RF Microneedling · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Potenza RF Microneedling in Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
RF microneedling for acne scars, enlarged pores, uneven texture and early signs of ageing, performed by our Registered Nurses or dermatologists at a specialist dermatology clinic founded by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD.
Full face $795 a session · Specialist consultations from $395 · Course cost confirmed in writing before you start · See fees
A dermatologist-led clinic, founded by Dr Mitchell Robinson, FACD, who teaches laser to dermatologists and registrars and has fellowship training in complex scarring.
Meet Dr MitchPotenza RF Microneedling at a Glance
What Is RF Microneedling?
The short answer: RF microneedling uses very fine needles to deliver radiofrequency (RF) heat into the deeper layer of your skin. The tiny injuries and the heat prompt your skin to make new collagen, which can gradually soften acne scars, refine enlarged pores and smooth uneven texture. Potenza is the RF microneedling device we use at our Mount Gravatt clinic in Brisbane. Most people have 3 to 4 sessions, with 1 to 2 days of redness after each.
Fine, sterile microneedles create tiny controlled channels in the skin, which your skin repairs with fresh collagen and elastin. RF energy delivered through the needle tips gently heats the deeper layers and strengthens that repair.
Because the energy is delivered below the surface, the outer layer of skin is largely preserved, so recovery is shorter than after a resurfacing laser. Needle depth, energy level and treatment mode are adjusted for each area and skin concern.
We see people from Mount Gravatt and across Brisbane's southside, including Holland Park, Carindale and Upper Mount Gravatt.
Heat below. Surface spared.
How Is Potenza Different From Regular Microneedling?
Standard microneedling relies on the needles alone. Potenza adds radiofrequency energy through the needle tips, heating the deeper layers of skin to further stimulate remodelling.
According to its manufacturer, Potenza offers:
- Two types of RF. Monopolar RF spreads heat more widely and deeply; bipolar RF keeps it concentrated between the needles.
- Two frequencies, 1 MHz and 2 MHz, which change how the heat spreads.
- Adjustable depth from 0.5 mm to 4 mm, so fine texture and deeper scars can be treated in the same session.
- A range of tips, including insulated needles that keep heat off the skin surface and a single-needle tip for individual scars.
Which settings and tips we use depends on your skin, what we're treating and how much downtime you can take. More options don't automatically mean better results.
Microneedling vs RF microneedling
- Microneedling: needle channels only. Suits mild texture.
- RF microneedling: adds heat deeper in the skin, so more change per session for scars, pores and laxity.
- Both: results build over months as new collagen forms.
Potenza vs Morpheus8: What's the Difference?
Both are RF microneedling devices and work the same basic way: fine needles plus radiofrequency heat. The differences are in the hardware.
- Morpheus8, made by InMode, uses bipolar RF. Its body tip has longer needles, up to 7 mm, for areas such as the tummy and thighs.
- Potenza, from Cynosure, offers monopolar and bipolar RF at two frequencies, with needle depths up to 4 mm.
For the face, both treat similar depths, and results depend far more on the settings, the number of sessions, and whether your scars also need other treatments.
We use Potenza at DERM Skin Specialists. If you've had RF microneedling before, tell us when and how your skin responded.
Potenza or Laser? How It Compares With CO2, XERF and Pico
Potenza is one of several ways to rebuild collagen in our laser suite.
Potenza vs CO2 laser
Fractional CO2 laser works from the surface down. It usually does more per session for pitted acne scars, but recovery takes about 5 to 14 days, and brown marks are more likely in olive and darker skin. Potenza needs more sessions for a smaller change, with 1 to 2 days of redness. More on CO2 laser.
Potenza vs XERF
XERF heats the deeper skin through the surface with no needles, usually with only mild redness afterwards. It's aimed at laxity, not scars. Potenza suits scars, pores and texture. More on XERF.
Potenza vs pico laser
The PicoSure Pro laser is mainly for pigment, such as sun spots, and with a special lens can refine fine texture. Some people have both: pico laser for pigment, Potenza for texture. More on PicoSure Pro.
Who Is Potenza RF Microneedling For?
Potenza can help with:
- Acne scars: rolling and boxcar scars, and uneven texture left by past breakouts
- Enlarged pores and rough texture
- Fine lines around the eyes, mouth and cheeks, and crepey, sun-damaged texture
- Mild laxity on the face, jawline and neck
- Mature scars, including surgical scars, and stretch marks on the body
- Olive or darker skin that needs scar or texture treatment with a lower risk of brown marks than resurfacing laser
It's less suitable if your main concern is deep ice pick scars or significant sagging, where other treatments do more. It's often chosen by people who can't take a week or two off work for laser resurfacing.
Tell us first if you
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have a pacemaker, defibrillator or other implanted electronic device
- Have active acne, an infection, cold sores or a rash in the area
- Have a history of keloid scarring or poor wound healing
- Bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder or take anything that thins the blood, including fish oil
- Have metal implants in the treatment area
Please also tell us about all medicines you take or have taken in the past year.
Does Potenza Work for Acne Scars?
It can help, mostly for rolling scars, shallow boxcar scars and the texture around them. It gives a smaller change per session than CO2 laser, with much shorter recovery.
It has limits. Deep ice pick scars usually need TCA CROSS or punch excision. Scars tethered down by bands of scar tissue need releasing with subcision before they can lift. And your acne needs to be under control first, or new spots will form new scars.
Combining it with subcision or CO2 laser
So Potenza is often one part of an acne scar plan, not the whole plan. A typical order is subcision to release tethered scars, then RF microneedling or CO2 laser to rebuild collagen, with TCA CROSS for ice pick scars, spaced so your skin heals in between. More on acne scar treatment.
Can RF Microneedling Shrink Pores and Tighten Skin?
Pores. Pores can look smaller when the skin around them firms up. Expect a modest refinement, not invisible pores. Pore size is partly inherited and tends to increase with age.
Tightening. New collagen can firm mild laxity and crepey neck skin over a few months. It won't lift heavy jowls or loose neck skin; if sagging is your main concern, we'll talk about other options, including whether a surgical opinion makes sense.
Fine lines. Fine lines can soften. Deeper expression lines come from muscle movement, which RF microneedling doesn't change.
What Happens During a Potenza Treatment?
From your first visit to your review, here's what to expect.
Consultation
With a Registered Nurse or Dr Mitch: a skin assessment, your medical history and goals, and photos. You get a written plan with the total course cost.
Treatment
Your skin is cleansed and numbing cream applied for about 60 minutes. The handpiece is then passed over each area, which takes around 30 minutes for a full face.
Recovery and review
You go home with aftercare instructions. We review your progress before each session and adjust your plan.
Does Potenza RF Microneedling Hurt?
Numbing cream is applied beforehand, so most people describe a warm, prickling sensation rather than pain. It isn't completely comfortable, though. The heat is stronger over bony areas, such as the forehead, jawline and top lip, and at deeper settings.
Tell your nurse or doctor at any time and they can adjust the settings or pause. Afterwards your skin feels hot and tight, like sunburn, for a few hours.
If Potenza is combined with subcision on the same day, local anaesthetic is used for the subcision.
Who performs it? Your treatment is performed by one of our Registered Nurses or by one of our dermatologists, all trained on the Potenza system.
Potenza Downtime: What Recovery Looks Like Day by Day
- First 24 hours: skin feels warm and looks flushed, like sunburn. Don't touch your face or apply any products, including makeup. Avoid exercise, saunas and swimming.
- Days 2 to 3: redness settles. Mild swelling or fine grid marks may be visible. Mineral makeup is fine from day 2.
- Days 3 to 7: some dryness or light flaking. Keep moisturising, and avoid retinol and acids until advised.
- Weeks 2 to 6: collagen is building. Your next session is usually due at 4 to 6 weeks.
- Ongoing: daily SPF 50+ and sun avoidance, especially in Queensland.
Deeper settings for acne scars can mean a few more days of redness and swelling. Most people are back at work within a day or two.
Before an event. Allow at least a week between a session and a special event, so redness and any grid marks have settled. For weddings or major events, start your course 4 to 6 months ahead.
When to call us
- Increasing pain, heat or swelling after the first 2 days
- Pus, yellow crusting or a fever
- Blisters, or clusters of sores that could be a cold sore flare
- Dark patches or grid marks that aren't fading after 2 weeks
Call 07 3487 1414. Outside hours, see your GP or go to an emergency department.
How Many Potenza Sessions Will I Need?
Most people have a course of 3 to 4 sessions spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Deeper acne scarring may need more, usually alongside other scar treatments, and olive or darker skin sometimes needs more sessions at gentler settings, spaced further apart.
Each session adds a little more collagen, and the change keeps building for 3 to 6 months after your last one.
What if it doesn't work for you? If you've had little change after 3 sessions, we'll tell you, and talk about whether another treatment, such as subcision or CO2 laser, would do more. We don't keep adding sessions that aren't helping.
Heat is quick. Collagen is slow.
What Results Can You Expect From RF Microneedling?
Expect gradual, natural-looking improvement. Skin often looks fresher within a couple of weeks, but the real change comes from new collagen, which builds over 3 to 6 months. We judge results at least 3 months after your last session, using photos taken in the same lighting. Texture, pores and shallow scars tend to improve most; deep scars improve less, and results vary between people.
What the research says. A 2021 review of RF microneedling research found it can improve acne scars and skin laxity with short recovery, but that most studies are small, use different devices and settings, and rarely compare it with other treatments (Dermatologic Surgery, 2021). In a randomised split-face trial, adding subcision to RF microneedling improved atrophic (pitted) acne scars more than RF microneedling alone (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2017). Most published research used other RF microneedling devices, and studies of Potenza itself are few. Follow-up in most studies is months, not years.
How long do results last? New collagen is long lasting, but your skin keeps ageing, and new acne can form new scars. Sun protection and keeping acne controlled help results last.
RF Microneedling for Darker and Olive Skin
RF microneedling is often chosen for olive, Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian and darker skin because most of the heat is delivered beneath the surface. That means less injury to the pigment cells in the top layer than with resurfacing lasers, and a lower chance of brown marks afterwards.
Lower isn't zero. All treatments that injure the skin carry a risk of pigment change, called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and grid marks can last longer in darker skin. We may recommend a test patch or pre-treatment skincare, and we use conservative settings, longer gaps between sessions and careful sun protection. If brown marks appear, they usually fade over weeks to months and can be treated.
Reviews of RF microneedling in skin of colour describe it as generally well tolerated, with less pigment change than ablative laser, while noting that large trials are lacking (Dermatologic Surgery, 2023; Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2023).
Tell us if you
- Tan easily or rarely burn
- Have had brown marks after spots, burns or cuts
- Have melasma
- Get cold sores; we'll plan for it
- Have had a reaction to a previous treatment
What Are the Risks? And How We Reduce Them
All procedures that break the skin carry some risk. Here are the main ones with RF microneedling and what we do about each.
Common and short term
- Redness, swelling, warmth and tenderness. Expected for 1 to 2 days, longer after deeper settings. We plan sessions around your work and social life.
- Pinpoint bleeding, dryness and flaking. These settle within a week. Please don't pick.
- Grid marks. Small dots in a grid pattern from the needle tips, usually fading within days. We match energy and passes to your skin and avoid over-treating any one spot.
- Bruising and acne flares. These usually settle on their own. Tell us about anything that thins the blood.
Less common or rare
- Temporary darkening of the skin. More likely in olive and darker skin or with sun exposure. We use conservative settings, prepare your skin and insist on sun protection.
- Cold sore flare-ups. Tell us if you get cold sores; we'll plan for it.
- Infection. Rare. Sterile needles, clean technique and following your aftercare reduce the risk.
- Burns, blistering, prolonged pigment change or scarring. Rare. Insulated needles, settings matched to your skin and careful technique reduce the risk.
If something doesn't heal as expected, you come back to us. Call the clinic and we'll see you here.
How Much Does Potenza RF Microneedling Cost in Brisbane?
A full-face Potenza session is $795. Other areas, such as the neck or décolletage, are quoted at your assessment, and the number of sessions depends on your skin. You'll get a written quote before you start.
Think in courses, not single sessions. Most people need 3 to 4 sessions, so the number worth comparing is the total for the whole course. You get that total in writing before any treatment.
Consultations. You can start with a skin assessment with one of our Registered Nurses, or a specialist consultation with a dermatologist (from $395).
Honest advice. If your concern is mild, or another treatment would do more for the money and downtime, we'll tell you.
Medicare and private health. Cosmetic treatments are not covered by Medicare and generally not by private health insurance. A referral isn't needed to book. See our fees.
Your dermatologist
Dr Mitchell Robinson, FACD
Specialist Dermatologist · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Potenza at DERM Skin Specialists is performed by our Registered Nurses or by our dermatologists, all trained on the Potenza system. Dr Mitch founded the clinic, leads its laser suite and teaches laser to dermatologists and registrars.
- Fellowship training in complex scarringFor acne scars, surgical scars and other difficult scarring
- Teaches laser to dermatologistsAnd to dermatology registrars, and is taking up a teaching and laser role at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital
- Medical and cosmetic dermatologyTreats acne and scarring together, so both are planned in the right order
Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
RF Microneedling in Mount Gravatt
DERM Skin Specialists is at 2/1437 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, about 15 minutes' drive from the Brisbane CBD, with free onsite parking. People come to us for RF microneedling in Brisbane from Mansfield, Wishart, Eight Mile Plains, Sunnybank and across the southside.
Common Questions
Potenza RF Microneedling: Common Questions
Is RF microneedling the same as Morpheus8?
Morpheus8 is one brand of RF microneedling and Potenza is another. The hardware differs, and we're not aware of a head-to-head trial showing one gives better results.
Is RF microneedling better than regular microneedling?
For acne scars and laxity it usually does more per session, because heat is added at the needle tips. For mild texture, regular microneedling may be enough.
Is RF microneedling worth it?
It can be if your concern is texture, pores, mild laxity, or rolling and shallow scars, and you want a short recovery. For deep ice pick scars or significant sagging, other treatments do more.
Is RF microneedling safe for dark skin?
It can be a good option for olive and darker skin, because the heat is delivered below the surface. Pigment change is still possible, so we use conservative settings and may suggest a test patch.
How soon will I see results from Potenza?
Some people notice a fresher look within a couple of weeks. Collagen keeps building for 3 to 6 months, so the full result shows 3 to 6 months after your last session.
How long do Potenza results last?
Collagen built by treatment is long lasting, but your skin keeps ageing. Some people have a top-up session every 6 to 12 months.
Can I wear makeup after RF microneedling?
Avoid makeup for at least 24 to 48 hours. After that, mineral makeup is usually fine once the skin has settled.
When can I exercise after Potenza?
Avoid exercise, saunas and swimming for at least 24 hours, ideally 48, as heat, sweat and chlorine can irritate healing skin.
Can Potenza treat ice pick scars?
Not on its own. Ice pick scars are narrow and deep, so they usually need TCA CROSS or punch excision. Potenza can then improve the texture around them.
Can I have Potenza if I still have acne?
Usually your acne is settled first, because new spots form new scars and we don't treat over inflamed spots. More on acne treatment.
Will I have marks after Potenza?
Usually redness for 1 to 2 days, and sometimes small dots in a grid pattern from the needle tips. These normally fade within days, occasionally a couple of weeks.
Can Potenza be combined with other treatments?
Yes. For acne scars it's often combined with subcision, TCA CROSS or CO2 laser. Tell us about any other treatments you have booked or recently had.
Can RF microneedling cause fat loss in the face?
This worry comes mostly from social media and deep, high-energy treatments. Settings for scars and texture target the skin itself. If your face is slim or hollow, tell us.
Is Potenza like Thermage?
Not quite. Thermage, like XERF, heats the skin through the surface without needles, mainly for tightening. Potenza delivers heat inside the skin through needles, so it also treats scars, pores and texture.
Can RF microneedling help melasma?
It's being studied, but heat and skin injury can also make melasma worse, so it isn't a first choice. If melasma is your main concern, start with our pigmentation and melasma options.
What should I avoid before Potenza?
Avoid tanning and sunburn for 2 weeks before, and stop retinol, acids and scrubs a few days before. Arrive with clean skin if you can.
Is Potenza done by a nurse or a doctor?
Either. It's performed by one of our Registered Nurses or dermatologists, all trained on the Potenza system. You can book your consultation with a nurse or with Dr Mitch.
Is Potenza priced per session or per course?
Sessions are priced by area, and most people need a course of 3 to 4. You get the total course cost in writing before any treatment. See fees.
Do I need a referral for RF microneedling?
No, you can book directly. A GP referral only matters if you want a Medicare rebate on a dermatologist consultation for a medical skin condition.
Does Medicare cover RF microneedling?
No. Potenza is a cosmetic treatment and is not covered by Medicare. It is generally not covered by private health insurance, but you can check with your fund.
Find Out If Potenza Suits Your Skin
Book a consultation with one of our Registered Nurses or a dermatologist. We'll assess your skin, explain your options, including alternatives to RF microneedling, and give you a written plan with the total course cost. There's no obligation to proceed.
Clinical content overseen by Dr Mitchell Robinson, FACD (AHPRA MED0001946771). Updated October 2026. General information only, not medical advice. All procedures carry risks; suitability, recovery and results vary between individuals.