Dr. Pen A6S and A6 Review

The Dr. Pen A6 microneedling pen and its successor, the A6S, are dual-powered home pens (cord or swappable batteries) with a 0–2.5 mm depth range, and neither has an FDA clearance. Health Canada named both models in its 2021 advisory, and neither appears on the Dr. Pen licences now in Health Canada’s database. The A6S also has more adverse-event paperwork than any other Dr. Pen: it is the only model named in both of the FDA reports filed against the brand, one of them describing fluid running through the cartridge into the pen. Dr. Pen US sells the A6S for $249 and the A6 for $159, and neither box contains a microneedling cartridge. This review is based on documented evidence: nobody at this site has used either device.

A6 or A6S: what changed

The A6 is the older pen. On Dr. Pen US, the A6 page lists “5-speed levels” and “up to 15,000 RPM”; the A6S page lists “six-speed settings” and a motor of “16,000 – 18,000RPM”. Beyond that, the brand’s own US store says little about the A6S, so most of this comparison comes from Dr.pen Club, an independent reseller that publishes a model-by-model table.

	Dr. Pen A6	Dr. Pen A6S	Source
Speeds	5	6	Dr. Pen US (both pages)
Top speed	“up to 15,000 RPM”	“16,000 – 18,000RPM”	Dr. Pen US
Default cartridge	12-pin	16-pin	Dr.pen Club; Dr. Pen US cartridge pages
Cartridge connector	“Location point (2 slots)”	“Location point (3 slots)”	Dr.pen Club
Display	“No screen (indicator light)”	“LED digital display”	Dr.pen Club
Battery	two batteries, 500 mAh	two batteries, 600 mAh	Dr.pen Club (capacity); Dr. Pen US (two batteries)
Uses	“MTS and PMU” (microneedling and permanent makeup)	“MTS only”	Dr.pen Club

The change that matters in practice is the cartridge. Dr. Pen US says its 12-pin A6 cartridges are “compatible with the Dr. Pen Ultima A6 only” and its 16-pin A6S cartridges are “compatible with the Dr. Pen A6S Microneedling Pen only”. So an A6 owner who upgrades starts over on cartridges.

There is one sales-page conflict on the A6. drpenusa.net, which titles itself “Dr. pen USA”, credits the A6 with “6 adjustable speeds”, while Dr. Pen US says five. Dr.pen Club also says five.

A6S specs

	Dr. Pen A6S	Source
Speed	“Powerful motor 16,000 – 18,000RPM”, “six-speed settings”	Dr. Pen US
Motor	“three independent motors that reach approximately 16,000–18,000 rpm”	drpen.io
Depth	“0 – 2.5 mm” / “0-2.5 mm”	Dr.pen Club / drpen.io (Dr. Pen US’s A6S page gives no depth)
Power	“Dual powered – use with a plug-in adapter and 6-foot cord, or wirelessly with two batteries”	Dr. Pen US
Battery	“Two rechargeable batteries (600 mAH)”	drpen.io; Dr.pen Club also says 600 mAh
Display and memory	“Built-in LED Display Screen”, “Smart Memory to remember usage patterns”	Dr. Pen US
Body	“Aluminium alloy”	Dr.pen Club
Default needle	16-pin, “0.18mm thickness”, “high-quality stainless steel and titanium”	Dr. Pen US, 16-pin cartridge page
Other cartridges (Dr. Pen US)	11, 36 and 42-pin, and nano	Dr. Pen US
In the box (Dr. Pen US)	pen, “2x Round Nano-pin Cartridges”, “2x Lithium-Ion Batteries”, US charger adaptor, USB cable, manual	Dr. Pen US

The cord is the A6S’s practical advantage over most current Dr. Pen models: it can run plugged in, and a second battery means a flat one doesn’t end a session. Dr.pen Club recommends it “for travel” for the same reason.

The box is the catch. Dr. Pen US ships two nano cartridges and adds “Microneedling cartridges will need to be purchased separately if required.” drpen.io, a European store, lists “2 × 16 pins needle head” in its box instead, so what you get depends on the seller.

The cartridge problem

The A6S is missing from the brand’s anti-backflow list, and the one detailed FDA report about it describes backflow. Backflow is serum or skin fluid running from the needle end up into the pen body. Dr.pen Club’s guide says “Anti-backflow cartridge designs help prevent internal damage. Models with this feature include the A11, A8S, A9, and M8S.” Neither the A6 nor the A6S is on that list, and Dr. Pen US’s A6S pages don’t mention backflow either way.

The FDA’s adverse-event database, MAUDE, holds two reports that name Guangzhou Ekai Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. as manufacturer. We searched it through openFDA on October 6, 2026 by brand, by model number and by manufacturer, and found the same two each time. Both name the A6S.

• October 2023, filed as an injury. The brand is “DR PEN A6S”. The reporter writes that after the alcohol step “I NOTICED THAT THERE SEEMED TO BE NO APPARENT SEAL WITHIN THE NEEDLE CARTRIDGE”, added water from the tip end and “FOUND THAT IT DRIPPED DOWN THE STEM OF TIP THAT INSERTED INTO THE DEVICE ITSELF”, and got the same result with every tip type in the box. The concern stated is cross-contamination “FROM PATIENT TO PATIENT”. The patient problem is coded “No Clinical Signs, Symptoms or Conditions”. The reporter also says they bought the pen “FROM THE INTERNET” expecting to show a license, “BUT WAS NOT ASKED”, and calls it “AN FDA CLEARED DEVICE”, which it is not. The seller isn’t named.
• July 2021, filed as a malfunction. The model field reads “A8, A6, A6S, A7”. The narrative opens “INFECTION” and is mostly a complaint that Dr. Pen sells online with “NO FDA APPROVAL” while claiming help for wrinkles, hair and stretch marks. The patient problem is coded “Unspecified Infection”. No model is tied to the infection.

MAUDE reports are unverified submissions and do not show that a device caused an event. Two reports in five years says nothing about how often anything happens, because most users never file one. What the 2023 report adds is a description of one cartridge design failing a simple water test, which matches the gap in the reseller’s backflow list.

Then there is sterilization, where the A6S has the same contradiction we found on the M8. The A6S pen page says “Microneedling/Nano-needling cartridges must be sterilized before each use”, with a soak in “isopropyl alcohol solution (70% or above)”. The A6S 16-pin cartridge page says they arrive “sterilized with ethylene oxide gas and UV light” and that “Secondary sterilization with isopropyl alcohol before use is entirely optional.” Both pages say to use each cartridge once.

The same 16-pin cartridge page also calls the cartridge “designed for full-face treatments” and, a paragraph later, says it “suits smaller areas”.

Regulatory status

FDA: neither pen is cleared. The only Dr. Pen device in the FDA’s 510(k) records is K230420, the “Dr. pen Microneedling System” from Guangzhou Ekai, decided August 11, 2023, for prescription use “to improve the appearance of facial acne scars in adults aged 22 years and older.” That is the A20, and its clearance doesn’t extend to other models. Our FDA lookup lists every cleared pen, and this explainer covers what clearance means.

Dr. Pen US’s A6 and A6S pages both end: “In accordance with FDA authorisation, microneedling pens are intended for use by individuals aged 22 years and older.” Neither pen has an FDA authorisation. The same paragraph says “This product may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration”, which for these two models is accurate. drpenusa.net goes further and advertises the A6 with “FDA-Cleared Technology” and “FDA-cleared, professional-grade results”. No FDA record supports that.

Canada: Health Canada’s December 16, 2021 advisory names both. It covers the “Dr. pen Auto Microneedle System. All models, including but not limited to, A1, A6, A7, A6S, E30, M5, M7, M8, N2 and X5, and Ultima versions”, and both pens are sold under the Ultima name as well. Its reason: “Dr. pen microneedling pens and cartridges are not licensed by Health Canada.” Health Canada’s licence database now shows licence 114618 (class II, from January 6, 2026, no end date) covering the A20, A9 and DP-MC9 handpieces and the H14 cartridge, and an earlier licence, 112281, covered the A11, A20 and A9 from November 2024 to December 2025. The A6 and A6S are on neither, so for them the advisory stands and our methodology caps safety at 3.

Who should and shouldn’t buy one

Might suit: a US buyer already set on a home pen who wants a corded option and a spare battery, and who will buy from a seller with written warranty terms.

Not for: anyone in Canada. Anyone who wants a pen with an FDA clearance or a cartridge sold as anti-backflow. Anyone planning to put serum on the needle tip and tilt the pen, which is the case the backflow designs exist for. And not for an A6 owner expecting to reuse their cartridges on an A6S.

What owners say

There is no independent pool of owner reviews. Dr. Pen US shows 82 reviews on its A6S page and 152 on its A6 page, both hosted by the seller. Trustpilot refused our automated request for Dr. Pen US’s page on October 6, 2026 (HTTP 403), so the store’s complaint record is unverified.

Reddit threads about the A6 tend to be buying questions rather than fault reports.

Is Dr.Pen A6 a decent dermapen?
byu/hellojohngoodbye inMicroneedling

In “Is Dr.Pen A6 a decent dermapen?”, the snippet Google shows includes a reply: “I have the A6S and I like it. the pen is superior over the dermaroller.” That is one owner’s view.

The other recurring topic is what the needles are made of. Dr. Pen US describes its A6 12-pin and A6S 11-pin needles as “high-quality stainless steel” and its A6S 16-pin needles as “stainless steel and titanium”.

Are all dr pen a6 needle cartridges made of stainless steel?
byu/Prof_Razzmatazz intressless

That thread asks “Are all dr pen a6 needle cartridges made of stainless steel?”, and its snippet warns that needles sold as stainless steel or titanium may “still use some tiny but significant amount of nickel”. No seller we checked publishes an alloy specification, so nickel content is unverified.

Where to buy, and what it costs

Prices for the same pen vary by more than $100 between stores that each call themselves official, checked October 6, 2026:

Store	A6	A6S
Dr. Pen US (us.drpen.co)	$159.00	$249.00
drpenskincare.com (“Dr.Pen Official Website”), with 12 cartridges	$104.00 (listed down from $154.00)	$134.00 (listed down from $199.00)
drpenusa.net (“Dr. pen USA”)	$159.00 (listed down from $199.00)	not checked

drpenusa.net offers a “6-Month Warranty”, half of Dr. Pen US’s 12 months. We did not verify which store ships genuine stock.

Where to buy Dr. Pen Microneedle Pen
byu/HiroProtagonist14 intressless

That thread, “Where to buy Dr. Pen Microneedle Pen”, asks owners whether they bought from the brand’s site or eBay, because the pens “seem to be far cheaper on eBay”.

The A6S page on Dr. Pen US showed a plain “Add to cart” button with no license field when we checked.

Warranty, returns and privacy

Dr. Pen US gives “repair or replacement for a period of 12 months from the original invoice date”, covering “component and manufacturing defects” and excluding misuse and “power surge or power spike, or overcharging”. Claims go through a support ticket with “a short video (or image) demonstrating the fault”. Third-party cartridges are “at your own risk”, and the warranty “does not cover faults, damage, or performance issues caused by the use of such cartridges”. Using “any cables or chargers other than the one supplied will void your warranty”, which matters on a pen sold with a 6-foot cord.

Change-of-mind returns run 14 days, “subject to a 20% restocking fee”, and only for items “In new, unopened condition, including plastic wrap remaining sealed”. Results don’t count as a fault: claims that a treatment “did not work” are “not considered valid grounds for return.”

The A6S page itself shows two shipping thresholds, “Free shipping over $49” at the top and “Free shipping over $99” at the bottom.

The privacy policy (last updated 21 Nov 2025) is a Shopify template shared by every model on the store. It shares browsing and purchase data with advertising partners, and it still contains the line “[INSERT OTHER COOKIES OR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU USE]”. We found no reported data incident.

Cartridges and running cost

Every A6 and A6S cartridge pack on Dr. Pen US costs $55.00 for 10. Using our standard schedule (one full-face session every 4 weeks, one new cartridge each, 13 a year):

• per cartridge: $55.00 ÷ 10 = $5.50
• cartridges for a year: 13 × $5.50 = $71.50
• A6S first year: $249.00 + $71.50 = $320.50
• A6 first year: $159.00 + $71.50 = $230.50

Packs only come in tens, so 13 cartridges means two packs ($110.00), and the real first-year outlay is $359.00 for the A6S or $269.00 for the A6. The drpenskincare.com bundles include 12 cartridges, which would cover 12 of the 13 sessions; which pin count they contain and that store’s refill prices were not checked.

Lab use: the A6 in two published studies

PubMed has no clinical trial of the A6 or A6S, but two laboratory studies used the A6 as a tool to puncture pig skin before testing how well a drug passed through it. One pre-treated skin at 1 mm and 0.5 mm “at 13,000 insertions/min” to deliver niacinamide; the other tested naloxone through skin treated with 500 and 250 µm needles. Neither study measured the pen’s safety or cosmetic results, and neither used the A6S.

How it scored

• Safety (2): Named in Health Canada’s 2021 advisory and on neither Dr. Pen licence, so capped at 3; it loses a further point, as the M8 did, because the pen page says cartridges “must be sterilized” while the cartridge page calls it “entirely optional” and the A6S is missing from the reseller’s anti-backflow list, a gap the 2023 MAUDE report describes directly.
• Build (5): Speed, battery, body material and a 0.18 mm needle are published, but there is no depth-accuracy figure, and the single cartridge-leak report is counted under safety rather than twice, so it gets the neutral score.
• Performance (7): Six speeds up to 16,000–18,000 rpm, 0–2.5 mm per two sellers, a numeric display, and both a cord and two swappable batteries, held back by instructions that contradict each other and a brand page that omits the depth range.
• Value (6): $249 plus 13 × $5.50 = $320.50 in year one, in the $300–450 band, with a box that holds no microneedling cartridges. The A6 alone would score 7 at $230.50.
• Service (4): A 12-month defects warranty, 14-day change-of-mind returns only on sealed boxes with a 20% restocking fee, and no complaint record we could read. The store’s terms are shared by every Dr. Pen model it sells, so they score the same on each review.
• Privacy (4): Dr. Pen US (us.drpen.co) uses one Shopify template privacy policy for every model: it shares data with advertising platforms and still contains an unfilled “[INSERT OTHER COOKIES OR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU USE]” placeholder. No incident was found. The same policy gets the same score on every Dr. Pen review.
• Evidence (3): No clinical study of either pen, two pages citing an “FDA authorisation” neither has, uncited claims such as “90% Visible improvements in fine lines and wrinkles”, and a reseller selling the A6 as “FDA-Cleared Technology”.

Alternatives

• Dr. Pen A20: the brand’s only FDA-cleared pen (K230420, prescription use for facial acne scars) and one of the models on the 2026 Canadian licence. Dr. Pen US lists it at $599.
• Dr. Pen M8S: $299 at Dr. Pen US, cordless, with an anti-backflow cartridge design. Same advisory, same lack of clearance.
• Derminator 2: a corded console pen listed at “$ 149” by its maker, with cartridges at “$ 2.85” and a “Lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects”. It isn’t cleared either. A Reddit thread titled “Drpen a6 vs derminator 2” shows buyers weigh the two.

FAQ

Is the Dr. Pen A6 FDA approved? No. Neither the A6 nor the A6S has FDA clearance or approval. The only cleared Dr. Pen is the A20 (K230420), for prescription use, even though at least one store advertises the A6 as “FDA-Cleared Technology”.

What is the difference between the Dr. Pen A6 and A6S? Speed and cartridges, mainly. The A6 has five speeds up to 15,000 rpm and 12-pin cartridges; the A6S has six speeds at 16,000–18,000 rpm, a digital display and 16-pin cartridges. Both run on a cord or two batteries, and the cartridges don’t swap.

Do A6 cartridges fit the A6S? No. Dr. Pen US sells each cartridge line as compatible with one pen “only”, and Dr.pen Club lists a 2-slot connector on the A6 and a 3-slot one on the A6S.

Is the Dr. Pen A6S covered by the Health Canada advisory? Yes, by name. The A6 is named too, and neither is on the Dr. Pen licences issued since.

How deep does the A6S go? 0 to 2.5 mm, according to Dr.pen Club and drpen.io. Dr. Pen US’s A6S page gives no figure, and no one has published a measurement of actual needle penetration.

Sources

• Dr. Pen US, Dr. Pen Ultima A6S Professional Plus Microneedling Pen, page and product data (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/dr-pen-ultima-a6s-professional-plus-microneedling-pen-1
• Dr. Pen US, Dr. Pen Ultima A6 Microneedling Pen, page and product data (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/dr-pen-ultima-a6-microneedling-pen
• Dr. Pen US, A6 collection with cartridge prices (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/collections/a6
• Dr. Pen US, 16 Pin Cartridges for A6S Ultima (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/16-pin-replacement-cartridges-for-a6s-ultima-10x
• Dr. Pen US, 11 Pin Cartridges for A6S (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/a6s-11-pin-cartridge-replacement-10x
• Dr. Pen US, 12 Pin Cartridges for A6 Ultima (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/12-pin-replacement-cartridges-for-a6-ultima-10x
• Dr. Pen US, refund and warranty policy (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/policies/refund-policy
• Dr. Pen US, privacy policy (last updated 21 Nov 2025, checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/policies/privacy-policy
• Dr.pen Club, “All Dr. Pen Models: The 2026 Complete Guide” (checked 2026-10-06): https://drpenclub.com/dr-pen-models/
• drpen.io, Dr. Pen A6S (EU store, checked 2026-10-06): https://www.drpen.io/products/dr-pen-a6s
• drpenusa.net, Dr. Pen Ultima A6 Microneedling Pen (checked 2026-10-06): https://drpenusa.net/products/dr-pen-ultima-a6-microneedling-pen
• drpenskincare.com, microneedling pens collection (checked 2026-10-06): https://www.drpenskincare.com/collections/microneedling-pens
• Derminator 2 home page, price, cartridges and warranty: https://www.derminator.com/
• FDA 510(k) database entry for K230420, Dr. pen Microneedling System: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K230420
• FDA 510(k) summary for K230420: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf23/K230420.pdf
• FDA MAUDE via openFDA, brand “dr pen” (searched 2026-10-06; reports MW5102615 and MW5146847): https://api.fda.gov/device/event.json?search=device.brand_name:%22dr+pen%22&limit=100
• FDA MAUDE via openFDA, manufacturer “Guangzhou Ekai” (searched 2026-10-06): https://api.fda.gov/device/event.json?search=device.manufacturer_d_name:%22guangzhou+ekai%22&limit=100
• Health Canada advisory, “Dr. pen microneedling devices are not authorized for sale and may pose health risks” (December 16, 2021): https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/advisory-dr-pen-microneedling-devices-are-not-authorized-for-sale-and-may-pose-health-risks-898811970.html
• Health Canada MDALL, licence 114618 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/licence/?id=114618&lang=en&type=json
• Health Canada MDALL, device identifiers for licence 114618 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/deviceidentifier/?licence_id=114618&lang=en&type=json
• Health Canada MDALL, licence 112281 (archived): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/licence/?lang=en&type=json&id=112281&state=archived
• PMID 32455797: In Situ Gel Formation in Microporated Skin for Enhanced Topical Delivery of Niacinamide. Pharmaceutics, 2020.
• PMID 34048932: Microneedle-mediated transdermal delivery of naloxone hydrochloride for treatment of opioid overdose. Int J Pharm, 2021.