Does Microneedling Hurt? What the Depth Actually Determines
Microneedling sensation varies by person, depth and area. See measured pain scores, why depth dominates, which areas hurt most, and how to start shallow.
Microneedling produces a real sensation, and it varies by person, by depth, and by area. Depth drives it more than anything else. In one study of ten volunteers, tripling microneedle length raised pain scores sevenfold. Numbing cream lowers the score and does not zero it. No home device should call itself painless. Start shallow.
What does microneedling feel like?
Most people describe a hot scratch or a dragging prickle, not a stab.
A motorized pen runs at speed, so single punctures blur together. The re:tones Tap Pen runs at 6,000 RPM. You feel a spread of small impacts across an area, not one needle.
Sensation rises as you go deeper. It also changes as you move across your face. Your skin is not one thickness, and neither is your tolerance.
One thing is worth setting straight first. The outer layer of your skin is dead tissue. The stratum corneum holds 20 to 30 cell layers of dead keratinocytes. That count comes from the StatPearls review of epidermal anatomy. Pain does not start there. That same review notes free nerve endings extend into the epidermis and sense pain, heat and cold. They are most numerous in the stratum granulosum. So there is no depth at which a needle enters living skin and you feel nothing.
Why depth sets the sensation
Depth is the variable that matters most, and the research is unusually clear.
Gill and colleagues tested single microneedles from 480 to 1,450 µm in ten volunteers. The study was double blinded and randomized. Every microneedle tested scored less painful than a 26 gauge hypodermic needle. Scores ran from 5 to 40 percent of the hypodermic. Then length took over.
What the researchers changed, and what pain did
| Variable changed | Effect on pain score |
|---|---|
| Needle length, tripled | Rose sevenfold |
| Number of needles, ten times more | Rose just over twofold |
| Needle tip angle | No significant effect |
| Needle thickness | No significant effect |
| Needle width | No significant effect |
Source: Gill HS, Denson DD, Burris BA, Prausnitz MR, Clinical Journal of Pain, 2008.
Read the last three rows again. Angle, thickness and width did not move pain. Length did. That is why the dial is the only control that deserves your attention. The Tap Pen collar runs continuous from 0.5 to 1.5 mm, with no clicks. You set it, and nothing snaps you into a step you did not choose. Our microneedling depth guide covers the full range.
Does the 8 µm tip make it hurt less?
No, and we will not claim it does.
The PRO-5D Nano cartridge carries an 8 µm tip. The PRO-R Nano carries 15 µm. Those numbers describe tip diameter, not length. Gill and colleagues found width and thickness had no significant effect on pain. Diameter is a spec worth knowing. It is not the number that predicts how your session feels.
A brand that sells you on needle gauge is selling the wrong number.
Which parts of your face hurt more?
Thin areas and bony areas report more sensation, and facial skin thickness varies by a factor of two.
Chopra and colleagues took full thickness biopsies from 39 facial subunits across ten cadaveric heads. The measured spread is wide.
| Site | Layer | Measured thickness | Rank across 39 sites |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper medial eyelid | Dermis | 758.9 µm | Thinnest dermis |
| Lower nasal sidewall | Dermis | 1,969.2 µm | Thickest dermis |
| Posterior auricular skin | Epidermis | 29.6 µm | Thinnest epidermis |
| Upper lip | Epidermis | 62.6 µm | Thickest epidermis |
Source: Chopra K et al, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2015.
Now hold a 1.0 mm setting against that first row. The dermis at the upper eyelid measured 758.9 µm. Your collar setting can exceed the thickness of the layer you are aiming at. That is the argument for going shallow around the eyes. Read our guide to microneedling under the eyes before you go near them.
Clinical practice reflects the same geometry. The StatPearls review of microneedling makes the same point. Thick, sebaceous skin such as the nose may need deeper penetration than delicate skin around the eye.
Real pain scores from microneedling studies
Published scores sit in the middle of a 10 point scale, even with prescription numbing.
Two studies give usable numbers. Both ran in clinics, at depths at or above the top of a home collar.
| Setting | Depth | Topical anesthetic | Mean pain score, 0 to 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Face, clinic, 26 patients | 1.25 mm | Lidocaine 7% and tetracaine 7% | 3.00 (SD 0.63) |
| Neck, same 26 patients | 1.25 mm | Lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5%, occluded | 5.38 (SD 0.75) |
| Full face, clinic, 15 patients | 2.5 mm | Lidocaine 2.5% and prilocaine 2.5% | 5.37 (SD 0.99) |
| Full face, same 15 patients | 2.5 mm | Same cream, after a 0.5 mm pretreatment pass | 3.10 (SD 1.09) |
Sources: Majewska L et al, Medicina, 2026 and El-Fakahany H et al, Dermatologic Surgery, 2016.
Note what those numbers are not. They are not zero. They are also not our device, our depth, or our cartridge. We publish no pain figure for the Tap Pen. We have not measured one, so we will not invent one.
The authors of the 2026 analysis flag a limit on their own finding. Formulation, drug concentration, site and occlusion all differed between the face and the neck. The gap cannot be pinned on anatomy alone.
Do you need numbing cream?
Clinics use it, and there is a real reason to think twice at home.
Microneedling bypasses the stratum corneum and deposits substances into the dermis. That is the point of the procedure. It also applies to whatever else is sitting on your face. These drugs carry a systemic toxicity risk when they absorb faster than expected. That warning comes from the StatPearls review of topical and local anesthetics. Reported signs include metallic taste, blurred vision, agitation and seizures.
So do not layer a strong numbing cream and then needle over it on your own judgement. Ask a clinician. Read the label, and do not exceed it.
The shallow end of the collar exists so most people never face that decision.
How to make your first session hurt less
- Start at 0.5 mm. Run the whole face once at the shallowest setting. Learn the feeling before you move the collar.
- Start on the R-Nano cartridge. It is the one we point beginners and thin skin toward.
- Drop the intensity, not only the depth. The Tap Pen has six intensity settings, set separately from depth.
- Work in small sections. Lift and move rather than pressing and holding.
- Leave bone until later. Skip the brow ridge, the nose and the jawline on your first pass.
- Stop if the sensation changes. Sharp or burning means shallower, not braver.
- Keep a fixed cadence. re:tones is built around once a week, about five minutes.
Who should not microneedle
Skip it entirely if any of these apply to you.
- Active acne, especially inflammatory lesions
- Active cold sores, warts, or any local infection in the area
- Moderate to severe eczema or psoriasis
- A strong tendency to form keloid scars
- A suppressed immune system, including during chemotherapy
- Skin near recent botulinum toxin injection sites, where care is advised
That list comes from the StatPearls review of microneedling. Ask a clinician first if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking oral isotretinoin. Our fuller breakdown sits in who should not microneedle.
What you feel afterwards
Expect redness, mild swelling and some flaking for two to three days.
StatPearls describes erythema, mild edema and exfoliative scaling lasting two to three days. The review reports no downtime. Serous fluid can appear in the hours afterwards. Sun protection matters, and the same review advises avoiding sun and harsh chemicals for at least a week.
Serum applied straight afterwards can sting. Your barrier is temporarily open, so actives meet live tissue more directly. That is the mechanism the whole re:tones system is built on. The handling rules sit in microneedling aftercare.
Frequently asked questions
Does microneedling hurt more than a tattoo?
No verified head to head comparison exists, so we will not rank them. The closest published anchor is a needle comparison. Gill and colleagues found every microneedle they tested scored less painful than a 26 gauge hypodermic needle. Scores landed between 5 and 40 percent of that needle.
How long does microneedling discomfort last?
Sensation during a session stops when the device stops. Afterwards you are dealing with redness rather than pain. StatPearls reports erythema, mild swelling and flaking for two to three days, with no downtime. Tightness and heat in the first hours are commonly described. Sharp pain days later warrants a call to a clinician.
Does numbing cream make microneedling painless?
No. In a 2026 clinic analysis, facial microneedling at 1.25 mm still scored a mean 3.00 out of 10. The anesthetic was lidocaine 7 percent with tetracaine 7 percent. Numbing lowers the number. It does not remove it. Strong agents also carry absorption risk over needled skin, so ask a clinician first.
Why does my forehead hurt more than my cheeks?
Facial skin is not one thickness, and bone sits closer to the surface in places. Chopra and colleagues measured dermal thickness across 39 facial subunits. The range ran from 758.9 to 1,969.2 µm. The same collar setting therefore reaches a different fraction of your skin depending on placement.
Should microneedling draw blood at home?
Pinpoint bleeding is common at clinical depths and is not a target at home. At the shallow end of the collar you are not aiming for it. Bleeding tells you the setting is deeper than you need. Go shallower on the next pass. Persistent bleeding or pain means stop and ask a clinician.
Does microneedling hurt more under the eyes?
The skin there measured thinnest of 39 facial sites in the Chopra study, at 758.9 µm of dermis. A 1.0 mm setting is longer than that measurement. Treat the area as the shallow end of your range. Read our guide to microneedling under the eyes before you start.
Can I microneedle once a week?
re:tones is built around once a week at home depths, about five minutes. Clinic protocols space sessions differently. StatPearls puts the minimum interval between clinical sessions at three weeks, at depths reaching 2.0 mm. If your skin is still red or sore, wait longer. See how often to microneedle.
Does at-home microneedling hurt less than a clinic session?
Home depths are usually shallower, and length is the dominant pain variable in the published research. We will not turn that into a promise. Your tolerance, your setting and your face all move the answer. Set the collar at 0.5 mm for a first session and find out on your own skin.
The honest version
We sell a device that puts needles on your face, so you deserve a straight answer.
It will feel like something. How much depends on your depth setting, the area, and you. The collar runs continuous from 0.5 to 1.5 mm precisely so the answer stays yours to set. Three sterile single use cartridges come in the box. Returns run 30 days, which means you can find out on your own skin at low cost.
Full specifications sit on the re:tones Tap Pen product page. If you are still deciding between depth ranges, start with the difference between nano-needling and microneedling.
Safety note. Start at the shallowest setting on your first session. Do not use the device over active acne, cold sores, warts, infection, or broken skin. Skip it if you scar heavily or your immune system is suppressed. This is a cosmetic device. It does not diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Ask a clinician about your own skin before you begin.
Related reading
- The microneedling depth guide, 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm
- Microneedling side effects and what is normal
- What to expect from your first microneedling session
- What the stratum corneum is, and why it blocks your serum
- Microneedling pen compared with a dermaroller
Sources
- Gill HS, Denson DD, Burris BA, Prausnitz MR. Effect of microneedle design on pain in human volunteers. Clinical Journal of Pain, 2008. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18716497
- Chopra K, Calva D, Sosin M, et al. A comprehensive examination of topographic thickness of skin in the human face. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2015. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26508650
- Majewska L, Dorosz K, Paciepnik I, Budzynska A. Pain scores associated with lidocaine-tetracaine versus lidocaine-prilocaine topical anesthesia during facial and cervical microneedling. Medicina, 2026. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42356039
- El-Fakahany H, Medhat W, Abdallah F, et al. Fractional microneedling: a novel method for enhancement of topical anesthesia. Dermatologic Surgery, 2016. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26671202
- Litchman G, Nair PA, Badri T, et al. Microneedling. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459344
- Yousef H, Alhajj M, Fakoya AO, et al. Anatomy, skin (integument), epidermis. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470464
- Garmon EH, Hendrix JM, Huecker MR. Topical, local, and regional anesthesia and anesthetics. StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430894
Last updated 2026-08-19.