SKINPEN AND POTENZA RF
Microneedling and RF Microneedling in Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph
Collagen treatment for acne scarring, texture and loose skin, from $450.
Microneedling uses very fine needles to create tiny channels in the skin, and the body rebuilds collagen as it heals. We run two devices for it. SkinPen works at the surface and starts at $450, and Potenza adds radiofrequency heat at the needle tip so the collagen response happens deeper, at $1,000 a session.
Both work on every skin tone. Which one you need depends on whether we are smoothing the surface or reaching something underneath it, and Jessica will tell you which at your consultation.
WHAT THE TWO DEVICES ACTUALLY DO
SkinPen creates the channels and lets your own healing response do the rest. It suits general texture, fine lines, dullness and early scarring, and it is the one most people start with.
Potenza adds radiofrequency. The needles go in to a set depth and release heat at the tip, so collagen is being built underneath the surface rather than only at the top of it. That depth is why it works on acne scarring. A scar is tethered down from below, and softening it means reaching the tissue holding it there rather than polishing what you can see.
We wrote a longer version of this comparison in our post on the difference between microneedling and RF microneedling.
Safe on Every Skin Tone
A lot of devices carry more risk on deeper skin because they work with light, and pigment absorbs light. Microneedling does not work that way, and neither does radiofrequency. The energy travels through the needles into the tissue, and the pigment in your skin is not the target, so both devices can be used across the full range of skin tones.
If you have been told before that a treatment was not appropriate for your skin, bring that up at your consultation and Jessica will tell you where these fit.
WHAT WE TREAT
ACNE SCARRING
Rolling and boxcar scars tend to respond best, because those are the ones held down from underneath, which is where Potenza reaches. Ice pick scars are narrower and deeper and may need something combined with them. Jessica will look at what you have and tell you if you need more than one approach.
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The same collagen response that softens scarring smooths general roughness and tightens the look of enlarged pores. This is the most common reason people book who have never had acne.
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Potenza suits skin that has started to loosen but has not gone far enough that surgery is the honest answer. The heat tightens what is there and builds new support underneath over the following months.
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We treat the body with Potenza. Stomach is the most common area, and we also treat the arms, the back and the front of the thighs. Body pricing is the same as face and neck.
MICRONEEDLING PRICING
| Treatment | Single | Packages |
|---|---|---|
| SkinPen Microneedling | $450 | 3 for $1,150 · 6 for $2,200 |
| SkinPen Microneedling with PRP | $550 | 3 for $1,300 · 6 for $2,550 |
| Rejuvenate & Restore, SkinPen with LaseMD Ultra, Face | $675 | — |
| Rejuvenate & Restore, SkinPen with LaseMD Ultra, Face & Neck | $775 | — |
| Potenza RF Microneedling, Face & Neck | $1,000 | 4 for $3,200 |
| Potenza RF Microneedling, Body | $1,000 | 4 for $3,200 |
| Illuminate & Tone, Potenza with Pico | $1,300 | — |
| Consultation | $50 | — |
Every SkinPen treatment includes an AlumierMD post-procedure kit to take home, valued at $70, whether you book a single treatment or a package. Potenza packages and Rejuvenate & Restore include an Alastin post-procedure kit valued at $340, sized to cover your whole course of treatment.
Potenza treatments are spaced four to six weeks apart. Your $50 consultation comes off the cost of your treatment, and Bonita Elite members receive 10% off Potenza and microneedling.
We treat the face and neck together with Potenza. The treatment tip is single use and costs the same whether we cover the face on its own or the face and neck, so there is no reason to leave the neck out.
CHOOSING BETWEEN MICRONEEDLING AND RF MICRONEEDLING
| SkinPen | Potenza RF | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Needles only | Needles plus radiofrequency heat |
| Depth | Surface | Deeper layers |
| Best for | Texture, fine lines, dullness, early scarring | Acne scarring, laxity, deeper texture |
| Sold as | Single, 3-pack or 6-pack | Single or package of four |
| From | $450 | $1,000 |
WHAT TO EXPECT
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We numb with a topical cream before we start. For SkinPen that is about 20 to 30 minutes, and for Potenza about 45 minutes, so plan for that on top of the treatment itself.
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You will be quite red straight after, and that settles to pink within about four hours. The next day you may still have some mild redness, and in thinner skinned areas you might see pinpoint bruising, which looks like tiny red dots and clears on its own.
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You will be pink for about two days, and then the skin peels a little as it turns over.
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With Potenza, most people are seeing changes by their third treatment, and the skin keeps improving for months after the last one, because collagen takes time to build.
When Microneedling Is Not the Right Treatment
There is a lot we can do with these devices, and there are things they will not do. If what you are describing is a surgical result, we will say so at the consultation rather than sell you a package that was never going to get you there..
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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At Bonita, SkinPen microneedling is $450 a session, or $1,150 for three and $2,200 for six. SkinPen with PRP is $550. Both include an AlumierMD post-procedure kit to take home, valued at $70.
Potenza RF microneedling is $1,000 a session, or $3,200 for a package of four, which includes an Alastin post-procedure kit valued at $340. A consultation is $50 and comes off the cost of your treatment.
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Potenza RF microneedling at Bonita is $1,000 for a single session, whether that is face and neck or a body area. A package of four is $3,200 and includes an Alastin post-procedure kit valued at $340, sized to cover the whole course. Illuminate & Tone, which combines Potenza with Pico, is $1,300.
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Acne scarring is treated over a series rather than in one appointment. A package of four Potenza treatments is $3,200, which works out to $800 a session and includes an Alastin post-procedure kit valued at $340. How many you need depends on the type and depth of the scarring, and Jessica will give you a straight answer about that at your consultation.
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Standard microneedling with SkinPen creates channels in the surface of the skin and your body rebuilds collagen in response. RF microneedling with Potenza adds heat at the needle tip, so the collagen response happens deeper. That depth is what makes it more effective for scarring and laxity, and it is the reason for the price difference.
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No. SkinPen is microneedling without radiofrequency. It works at the surface and starts at $450. Potenza is the radiofrequency device and works deeper, at $1,000 a session. We run both, so you are not being pushed toward one because it is the only thing in the building.
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It depends what you are treating. For acne scarring, texture and early laxity it does something topical products cannot, because it works below the surface where those problems live. For general dullness and fine lines, SkinPen at $450 often gets you there for less. For loose skin that has gone past a certain point, surgery gives a better result and we will tell you that.
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Potenza is sold in packages of four, spaced four to six weeks apart. Most people are seeing changes by their third treatment and the skin keeps improving for months after the last one.
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The main things to plan for are the redness and the series. You will be red immediately after, pink within about four hours, and you may have mild redness the next day with occasional pinpoint bruising in thinner skinned areas. Potenza works over four treatments rather than one, so the results build over a few months.
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After SkinPen you will still be pink at day two, and the skin usually starts to peel a little around then. After Potenza, by day two most people have mild redness and nothing more, and any pinpoint bruising in thinner skinned areas fades over the following days.
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No. Collagen production slows with age but it does not stop, and microneedling works by prompting that process. We treat people well beyond 40 with both devices.
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Honest answer, usually not completely. Good treatment softens scarring so that it catches the light less and reads as texture rather than as scars. Anyone promising complete removal is overselling it.
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Yes. Both devices deliver energy through the needles rather than through light, and pigment is not the target, so they can be used across the full range of skin tones.
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We numb with a topical cream beforehand, about 20 to 30 minutes for SkinPen and about 45 minutes for Potenza, and most people describe it as warm and prickly rather than painful. Bonier areas like the forehead and jawline are felt more than the cheeks.
ENCOURAGING NATURAL BEAUTY. IT ALWAYS WINS.
OUR PROCESS
BOOK A CONSULTATION
New to Bonita? Book a consultation.
During your appointment/consultation, we’ll chat and do a thorough analysis of your skin and discuss your goals.
We’ll customize a treatment plan for you.
BOOK A CONSULTATION
Your consultation is $50 and it comes off the cost of your treatment. OUR TEAM will look at your skin AND tell you which device suits what you are describing, and give you a realistic number of sessions before you commit to anything.