Microneedling & RF Microneedling

Ageless Aesthetics Medspa Chicago offers standard collagen-induction microneedling alongside the PIXEL-8 fractional radiofrequency microneedling system for clients seeking deeper skin tightening and lift. Standard microneedling uses a precision pen to create controlled micro-channels that trigger collagen and elastin repair, addressing fine lines, acne scars, enlarged pores, and uneven texture. PIXEL-8 RF delivers radiofrequency energy through insulated needles into the mid-dermis, simultaneously heating the subdermal tissue for collagen remodelling and skin tightening with minimal surface disruption. PRP can be added to either protocol for amplified growth-factor stimulation.

Ageless Aesthetics Medspa Chicago provides two tiers of microneedling therapy under physician medical direction. Standard microneedling (collagen induction therapy) uses a motorised pen device with a sterile needle cartridge to create thousands of precisely controlled micro-perforations across the treatment area. Needle depths are adjusted by zone — 0.5 mm for periorbital areas and surface texture, 1.0–1.5 mm for general facial skin, and up to 2.0 mm for the cheek and jaw regions where atrophic acne scar remodelling is the primary goal. Each micro-injury initiates a localised wound-healing response involving platelet degranulation, growth factor release, fibroblast recruitment, and ultimately new collagen and elastin deposition in the papillary and upper reticular dermis. The micro-channels transiently increase skin permeability, allowing serums — or platelet-rich plasma — applied during treatment to penetrate far deeper than topical application alone would achieve. PIXEL-8 RF Microneedling elevates this mechanism by adding bipolar radiofrequency energy delivered through minimally insulated needles directly into the mid-dermis at a controlled depth. The thermal energy heats the target tissue zone to 60–70 °C, the threshold for collagen fibre contraction and robust fibroblast activation, while the insulated needle shafts protect the epidermis from thermal diffusion. This makes PIXEL-8 RF particularly effective for patients seeking skin tightening, pore reduction, and improvement of mild to moderate skin laxity in addition to the surface texture and scar benefits of standard needling. Because the epidermis is spared, surface downtime is minimal compared with ablative laser resurfacing. PRP facial treatments at Ageless Aesthetics Medspa Chicago use microneedling as the delivery mechanism for platelet-rich plasma — the patient's own centrifuged blood concentrate, rich in PDGF, TGF-β, VEGF, and EGF — applied through the open channels immediately following needling. This PRP microneedling combination is offered for clients targeting dull skin, early laxity, persistent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or early acne scars who want a fully autologous biological approach. All microneedling sessions include topical numbing. A course of three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is the standard protocol, with maintenance sessions at six to twelve months.