Post-Treatment Instructions — Microneedling

FIRST 24 HOURS

Your skin may be red, warm, tight, tender, or mildly swollen.

DO:

• Touch your skin only with clean hands.

• Follow the cleansing instructions given by your provider.

• Use only gentle or provider-approved skincare.

• Keep pillowcases, phones, makeup brushes, and other surfaces that touch your face clean.

• Protect the treated area from sun exposure.

AVOID:

• Rubbing, scratching, or picking

• Makeup for at least 24 hours

• Retinoids

• AHA/BHA acids

• Vitamin C

• Benzoyl peroxide

• Scrubs

• Exfoliating brushes

• Hot tubs

• Saunas

• Steam rooms

• Strenuous exercise/heavy sweating

Waiting at least 24 hours before makeup is consistent with AAD guidance.

CLEANSING AFTER TREATMENT

I would slightly change your existing “wait exactly 4 hours” rule.

Use:

Follow the cleansing time recommended by your provider based on the treatment performed.

If you want a general rule for your protocol:

Unless otherwise instructed, wait several hours before gently cleansing the treated area with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser.

If you are applying a specific sterile PRF or adjunctive product and want your patients to leave it on for 4 hours, you can keep:

If instructed by your provider to leave your post-treatment product on the skin, do not cleanse the treated area for approximately 4 hours.

That makes the 4-hour instruction part of your treatment protocol, rather than implying that every microneedling product medically requires four hours of absorption.

DAYS 1–3

It is normal to experience:

• Redness

• Warmth

• Tightness

• Mild swelling

• Tenderness

• Dryness

• Rough or “sandpaper-like” texture

• Mild flaking

The FDA lists redness, tightness, peeling, itching, discomfort, bruising, bleeding, dryness, and crusting among known microneedling reactions.

DO NOT PICK

If your skin flakes or peels:

Allow it to shed naturally. Do not peel, scrub, scratch, or pick the skin.

I would change your phrase “irreversible scars” to this. Picking can increase irritation, infection, pigment change, and scarring risk, but “will result in irreversible scars” is too absolute.

KEEP YOUR ROUTINE SIMPLE

For the first several days:

MORNING

Gentle cleanser
Hydrating moisturizer
Broad-spectrum SPF 30+

EVENING

Gentle cleanser
Hydrating moisturizer

Avoid layering multiple serums while the skin is healing.

PAUSE YOUR ACTIVES

FOR APPROXIMATELY 5–7 DAYS:

Avoid:

• Retinol

• Tretinoin

• Other retinoids

• Glycolic acid

• Salicylic acid

• Lactic acid

• Other AHA/BHA acids

• Vitamin C

• Benzoyl peroxide

• Exfoliating scrubs

• Exfoliating pads

• At-home peels

Do not restart actives until your skin is calm and no longer red, peeling, burning, or unusually sensitive.

If your skin still feels irritated at day 7, wait longer.

SUN PROTECTION

Avoid intentional sun exposure and tanning while your skin heals.

Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and protective clothing when outdoors.

Sun protection is especially important because pigmentation changes, including hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, are recognized complications of microneedling.

EXERCISE, HEAT & SWEATING

Avoid:

• Strenuous exercise

• Excessive sweating

• Sauna

• Steam room

• Hot tub

• Very hot showers

for approximately 24–48 hours or until significant redness and heat have settled.

Your Jane wording here is good; you simply had it twice, so I would combine it into one section.

OTHER FACIAL TREATMENTS

Avoid:

• Facials

• Chemical peels

• Waxing

• Threading

• Depilatory creams

• Lasers

• Other aggressive skin treatments

for approximately 1–2 weeks, depending on how your skin heals and what treatment you are planning.

Ask us before scheduling another resurfacing treatment.