized to broader acne populations.
THOUGHTFULLY CHOSEN. BEAUTIFULLY BALANCED.
Demetra Henson, LE, CCMASkin Clinic DH Med SpaProfessional Skin Care • Microneedling •
Corrective & Sensitive Skin CareSugar Hill, Georgia | Serving Buford, Suwanee & surrounding North Georgia
Helping you understand your skin.
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