Microneedling before and after
Real patients treated at Charis in Bacup, shared with their consent — and an honest guide to reading a before-and-after, here or on anyone else’s site.
Individual results vary. Photographs are unretouched and shared with patient consent.
Reading a before and after
What to look for, and what should make you suspicious
Before-and-after photographs are the most manipulated images in this industry, and a convincing “result” can be produced with no treatment at all. Four things do most of the faking: a change in lighting, a change in camera angle, a change in expression, and a change in make-up.
So: look for the same angle and the same lighting in both frames. Look for a neutral expression in both, rather than a smile appearing in the after. Be wary of an obvious make-up change. And be wary of a result that looks like a different person — with good treatment you should still look like yourself, only rested.
For microneedling specifically, controlled micro-injury that prompts the skin to remodel — used for texture, scarring, pore size and overall quality. That is what these images should be showing you. If a gallery is promising something that treatment cannot deliver, the images are not the problem — the claim is.
Sources and further reading
- NHS — Dermal fillers
- British Association of Dermatologists — patient information
- Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners
- Aesthetic Complications Expert Group
This page is general information, not personal medical advice. Every treatment needs an individual assessment, and what is right for someone else may not be right for you.
Common questions
- Are these real microneedling patients?
- Yes. Every photograph on this page is a patient treated by Ashleigh Trickett at Charis Aesthetics in Bacup, shared with their consent. None is stock imagery and none is another clinic's work.
- Will I get the same result?
- No two faces respond identically. What these show is what is achievable for those patients, with their anatomy and their starting point. What you should expect before spending anything is an honest assessment of what is achievable for you — including being told if it is not much.
- How many sessions did these take?
- It varies by patient. Treatment plans are agreed at consultation and are frequently staged rather than done in one appointment. A single appointment is 1 hour.
The treatment
Microneedling
Microneedling creates thousands of controlled micro-channels in the skin. The skin's response to that controlled injury is to remodel: laying down new collagen and elastin, and improving texture, tone and firmness over the weeks that follow. It is one of the most versatile treatments available and one of the most commonly done badly.
Get in touch
Book a consultation
Consultations are £30, and that comes off the cost of your treatment if you go ahead. No pressure to book anything on the day — if you are not sure whether you want treatment at all, that is still a good reason to come and talk.