SkinPen Microneedling in Denver: What It Treats and What to Expect

SkinPen arrived at Redbud this fall, and it carries a distinction no other microneedling device has: it was the first one the FDA ever cleared. It is cleared to improve the appearance of facial acne scars in adults 22 and older across all skin types, and to improve the appearance of wrinkles on the neck in Fitzpatrick skin types II to IV.

Microneedling has been on Denver treatment menus for years, with wide variation in the devices behind the name. Which device is in the room, and what it was reviewed for, is a fair thing to ask before you book.

What is SkinPen, and how does it work?

SkinPen is a medical-grade microneedling device. A sterile, single-use cartridge of fine needles passes over your skin and creates tiny, controlled channels. Those micro-injuries are small enough to heal quickly and real enough that your body responds, and the response is the whole point: your skin repairs the area by laying down fresh collagen. It works a little like aerating a lawn. The holes are not the goal. What grows back in response is.

There is no heat and no light involved. The needles work mechanically, and that is part of why SkinPen is offered across a wide range of skin tones.

Collagen is not instant. In one small published study, researchers biopsied skin before and after a series of microneedling sessions and found more collagen and a thicker epidermis at three months, while most of the same measures were not yet significant at one month. The sample was ten people, so take it as a window into the mechanism rather than a forecast for your face. It matches the pattern providers describe: skin looks fresher within a week, and the change worth having shows up over the following months.

What is SkinPen FDA-cleared to treat?

Two things. The first is the appearance of facial acne scars, in adults with all Fitzpatrick skin types, aged 22 years and older. The second is the appearance of wrinkles on the neck, in Fitzpatrick skin types II to IV, which covers fair to olive skin tones. The neck indication came in 2021; the original 2018 clearance covered facial acne scars only.

SkinPen is not cleared for enlarged pores, general texture, dullness, fine lines elsewhere on the face, or loose skin. Providers treat those concerns with microneedling routinely and reasonably, and Redbud does too. That use is off label, which means it sits outside the specific wording the FDA reviewed, not that it is improper or unstudied.

SkinPen is FDA-cleared, not FDA-approved, and the difference gets blurred across the industry. Devices are cleared, drugs are approved. In 2018 the FDA gave microneedling devices a classification of their own, because none had been cleared before SkinPen and there was nothing on the market to compare it against. That decision created the FDA's category for microneedling devices that work mechanically, and the microneedling pens cleared since have been classified under it.

What does a SkinPen visit feel like?

Your provider cleanses your skin and applies a numbing cream, then lets it sit for about 30 minutes. That wait is most of the appointment. Once you are numb, a hydrating glide goes on and the pen passes over the area in small sections, with needle depth dialed in zone by zone: shallower over delicate places, deeper where a scar or rough patch needs more. The treatment itself runs 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much ground there is to cover, so plan on roughly an hour in the room.

Most people describe it as a light vibration with mild prickling. Bony spots, the forehead and around the nose, tend to register more than the cheeks do.

You will walk out flushed. The usual comparison is a mild sunburn: warm, pink, and more dramatic in your car mirror than it is to anyone else.

How much downtime should you plan for?

A day or two. The flush generally fades within 24 to 48 hours, and most clients are back at work the next day. Expect pinkness and a mild tight feeling for one to three days, then some light flaking as the top layer renews. Skin varies, and some people stay pink a little longer than that, so leave yourself some margin. If you are timing this around an event, give it a week.

Who is a good fit, and who should wait?

SkinPen suits adults 22 and older bothered by acne scarring, uneven texture, enlarged pores, early fine lines, or skin that has gone flat. It is a sensible first collagen treatment if you are not ready for lasers. SkinPen is also offered across skin tones, and the FDA clearance for acne scars covers all Fitzpatrick skin types, which is part of why it comes up so often for deeper skin tones.

Some people should wait, and Redbud will say so at the consultation. SkinPen is not performed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, over active breakouts or any skin infection, or within six months of finishing Accutane. If you scar thickly or form keloids, it is not the right tool for you. If you get cold sores, mention it when you book, because a treatment like this can wake one up.

Deeper wrinkles and real laxity are a different problem, and needles alone do not solve them. Redbud also offers Fractora RF microneedling, which adds radiofrequency energy for that job, and a future post will walk through how a provider chooses between the two.

How does a series work, and what happens after?

One session helps. A series is what changes texture. Most people do three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart, which gives collagen time to organize itself between visits. Deeper acne scarring often needs a longer run, and your provider will tell you after the first session or two whether that applies to you. Many people come back once or twice a year to hold the result.

As of October 2026, Redbud is offering SkinPen at an introductory $400 for its first six clients, after which it returns to its regular price. Current pricing lives on the SkinPen service page.

Aftercare is short, and it matters most in the first week. Skip makeup for the first 24 hours. Use only the gentle, hydrating products your provider sends you home with, and keep retinoids, acids and exfoliants off your skin for five to seven days. Avoid hard workouts, saunas, hot tubs and swimming for 48 hours, since heat and sweat are the two things most likely to irritate freshly treated skin. Wear SPF 30 or higher every day while you heal. Do not pick the flaking; let it shed on its own. Sleep on a fresh pillowcase the first night.

What to expect at Redbud

Redbud is a boutique practice in northwest Denver, and SkinPen here is performed by Krista Hughes, RN and Tanna Donalson, PA-C. Nobody books you for a series before someone has looked at your skin. A consultation starts with what is bothering you most, whether that is scarring you have carried since high school or texture that crept up in the last few years. It ends with a plan, and that plan may be SkinPen, may be something else, or may be a conversation about waiting.

If you have been researching this for a while, two other posts may help: our comparison of microneedling and chemical peels, and our rundown of acne scar treatments in Denver. General questions about first visits, candidacy and recovery live on our FAQ page.

If you want to know whether SkinPen is right for your skin, book a consultation, or call or text the clinic at 720-593-8844. Redbud Medical Spa is at 2345 7th St STE 202, Denver, CO 80211.

This article is for general education and is not medical advice. SkinPen is an FDA-cleared Class II medical device, cleared to improve the appearance of facial acne scars in adults 22 years and older with all Fitzpatrick skin types, and wrinkles of the neck in Fitzpatrick skin types II to IV. Other uses are off label. Individual results vary, and no outcome can be promised. Talk with a licensed provider about your own skin, your history and your medications before starting any treatment.