Timeless Takeover

Microneedling Vs. IPL Explained: The Right Treatment For Texture, Pigment, And Volume

• Marissa Parchman • Episode 5

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What’s The Difference Between Microneedling And IPL—and Who Benefits Most?

Tired of guessing which treatment will actually move the needle on your skin goals? We break down microneedling and IPL with zero fluff, mapping each method to the problems it solves—texture, pigment, and volume—so you can choose with confidence and protect your skin long term. Marissa Parchman, founder of Timeless Skin & Wellness, joins us to explain how controlled micro-injuries stimulate collagen, why needle depth matters, and what makes microneedling safe and adaptable across many skin tones when performed by a skilled practitioner.

We also shine a light on IPL—what intense pulsed light does best, why it’s a go-to for sunspots, freckles, and broken capillaries, and when it adds a subtle tightening effect over a series. Just as important, we call out safety boundaries: IPL “sees” color, which makes it unsuitable for many deeper complexions where it can’t reliably distinguish melanin from hyperpigmentation. Expect clear guidance on downtime and makeup: microneedling ranges from a day to a few days depending on depth, while IPL often allows same‑day cosmetics and a quick return to your routine.

Curious about combining treatments? We reveal our Smooth Glow protocol, pairing IPL with radiofrequency microneedling to clear discoloration and rebuild collagen in one visit, plus the trade-offs in downtime and the 28‑day skin renewal window that sets realistic expectations for results. If you’re deciding between needles and light, or planning a smarter skincare journey, you’ll leave with a practical framework to match your skin type and priorities to the right tool—no hype, just clarity.

If this helped you chart your path to better skin, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s weighing treatments, and leave a quick review to help others find honest, effective skincare guidance.

To learn more about Timeless Skin & Wellness visit:
https://www.TimelessSandW.com
Timeless Skin & Wellness
Denver Metro & Northern Colorado Locations
303-800-1821

SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to Timeless Takeover, your no BS guide to lasting anti-aging and longevity solutions. Hosted by Marissa Parchman, founder of Timeless Skin and Wellness, this is your exclusive source for honest anti-aging solutions and elevated wellness. We offer a full-scope approach to beauty and vitality because at Timeless, we believe aging is optional. Serving discerning clients across Denver Metro and Northern Colorado, your transformation begins here.

SPEAKER_02:

Two powerhouse treatments, microneedling and IPO, each with unique benefits. Let's break down what they do and who they're best for. Welcome back, everyone. I am Millie M., co-host and producer back in the studio with Marissa Parchman, founder of Timeless Skin and Wellness. How are you, Marissa?

SPEAKER_01:

Hi, Millie. I'm doing great. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. So today's question is what's the difference between microneedling and IPL and who benefits most?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, it is actually very surprising to me how many people come to me not understanding the difference in all the different modalities that we have. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect anybody to be an expert, but people often ask me, what is the difference between something like microneedle and something like IPL? So we look at the skin from a few different perspectives, and that is volume loss, texture, and pigment. Those are the three things that we're usually trying to solve. We're trying to correct. We're trying to correct imbalanced pigment, we're trying to correct uneven texture, or we're trying to correct lost volume. So microneedle, microneedle was revolutionary in the industry. When microneedle became a thing, it literally changed everything. So for so long in the industry, we only had really aggressive lasers like CO2 laser, you know, strip the face off, really intense chemical peels, and there wasn't anything that you could really do on a micro level consistency to reverse and prevent signs of aging. So microneedle is so, so remarkable. It is exactly what it sounds like. You're taking micro needles, little tiny, tiny needles, anywhere from 0.25 millimeters to 2.0 millimeters is about the most aggressive that we would use a microneedle on somebody. Um, and it takes and puts uniform incisions on the face. You're gonna say we're doing the whole face, you're gonna take and make a controlled wound on the entire face. You're gonna take a little device and it's going to create little tiny micro channels with needles all over the face, and then you're left with little tiny micro wounds that activate the body's natural healing response, and that's going to replace all those little damaged, replace all those little damaged cells with new fresh skin cells. So you're getting a lot of collagen production. It's gonna help with pore size, fine lines, and wrinkles, acne scars, hyperpigmentation. It is truly a treatment that is safe for anybody as long as you are with an educated practitioner that's being very aware of skin type, color in the skin. Um but yeah, depending on the depth and the depth that you go and the concerns that you're treating, you can achieve such a wide range of remarkable results.

SPEAKER_02:

So a darker toned person like myself could definitely benefit as long as um the practitioner knows what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01:

Absolutely. And the biggest thing about skin like yours, luckily it ages very, very gracefully. A lot of that has to do with the natural oil production that is very, very healthy for the skin. I always tell people oily skin is healthy skin, as long as it's not creating breakouts and things like that. So my point is less is more with skin that produces more pigmentation, less is more. So micro, micro needles is what I would use on you. Something very, very shallow. Where somebody like myself who has struggled with acne in the past, I might be doing something a little more aggressive because what are we dealing with? At one point, we were dealing with like a layer of scar tissue secondary to acne. So one of the best things about microneedles is you can do it on such a minimal scale and see such a big result. And how does that differ from IPO? IPL is technically not a laser, but very similar to a laser. IPL is intense pulse light, is what IPL stands for. So IPL is a treatment that also requires just minimal downtime. You can actually wear makeup on the same day as an IPL. IPL is very specific for pigment and discoloration in the skin. So IPL is going to help a little bit with collagen stimulation. If you do several IPLs, you're definitely going to notice a little bit of a lift and tighten. But IPL is most known for treating hyperpigmentation, sunspots, and broken capillaries and broken vessels in the skin. So very different. IPL is a treatment that we can never put on your skin. IPL sees color. So you can't put IPL and a lot of other lasers on skin like yours because it can't differentiate. Say you did have some sunspots, it can't differentiate your dark skin with the hyperpigmentation. So IPL is something that's not an option for uh Fitzpatrick 5, which is what your Fitzpatrick is on a scale from one to five.

SPEAKER_02:

Gotcha, gotcha. Well, I'm glad you were able to um express those differences. So the downtime and the recovery between the two, you were saying you could wear makeup same day, IPO. What about microneedling? I wouldn't put makeup on top of tiny, tiny scars in the skin.

SPEAKER_01:

So depending on how aggressive it is, you can put a little bit of mineral makeup on top of a microneedle. And then we have to make sure that, okay, if you're going to put makeup on, then we highly recommend it be mineral makeup. Um, again, if you're doing a little more intense of a treatment, then you might want to stay away from makeup for a couple of days. But after an IPL treatment, they used to call the IPL the lunchtime facial because you can get your treatment, not have much of a reaction instantly, put makeup back on and go back to work. So we don't quite recommend that, but in general, it is safe to put makeup on and go about your day right after.

SPEAKER_02:

Sounds good. And so what kind of results are we looking at? So the micro needle, you have that downtime. Can you wear makeup the next day with micro needle? Absolutely. Okay, so next day I wake up, what results have I seen versus uh the IPO?

SPEAKER_01:

So it's gonna take a little bit of time to see results for both of those treatments. Um, we have a 28-day skin cycle. No matter what we're doing, our face is turning over the surface cells every 28 days. So we usually recommend a full 28 days before you're seeing those full results. But typically after a week, you're starting to see a big difference.

SPEAKER_02:

Love that. Is it ever beneficial to combine both treatments in a skincare plane?

SPEAKER_01:

What a great question. Absolutely. So we actually specialize in a treatment called the Smooth Glow at Timeless Skin and Wellness, and that is where we combine our IPL with our radio frequency microneedle. Radio frequency is another form of microneedle treatments that uses needles and radio frequency energy. You can do that with the radio frequency microneedle or a regular microneedle. So that is going to intensify your downtime a little bit. We usually recommend 72 hours without makeup after a treatment like that, but you can come in, numb up for 30 minutes. We do the IPL treatment, and right after that, we do the microneedle treatment right on top.

SPEAKER_02:

Ah, well, make sure you contact Marissa. You can double up on those treatments and get those results. Super informative to get you on the next episode. What more time do you do?

SPEAKER_00:

Invest in the best version of yourself. Call us today at 303-800-1821. Or visit timelesssnw.com to schedule a consultation. Discover what it means to age with intention and elegance.