Treatment guides
How much does microneedling cost? Per session, per series, and what moves the number
Microneedling has 3 price tiers on our menu, and the pen is the same in all of them. What moves the number is what goes into the channels: a hyaluronic acid serum at the entry tier, your own PRP in the middle, and radiofrequency heat (Morpheus8) at the top. Each is priced per session, with a discount when you choose a series.
The three tiers, and what each one gives you
Every tier starts with a motorized microneedling pen, which the FDA has cleared “to improve the appearance of facial acne scars, facial wrinkles, and abdominal scars in patients aged 22 years or older,” per the FDA’s microneedling page. Cartridges are single-use. The needles make thousands of controlled micro-injuries in the dermis, which triggers collagen production while the surface stays mostly intact.
The entry tier is microneedling with hyaluronic acid. A sterile HA serum acts as both the glide and the after-care. It’s the most affordable version because there’s nothing to draw, spin, or heat, and the appointment runs 45 to 60 minutes. A split-face study found a topical crosslinked HA serum after needling gave “statistically significant improvements in skin surface topography and hydration” at 14 and 28 days, per Sundaram and colleagues. It’s a good choice for glow, hydration, or a first treatment.
The middle tier is microneedling with PRP. We draw a few tubes of your blood and spin them while you numb, and the platelet layer goes onto and into the channels. The blood draw, the kit, and the spin account for the added cost, and there’s evidence behind it: a meta-analysis of 14 controlled studies found microneedling plus PRP roughly tripled the odds of a greater than 50 percent improvement in acne scars versus needling alone, per Kang and Lu. PRP is made from your own blood, not a drug, and its use on the face is off-label.
The top tier is InMode Morpheus8, which is radiofrequency microneedling. The needles carry heat to the dermis, which adds tissue contraction to the collagen response. It comes with more downtime, more risk, and more cost per session. It gets its own post on what a Morpheus8 quote is built from.
What changes the cost of a microneedling session
| Option | What goes in the channels | Sessions in a series | Weeks apart | Cost tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microneedling with hyaluronic acid | Hydrating serum | 3 to 6 for scars, 1 for glow | About 4 | Entry |
| Microneedling with PRP | Your own platelets | 3 to 6 | About 4 | Middle |
| Morpheus8 | Radiofrequency heat | 3 | 4 to 8 | Top |
Why we recommend it as a series
Collagen builds with time and repetition. Acne-scar trials use 3 to 6 sessions about 4 weeks apart, and patients on RealSelf report that scar and wrinkle changes “likely won’t appear until you’ve had at least three treatments,” per RealSelf’s patient-reported microneedling page. We judge the full result about 3 months after your last session.
For scars and lines, the series is the treatment, and a single session is an introduction to it. A package price is lower per session than three singles because you’re committing to the protocol that works. If you only need one session for glow before an event, that’s what we’ll recommend. For scars, expect a quote that covers the series.
You don’t need to commit to a series at your first visit. You can try one session, see how your skin heals, and then decide. The deposit you paid to book comes off whichever you choose.
What moves the quote, in order
Sessions come first, then the tier, then the area.
Face only is the base. The neck adds cartridges and time, and the chest adds more. Body scars and stretch marks are quoted by the size of the area. Each extra area also means more numbing time, and numbing is 20 to 30 minutes of the appointment on its own.
The last driver is what’s paired with it. Microneedling combined with a chemical peel ranked highest for acne scars in a 24-trial network meta-analysis, per Li and colleagues, and some plans alternate the two. That appears as a separate line on the quote. Whether PRP is injected as well as applied is the other line that can appear.
Where a cheaper version can cost you
A microneedling session priced well below the local norm is usually cheaper for a reason. A reused cartridge is a safety problem, not a bargain. A product that isn’t sterile and needle-safe pushed into open channels can cause granulomas, per Alster and Graham. And a pen set too shallow to shorten downtime does less.
Wherever you go, ask what’s in the serum, whether the cartridge is opened in front of you, and what depth they use for your concern.
When PRP is worth the middle tier
If acne scars are your concern, yes. The PRP evidence is for scars specifically, and a 2020 meta-analysis of 8 studies reached the same conclusion as the 2022 one. If you want glow before an event, the HA tier does that for less. If you’re dealing with melasma, microneedling as an adjunct to topical therapy improved severity at 12 weeks in a 12-study meta-analysis, per Bailey and colleagues, and the tier decision comes down to your budget and your provider’s assessment of your skin.
Darker skin (types IV to VI) is well served by any of the needle-only tiers because there’s no heat. That’s a reason to pick PRP over Morpheus8 for texture, and the RF microneedling vs microneedling post walks through it.
Downtime is part of the cost
Plan for downtime along with cost. Expect sunburn-like redness for 24 to 48 hours, then dryness and flaking by day 3 to 5. Skip makeup for 24 hours, active skincare for 3 to 5 days, and sweating or pools for 24 to 48 hours.
Every treatment starts with a consultation, and you’ll leave with a written plan. Take the Brown Line to Diversey, then head south on Lincoln. Directions for getting to Lincoln Avenue are on the location page.
Your questions, answered
Is a microneedling package cheaper than single sessions?
Yes, per session. A series of 3 to 6 sessions is priced below the same number of single sessions because the series is the protocol that produces scar and line results. If you only need one session for glow, book one. If your consult calls for a series, the package is the better value, and you can still try a single session first.
Does the deposit come off the price?
Yes. Booking requires a small non-refundable deposit that comes off your treatment. If you book a consult, the deposit is credited to whatever treatment you choose afterward, including a series. The cancellation window is on your booking confirmation.
Why does the area treated change the cost?
More skin means more time, more numbing, and more cartridges, and cartridges are single-use by FDA requirement. The face is the base quote. Neck, chest, and body areas are added on, and large body areas such as stretch marks are quoted by size. The add-on tier (hyaluronic acid, PRP, or radiofrequency) applies to every area treated.
Do you charge more for the neck or chest?
Yes, as an add-on to the face, not as a separate full-price session. Neck adds cartridges and time. Chest adds more. Both areas heal a little slower than the face, so plan on the longer end of the 24 to 48 hour redness window. We’ll confirm the exact areas with you at the consult before anything is quoted.