$400
3 to 4
1 to 3 days
2 to 4 weeks
Spectrum Skin Clinic, Irvine
Overview
What microneedling is
Microneedling is collagen-induction therapy. Fine sterile needles open controlled micro-channels in the skin, and the body reads them as small wounds. The repair that follows recruits growth factors and lays down fresh collagen and elastin over the next several weeks.
Spectrum Skin Clinic runs microneedling three ways in Irvine: on its own, paired with the patient's own platelet-rich plasma or PRFM, or combined with radiofrequency energy. Which one fits depends on the depth of the texture or scar, the skin type, and the downtime a patient can accept. Any of the three can finish with AnteAGE exosomes, applied to the freshly treated skin to help it recover.
Microneedling is one option, not the whole answer. For some acne scars, a laser or a peel combined with needling does more than needling alone, so your plan is set in person rather than picked from a menu.
The Spectrum approach
Why patients choose Spectrum for microneedling
Needle depth is not a fixed setting. It is dialed to the thickness of the skin and the depth of the scar, which is why the decision rests on a medical assessment rather than a menu.
Dr. Sabeen Munib reviews skin type and pigment risk, scar type, and any prior laser or peel work before a depth or a pathway is chosen. A sloped acne scar and a stretch mark do not take the same needle.
Because the standard, PRP or PRFM, and radiofrequency routes are all available here, the plan can follow the scar and the skin, and it can change as the skin responds across a series.
Depth matched
Physician led
Three routes
Informed consent
Before & After
Microneedling Before and After
Documented microneedling results at Spectrum Skin Clinic are shown in the acne-scar and TCA cross galleries and in the PRFM subcision acne-scar series. Outcomes vary with skin type, scar depth, and the number of sessions completed, and the photographs are examples rather than a promise of any one result.
How microneedling works
The needles open temporary micro-channels in the skin. The body treats them as small wounds and answers with a controlled wound-healing cascade.
That cascade recruits growth factors and drives fibroblasts to produce fresh collagen and elastin. Over several weeks the new tissue can soften scarring, even out texture, and refine how pores look.
Where the depth comes in
Depth is the variable that matters. Shallower passes reach the upper dermis for surface texture and fine lines, while deeper work addresses scars that sit lower in the skin.
Radiofrequency microneedling adds heat through the needles as they reach the skin, which can help with loose skin and wrinkles. We run it as more than one route, chosen for your skin rather than for a machine. The needle-based systems, Secret RF and Secret PRO, pass bipolar energy through the needles for more-selective heating deeper in the skin. Sublative RF on the Matrix is a separate radiofrequency route we also offer. Expect some redness and swelling afterward, and in some skin types, temporary darkening.
Which route fits which skin
Microneedling, RF microneedling, or PRP: matching the route to the skin
The same needling mechanism is delivered three ways, and sometimes the better answer is a different treatment. Here is how the route is weighed.
Combined approaches
What microneedling is paired with, and why
Who it suits
Microneedling is most often weighed for uneven texture, acne scarring, pores that look enlarged, and early fine lines. It is used across a range of skin tones because it relies on mechanical injury rather than heat or light.
When heat is added, as with RF microneedling, some skin can darken temporarily, so Dr. Munib reviews your skin type and pigment history before setting any depth.
How the decision is made
Candidacy is settled at an in-person assessment, where pigment risk, scar type, and prior treatments are reviewed before any depth or pathway is chosen. Microneedling is one option weighed against others, never the default.
When it fits
Uneven texture, early fine lines, and acne scarring where the skin can still remodel are the usual starting points. The standard route adds no heat or light, so many skin tones tolerate it.
When it does not
Active breakouts, a skin infection, a history of keloid scarring, recent isotretinoin, pregnancy, and some bleeding or immune conditions can make it unsuitable or push it later. Deep or stubborn scars may be better served by the PRP, PRFM, or radiofrequency route, or by a different treatment altogether.
What to expect
Recovery and results, step by step
A course is usually three to four sessions, four to six weeks apart, so each round builds on the collagen laid down by the last. Individual recovery varies.
What the downside is
Documented risks
Microneedling breaks the skin barrier, and the aftermath that follows is largely predictable.
Redness and swelling
Redness and light swelling are normal for one to three days. With radiofrequency, this usually settles within one to two.
Discomfort during the pass
Numbing cream goes on first, and more is available during treatment. Most patients describe the sensation as mild to moderate.
Darkening of the skin
Some patients, particularly in richer skin tones, can see temporary darkening where the skin was treated, noted in the radiofrequency reviews. Skin type and pigment history are reviewed before depth is set.
Every plan is reviewed as informed consent: the likely course, the risks above, and the alternatives, named before anything begins.
How safe is it?
Serious problems such as infection or new scarring are uncommon when microneedling is done in a medical setting. That is general experience with the treatment, not a guarantee for any one visit.
Sterile single-use needles, a trained hand, and a medical setting are what keep the common effects common and the rare ones rare.
Aftercare and recovery
What affects your cost
What microneedling costs in Irvine
Cost tracks the route first. Standard microneedling starts at $400, the PRP or PRFM route at $650, and Secret RF microneedling at $850.
The number of sessions in a course, the size of the skin treated, and whether growth factors or radiofrequency are added all move the total. A series is planned rather than billed as a single visit.
Pricing for an individual plan is confirmed at consultation.
New patients: 20% off your first treatment.
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What results look like
Will the change look natural?
Yes, within limits. Microneedling does not resurface or fill. It nudges the skin to build its own collagen, so the change arrives gradually and reads as better texture rather than a treated look.
Early surface improvement often shows within two to four weeks. Because collagen keeps forming, texture and scar scores can keep improving for several months after a series, which is also why a single session rarely tells the whole story.
Scars improve; they do not disappear. A softer, shallower scar is the realistic goal, and Dr. Munib will tell you at your assessment what else could help.
Explore
Related Treatments
Radio Frequency Micro-needling
The radiofrequency route, when laxity or tightening is part of the goal.
Secret PRO
Secret PRO RF microneedling, the device-specific page for the energy-based pathway.
Selphyl PRFM
Selphyl PRFM, the growth-factor preparation drawn from the patient's own blood.
Acne Scar Treatment
Scar-focused planning across modalities, when acne scars lead the picture.
PRP/PRFM Microneedling
Microneedling combined with platelet-rich fibrin, the PRP/PRFM microneedling page.
Stretch Mark Treatment with Microneedling
Microneedling adapted for stretch marks on the body.
Large Pore Treatment with Microneedling
Microneedling aimed at pores that look enlarged.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Spectrum offers standard microneedling on its own, starting at $400. PRP/PRFM and radiofrequency are separate pathways you can choose if your assessment points that way.
Most plans involve three to four sessions spaced four to six weeks apart, so each round of collagen remodeling builds on the last. The exact number depends on your concern.
Standard and PRP/PRFM microneedling usually involve mild redness and light swelling for one to three days. RF microneedling tends toward one to two days. Recovery varies by person.
Early surface improvement is often visible within two to four weeks. Because collagen keeps forming, texture and scar changes can continue developing for several months after a series.
A topical numbing cream is applied before treatment and numbing is available throughout. Most patients describe the sensation as mild to moderate.
Microneedling is commonly considered for acne scarring. Deeper or more stubborn scars may be better served by the PRP/PRFM or RF pathway, which is decided at your assessment.
Standard microneedling starts at $400, the PRP or PRFM pathway at $650, and Secret RF microneedling at $850. The total depends on the number of sessions and area treated.
Yes. The standard, PRP/PRFM, and RF pathways can be combined or sequenced across a series. Dr. Munib plans this based on how your skin responds.