Consultation first
Your consultation covers your concerns, medical history and suitability before you decide whether to proceed.
Skin health · Gold Coast & Melbourne
Skin Treatments
Skin needling and LED phototherapy for a range of skin concerns. A consultation checks which treatment, if any, may suit you.
- Skin consultation first
- Planned as a course
- Afterpay available
At a glance
- Appointment time
- 15 to 60 minutes, depending on treatment
- Usually a course of
- 3 to 6 sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart
- Results build
- Gradually, over the course
- Downtime
- 24 to 48 hours for needling, none for LED
- Prescription required
- No
Planning your skin treatments
Skin treatments can help with texture, tone and firmness. Your practitioner looks at your skin and talks with you about whether a course of treatment may suit you.
Skin needling and LED phototherapy are different treatments. Your consultation covers which options suit your concerns, what each involves, and the risks and aftercare.
Tell your practitioner what you use at home and whether anything has irritated your skin. This helps them plan your preparation and aftercare.
Why have it with us
Qualified practitioners
Skin treatments are carried out by AHPRA-registered practitioners in a clinic.
Planning a course
Your practitioner talks through how many sessions you may need and what the course would cost.
Understanding costs
Ask for a written quote and check which consultation, treatment and review costs it includes.
What it is used for
Skin treatments work on the surface of the skin and the structure underneath. Your skin consultation looks at which of your concerns can realistically be treated.
Texture and tone
Rough, uneven or dull skin.
Acne scarring
Indented and uneven scarring, treated with skin needling over a course. Some types of scar respond better than others, so you are assessed first.
Fine lines
Lines caused by skin quality rather than muscle movement. These are the lines you see when your face is still, and injectables do not help them.
Enlarged pores
Pore size and congestion, treated with a mix of in-clinic treatment and home care.
Pigmentation
Uneven pigmentation, treated with care. Some treatments can make pigmentation worse in some skin types, so this is part of your assessment.
Skin dullness
Dullness or uneven skin texture, assessed alongside your other skin concerns.
Treatments offered
- Skin needling
- LED phototherapy
- Hydrafacial
- Skin consultation
- Home skincare plan
What's involved
Your practitioner explains each step before treatment.
- Skin consultation: Your practitioner looks at your skin and asks about your skin history, what you use now, how sensitive your skin is and any conditions you have. You do not have to book treatment.
- A course, planned: You are told which treatments are recommended, how many sessions, how far apart, what the whole course costs and how to prepare.
- Preparation: Some treatments need your skin prepared first, and some products need to be stopped before a session. Skipping this is a common reason for a poor result.
- Your sessions: Skin needling takes 30 to 60 minutes with numbing cream. LED takes 15 to 30 minutes and does not hurt. Hydrafacial takes 30 to 45 minutes. All are done in a private treatment room.
- Recovery between sessions: Needling leaves the skin red for 24 to 48 hours, then it flakes as it renews. LED and hydrafacial have no downtime. You get written aftercare every time.
- Reassessment: Your skin is checked again during the course, and the plan is changed to suit how your skin is responding.
Cosmetic procedures carry risks. These are explained to you in full at your consultation, along with the aftercare involved, before you decide whether to proceed.
All treatments require a consultation with a qualified practitioner. Individual results vary. This page is general information only, not medical advice.
Results, downtime and aftercare
Timings depend on the treatment. Your practitioner goes through yours at your skin consultation.
Onset
Hydrafacial gives an immediate change in how skin looks and feels. Needling results build over weeks as collagen responds. LED results build up over time.
A typical course
Skin needling: 3 to 6 sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart. LED: weekly at first, then monthly. Hydrafacial: monthly suits most skin.
Downtime
Needling: 24 to 48 hours of redness and sensitivity, then some flaking. LED and hydrafacial: none, so both can be done on a work day.
Maintenance
Skin results need upkeep. Ongoing sessions and regular home care help you keep the improvement from a course.
After skin needling
- Expect redness for 24 to 48 hours, then flaking as the skin renews. Do not pick it.
- Use only the products your practitioner has approved. No actives, acids or retinoids until you are told you can.
- Wear sunscreen every day. Sun on treated skin can cause pigmentation change.
- No swimming pools, saunas, hot yoga or strenuous exercise for 24 to 48 hours.
- Contact the clinic about spreading redness, pus, unusual pain or any sign of infection.
Choose Your Clinic
Choose a clinic to see the team and book your consultation.
- Skin Treatments Gold Coast. Practitioners: Charlie Ralph, Sherllesea.
- Skin Treatments Melbourne. Practitioners: Cat.
No doctor scripting fee applies to skin-only treatments. If your visit also includes prescription treatment, the $35 scripting fee applies to new patients and anyone who has not visited in the past 12 months.
Who will treat you
Charlie Ralph
Founder & Registered Nurse
AHPRA NMW0002241390. Founder and Clinical Director, based at the Gold Coast clinic.
Sherllesea
Registered Nurse
AHPRA NMW0002195471. Clinical background in emergency nursing, with formal training in cosmetic nursing procedures.
Dr Katie Duncan
Prescribing Doctor & Medical Director
AHPRA MED0002653304. Conducts telehealth consultations for patients at both clinics.
Cat
Registered Nurse
AHPRA NMW0002914224. Based at the Melbourne clinic, with clinical training in cosmetic procedures.
Common questions
How many sessions will I need?
For skin needling, 3 to 6 sessions spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart is common, because the collagen response builds over a course. LED is often weekly at first, then monthly. Your practitioner gives you a realistic number at your skin consultation, along with the cost of the whole course.
Is there downtime?
It depends on the treatment. Skin needling leaves the skin red and sensitive for 24 to 48 hours, then it flakes as it renews. LED phototherapy and hydrafacial have no downtime and can be done on a work day.
Does skin needling hurt?
Numbing cream goes on first and is given time to work. Most patients feel a prickling or scratching that is uncomfortable rather than painful. It varies by area. The forehead and jawline are usually the most sensitive.
What can skin treatments help with?
Fine lines from skin quality, acne scarring, uneven texture, enlarged pores, pigmentation and dullness. They will not replace volume or relax a movement line, which need different treatments. Your consultation helps sort out which of your concerns is which.
Can I combine skin treatments with injectables?
Often, yes, as part of a wider plan, but the spacing matters. If treatments are too close together it is hard to tell what is working, and some combinations need a gap for clinical reasons. Your practitioner will set out the timing.
Do I need to change my skincare?
Usually, yes. Some actives need to be stopped before a session, and in-clinic treatments work much better with home care that supports them. Your practitioner will tell you which products to keep, stop or change.
Is it suitable for my skin type?
Your skin type is assessed before a course is planned, because some skin types have a higher risk of pigmentation change after needling. If that applies to you, there are gentler options to start with. Your skin consultation covers this.
Do skin treatments need a prescription?
No. Skin needling, LED phototherapy and hydrafacial do not involve a Schedule 4 medication, so you do not need a prescribing consultation and the new-patient scripting fee does not apply. The exception is if you are also having an injectable treatment at the same visit.
Risks and side effects
All skin treatments carry some risk. Skin needling commonly causes temporary redness, swelling, sensitivity and mild flaking. In rare cases it can cause infection, scarring or changes in pigmentation. LED phototherapy is generally low-risk. Hydrafacial may cause temporary redness in very reactive skin. All risks relevant to your skin and your plan are discussed in full at your consultation.
- Active acne, eczema, infection or broken skin at the treatment site affects whether a treatment can go ahead.
- Some skin types have a higher risk of pigmentation change after needling, which is why your skin type is assessed before a course is planned.
- Recent isotretinoin use, some medications and certain conditions affect suitability, which is why your history is reviewed first.
- Results differ from person to person. A consultation assesses suitability. It does not promise that a treatment will suit you or that you will achieve a particular outcome.
Important health information
Required disclosure under AHPRA and TGA guidelines
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
- All treatments require a consultation with a qualified practitioner. Individual results vary. This page is general information only, not medical advice.
- All cosmetic procedures carry potential risks, including bruising, swelling, infection, scarring and allergic reactions. Some risks may be serious or lasting.
- Results differ from person to person. A consultation assesses suitability. It does not promise that a treatment will suit you or that you will achieve a particular outcome.
- Schedule 4 medications are prescribed only after a formal consultation with one of our qualified prescribing doctors, in line with AHPRA and TGA requirements.
Start with a consultation
Book a Consultation or call 0483 988 863 (Gold Coast) or 0483 982 999 (Melbourne).
Other treatments
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