Microneedling

Westlake Dermatology's Houston clinic offers microneedling and Genius RF microneedling to improve skin texture, acne scarring, enlarged pores, and early skin laxity. Standard microneedling uses a precision device to create controlled micro-channels in the dermis, triggering a wound-healing response that stimulates new collagen and elastin synthesis. Genius RF microneedling adds radiofrequency energy delivery through insulated needle tips at depth, providing additional dermal heating for enhanced tissue remodelling and mild skin tightening, particularly effective for textural irregularities, post-acne scarring, and periorbital and neck laxity.

Microneedling at Westlake Dermatology West University Houston is performed as both standard collagen induction therapy (CIT) and as radiofrequency-enhanced microneedling via the Genius platform. Standard microneedling uses a motorised pen device with a disposable sterile tip containing multiple fine needles — typically 0.5 to 2.5 mm in depth, adjusted according to the treatment zone and the degree of correction sought. The needles create hundreds of microscopic punctures per second in the epidermis and papillary dermis. These micro-channels stimulate an immediate haemostatic and inflammatory response, followed by a proliferative phase over the subsequent two to four weeks during which fibroblasts lay down new collagen (primarily type III, later remodelled to type I) and elastin fibres in the dermis. The cumulative result of a course of treatments is progressive improvement in skin texture, a reduction in the depth and extent of atrophic acne scars and surgical scars, tightening of enlarged pores, and a general improvement in skin quality. The Genius RF microneedling system adds an additional mechanism: insulated microneedles deliver radiofrequency energy at a precisely controlled depth within the dermis and superficial subcutaneous fat, generating focused thermal zones that cause immediate collagen denaturation and subsequent tissue contraction, as well as a broader neocollagenesis response over three to six months. Unlike surface-applied RF devices, the insulated needle tips protect the epidermis from thermal injury while depositing energy at the optimal therapeutic depth, making the treatment applicable to darker skin tones with reduced risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Genius RF is particularly effective for periorbital laxity (below and around the eye), nasolabial and perioral areas, the neck and décolletage, and body areas with textural irregularity or mild laxity. The clinic's approach applies topical anaesthetic for 30–45 minutes before the procedure to ensure patient comfort throughout the treatment session. Post-procedure redness and mild swelling resolve within 24–48 hours for standard microneedling and within two to four days for RF-enhanced sessions. A series of three to four sessions spaced four weeks apart is the standard protocol, with maintenance sessions every six to twelve months.