September 25, 2026

Microneedling vs PRF Microneedling: Which One Do You Need

This article has been written by Kassandra Marin, RN BSN

Two things are worth settling before you pick a date.

The lower lip is usually fuller than the upper one. Filling both equally is one of the fastest ways to make a face read as treated, no matter how little product was used.

Metabolism.
Faster metabolisms break filler down faster, which is why a very active person often gets less time from the same syringe.

This is the reassurance that matters most for a first treatment. Hyaluronic acid filler is dissolvable with an enzyme, which is not true of every filler material on the market.

The FDA notes that removal is difficult or impossible for permanent fillers and for those not made of materials such as hyaluronic acid. Soléa treats lips exclusively with hyaluronic acid, which is a deliberate choice.

The FDA’s own guidance is to work with a licensed health care provider experienced in dermatology or plastic surgery and trained to inject dermal fillers. Lips deserve the strict reading of that.


Ask who is injecting, who provides their medical direction, whether they keep hyaluronidase on site, and whether you will see the same person at your follow-up. A practice that answers those easily is telling you something.

Both treatments use the same device and the same principle. One of them costs more. The question is whether your particular concern is one the more expensive version actually answers.

Often it is not, and you should expect to be told that.

What Both Treatments Share

Microneedling creates controlled micro-injuries in the skin, and your skin responds by rebuilding collagen. Needle depth is adjusted by area, deeper over scar tissue and conservative over thin skin.

That mechanism is identical whether or not PRF is added. PRF is not a different treatment. It is the same treatment with something extra delivered through the channels.

What PRF Adds

PRF stands for platelet-rich fibrin, drawn from your own blood and processed in house. It releases growth factors gradually rather than all at once, which is the argument for it over PRP.

What it adds in practice is a stronger healing response to the same micro-injuries. It does not go deeper, and it does not treat anything standard microneedling cannot touch. It pushes the same process further.

Which One Your Concern Calls For

If your main concern is Start with
General texture and roughness Standard microneedling
Enlarged pores Standard microneedling
Fine lines and early crepiness Standard microneedling
Dullness and uneven tone Standard microneedling, often alongside a peel
Mild, shallow acne scarring Standard microneedling, a series of three to six
Deep or rolling acne scarring PRF microneedling
Noticeable skin laxity PRF microneedling
Under-eye crepiness and hollowing PRF microneedling
Skin that has responded slowly to treatment before PRF microneedling

How to Read the Table for Your Skin

If you are between two rows, the rule of thumb is simple. Surface concerns start standard, structural concerns start with PRF.

Texture, pores, fine lines and dullness are surface concerns, and standard microneedling generally gets you there. Deep scarring, laxity and under-eye crepiness are structural, and that is where the added healing response earns its cost.

When you genuinely cannot tell which camp you are in, start standard. You can always add PRF for the next round, but you cannot un-spend it.

What the Upgrade Actually Costs You

PRF costs more for concrete reasons, not because it is the premium option on a menu. Knowing what you are paying for makes the decision easier.

The difference is a blood draw at the start, the time to process it in house, and a little more chair time overall. The needling itself is the same.

So the question is never whether PRF is better in the abstract. It is whether your specific concern is one the extra healing response actually moves, and for surface concerns it usually is not.

Sessions, Downtime and Timing

Neither is a single-appointment treatment, and anyone selling it that way is overselling it.

  • Standard microneedling: a series of three sessions, about a month apart. Acne scarring usually needs three to six, spaced four weeks apart.
  • PRF microneedling: usually three sessions, four to six weeks apart, with results continuing to develop for up to three months afterwards.
  • Downtime is the same for both: 24 to 48 hours of redness, possible light flaking around day three, first real glow at one to two weeks.
  • PRF adds a blood draw at the start of the appointment, so budget a little more chair time.
  • Book either one at least two weeks before an event. Three to four weeks is safer.

Getting a Standard Series Right Before You Upgrade

Most people should run a proper standard series before deciding PRF is worth it, and running it properly is what makes that decision honest.

Keep the sessions on schedule, protect the skin with daily SPF between them, and go gentle on strong actives for a few days on either side of each appointment. Skipping sessions or crowding them does not speed anything up.

Then judge the result at the two to three month mark, once the collagen has had time to build. If your skin got most of the way there on standard, PRF was never the answer. If it stalled, that is your signal to upgrade.

Who Should Wait

A short list of situations means the plan changes or waits, and your provider will ask about all of them.

Active acne, an infection, or any open or irritated skin in the treatment area means waiting until it clears. Certain skin conditions and recent oral acne medication also change the timing.

None of this rules you out for good. It just moves the start date, and the plan begins conservative in any case.

Where Microneedling Fits in a Skin Plan

Microneedling is rarely the whole plan. It is the collagen and texture layer, and it works best alongside the things that handle tone and daily maintenance.

A peel can be paired with it for dullness and uneven tone, spaced so the skin is not doing two big jobs at once. Between sessions, daily SPF and a steady at-home routine protect the collagen you are paying to build.

So the useful question at a consultation is not only which microneedling to book, but where it sits among everything else your skin needs. Standard or PRF is one decision inside that plan, not the plan by itself.

What the Evidence Supports

Worth being precise here, because this is an area where marketing runs ahead of the science.

What Microneedling Is Cleared For

Microneedling devices are regulated by the FDA as medical devices and are cleared to improve the appearance of facial acne scars, facial wrinkles and abdominal scars. The FDA also notes that results may be temporary and that maintenance may require additional procedures.

Where PRF Sits

PRF is your own blood product added to that treatment, not a cleared device claim of its own. The rationale is sound and the clinical experience is good, but it is not the same tier of evidence.


Anyone promising a guaranteed outcome from either one is telling you something they cannot know.

Start Standard or Start With PRF

For most people the answer is to start standard. Run one series, see how your skin responds, then decide whether to add PRF for the next round.


The exception is deep or long-standing acne scarring, where starting with PRF avoids spending three months and a full series finding out that standard was not enough. That decision gets made at your consultation, looking at your actual skin rather than at a treatment menu.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Is PRF microneedling worth the extra cost?

    For deeper scarring, laxity and under-eye concerns, usually yes. For texture, pores and fine lines, standard microneedling generally gets you there. You will be told which category you are in.

  • Does PRF hurt more than standard microneedling?

    No. The microneedling part is identical. The difference is a blood draw at the start of the appointment, which is the same as any routine blood test.

  • How much blood is drawn for PRF?

    A small sample, similar to a standard lab draw. It is taken and processed in house by Kassie, who is a registered nurse, so it does not add another appointment.

  • Can I do both, or switch between them?

    Yes, and alternating is common. Some people run a standard series first and add PRF for maintenance rounds, or the reverse for stubborn areas.

  • Is microneedling safe for darker skin tones?

    Yes, and it is one of the reasons it gets recommended over more aggressive resurfacing for deeper skin tones. Depth is adjusted per area, and the plan starts conservative.

  • How soon will I see a difference?

    First glow at one to two weeks, with collagen remodelling continuing for months after. With PRF, results keep developing for up to three months. Neither one finishes on the day of your appointment.

  • Can I combine microneedling with Botox or filler?

    Yes, and the plan is usually to space them rather than stack them on the same day. Your provider will sequence them so each one settles on its own, which is a consultation question worth asking.

  • How will I know if standard worked before I pay for PRF?

    Judge it at the two to three month mark, once the collagen has built. If your main concern has clearly improved, standard was enough; if it stalled, that is your cue to add PRF for the next round.

Book a Skin Consultation

Soléa Aesthetics & Wellness, 7851 Mission Center Court, Suite 330, San Diego, CA 92108. Tuesday through Friday 9 to 6, Saturday 9 to 1. Call (619) 432-6700 or book online, and your consult fee is credited toward the treatment you book.

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