Aesthetic treatments

TWIST microneedling

Results vary between patients. What microneedling can be expected to do for your skin is discussed with you at your consultation, and is not promised here.

The treatment

Microneedling to improve the appearance of skin texture

Microneedling uses a cartridge of very fine, sterile needles to make a large number of tiny, controlled punctures in the surface of the skin. At The Skin Wellness Hub it is carried out with the TWIST device, by our dermal therapists, as part of a plan that starts with a medical history.

Whether it is appropriate for you, and how many sessions it would involve, is decided at an individual assessment rather than online.

Your care team

Who performs this treatment

Dr Pedro Valente, registered medical practitioner MED0001201428

Dr Pedro Valente

Registered medical practitioner, MED0001201428Specialist general practitioner (FRACGP), with substantial experience in non-surgical cosmetic proceduresThe Skin Wellness Hub, Gledswood Hills NSW

Dr Pedro Valente founded The Skin Wellness Hub to bring medical oversight to skin health and aesthetic care. He graduated in medicine (MBBS) from the University of Tasmania, has been a registered medical practitioner since 2007, and holds specialist registration in general practice as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).

Being doctor-led means every treatment plan here starts with a medical history: your health, your medications, and anything that changes which treatments are appropriate for you. That is the difference between a clinic run by a doctor and one that only has a doctor’s name on the door.

This page was reviewed by Dr Valente in September 2026

Dr Valente and the dermal and medical team

You will be looked after by Dr Valente and the dermal and medical team from your first visit. Microneedling is carried out by our dermal therapists, working together under Dr Valente’s clinical direction, and a doctor reviews your medical history as part of your assessment before any treatment is booked. Your plan and notes are shared across the team, so whoever you see knows your skin and your history, and you can book your treatments directly with the dermal team.

Where it comes up

Concerns people raise at assessment

These are the concerns people most often bring to an assessment where microneedling is one of the options discussed. Raising a concern here does not mean this treatment is the answer to it. Which option suits you, if any, is decided after your skin has been assessed.

  • Skin texture
  • Pores
  • Acne scarring
  • Fine lines
  • Uneven skin tone

The mechanism

How it works

Microneedling is sometimes called skin needling or collagen induction therapy. A handpiece moves a small group of fine needles in and out of the skin very rapidly, making tiny channels to a set depth. The skin treats those channels as minor injuries and responds with its normal repair process.

The depth is adjusted across the face during the treatment. Thinner skin, such as around the eyes, is treated more shallowly than areas where the skin is thicker, and the settings are chosen for your skin at the time rather than fixed in advance.

The clinic uses the XCellaris PRO TWIST device, with sterile, single-use needle cartridges that are opened in front of you and disposed of after your treatment. The device is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and the clinic’s entries for it are ARTG 332420 (handpiece), 332421 (control unit) and 332265 (needle cartridge). The purpose it is registered for is the limit of what this page will tell you it does.

Microneedling breaks the surface of the skin, so it is a clinical procedure rather than a facial, and it is treated that way: a medical history first, a sterile set-up, and written aftercare.

It is carried out by our dermal therapists under Dr Valente’s clinical direction, after an assessment that decides whether you should have it at all.

Step by step

What to expect

01

Consultation and assessment

Your skin is assessed, your medical history and current medications are taken, and whether microneedling is appropriate for you is decided. If it is not, you are told so.

02

On the day

Your skin is cleansed and a topical anaesthetic is applied and left to take effect. The treatment area is then prepared and the handpiece is passed over the skin in sections.

03

How long it takes

Allow around 60 minutes in the clinic, including the time the topical anaesthetic needs before the treatment begins. Times are approximate and vary with the area being treated.

04

Afterwards, on the day

Your skin will be red and may feel warm, tight and tender, similar to a sunburn. Some people have small spots of pinpoint bleeding during the treatment, which stop quickly. Make-up is not worn over the area for a period set out in your aftercare instructions.

05

When any change would be noticeable

Any change is gradual rather than immediate, and is generally looked for over a period of weeks rather than days. It varies between patients and some people notice less than others.

06

Number of sessions

It is usually given as a course of several sessions spaced a few weeks apart, with the number decided at your assessment rather than set in advance.

Important information

Risks, recovery and registration

Outcomes vary between patients

Microneedling does not produce the same result in every person, and it does not produce a result in every person. No particular outcome is promised. What is realistic for your skin is discussed with you at your consultation, based on your own assessment.

Risks and possible side effects

Microneedling breaks the skin and it carries risks. The following are discussed with you in full before you consent.

Common, and expected:

  • Redness, warmth and tightness across the treated area
  • Swelling, most noticeable the next morning
  • Pinpoint bleeding during treatment
  • Dryness, flaking or light peeling as the skin settles
  • Mild bruising, particularly where the skin is thin

Less common, and requiring treatment:

  • Infection in the treated area
  • A flare of cold sores, if you have had them before
  • A breakout of spots or small bumps
  • Darker or lighter patches of skin, which are more likely in some skin types and can take time to settle
  • A reaction to a product applied to the skin during or after treatment
  • Marks or scarring, which is rare

This list is written for this treatment specifically and is not a complete account of everything that can happen. Contact the clinic if anything concerns you after treatment.

Recovery and what you will experience

Expect redness for 1 to 2 days and mild swelling for up to a day, and bruising is uncommon. Any dryness or light flaking can take a little longer to settle. Some people settle sooner and some take longer.

Most people return to work the next day, with their skin still visibly pink. Exercise, heat, swimming, active skincare and sun exposure are restricted for a period that is set out in your aftercare instructions.

If you have an event coming up, tell the team at your consultation so treatment can be timed around it.

What results are realistic, and how long they last

Any change is gradual and is assessed over a course of treatment rather than after a single session. How long any change lasts varies between patients and depends on your skin, your age, your health, sun exposure and how the treatment is maintained. Both are discussed with you at your assessment, in relation to your own skin, rather than stated as a general figure here.

Assessment is required first

Nobody is treated on a first visit without assessment. Suitability is determined at an individual consultation, with your medical history reviewed by a doctor, and any treatment plan follows that assessment.

Practitioner registration

Dr Pedro ValenteRegistered medical practitioner, MED0001201428Specialist general practitioner (FRACGP), with substantial experience in non-surgical cosmetic proceduresThe Skin Wellness Hub, Gledswood Hills NSW

Suitability

Who it suits, and who it does not

It may be discussed with you if

  • You have raised a concern about the texture of your skin, or the appearance of scarring or pores, and have been assessed for it
  • You are in good general health
  • You understand that this is a course of treatment rather than a single appointment
  • You can protect your skin from the sun in the weeks after treatment

It is not suitable if

  • You are pregnant or breastfeeding
  • You have active acne, an infection, a cold sore or any open wound in the area to be treated
  • You have taken isotretinoin recently
  • You tend to form raised or thickened scars
  • You have a bleeding disorder, or take medication that affects clotting, unless this has been assessed
  • You have an immune condition, or take medication that suppresses your immune system, unless this has been assessed
  • You are under 18

This is not a complete list. Bring your full medical history and every medication and supplement you take to your consultation, including anything you buy without a prescription and any skincare containing retinoids or acids.

Afterwards

Aftercare

You are given written aftercare instructions before you leave, and they are specific to what you have had done. In general terms they cover keeping the skin clean, using only the products you are given for the first few days, avoiding heat, sweat and swimming, and wearing sunscreen and staying out of the sun for a stated period.

Follow the instructions you are given at the clinic in preference to anything you read here or anywhere else.

Questions

Common questions

Cost is discussed with you at your assessment, once it is clear what you would actually be having and over how many sessions. We do not publish prices, because a figure quoted before anyone has looked at your skin is not a real figure.

It is given as a course rather than a single appointment, and the number of sessions is decided at your assessment. It depends on your skin and on what you and the team agree you are aiming for.

You will feel it. A topical anaesthetic is applied first to reduce the discomfort, and most people describe a prickling or scratching sensation that is stronger over bony areas. People differ, and if you find it difficult, say so during the treatment so it can be adjusted.

Most people go back the next day, with their skin still pink and sometimes a little dry. Plan to keep the treatment day itself free, because the redness is most noticeable in the first few hours.

No. A home roller uses short, fixed needles, is reused, and is not set up for sterile use. In the clinic the depth is set for each area of your face, the needle cartridge is sterile and single use, and the treatment follows a medical history and an assessment of your skin.

Yes. It is included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods, and the clinic’s entries for it are ARTG 332420 (handpiece), 332421 (control unit) and 332265 (needle cartridge). Its ARTG details are also stated on the consent material you are given at the clinic.

Sometimes, and sometimes not, depending on what the other treatment is and when you had it. Peels, active skincare and recent injectable treatment can all change the timing. Bring a list of anything you have had done recently to your consultation.

One of our dermal therapists carries out the treatment, working under the clinical direction of Dr Pedro Valente, registered medical practitioner MED0001201428. Your medical history is reviewed with a doctor as part of your assessment, before treatment is booked.

Next step

Start with an assessment

Every treatment plan here starts with the advanced skin assessment, a 45-minute consultation in which your skin is photographed and measured and your medical history is taken. Whether microneedling is right for you is answered there, properly.

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