Dr. Pen A11 Settings: Speed, Depth and Cartridge for Each Area

Three settings decide a Dr. Pen A11 session: depth on the variable gauge, speed on the six levels, and which of its heads is fitted. Only one of them changes how deep the needles go — the depth gauge. Speed changes the pace of the needle, and the head changes how dense a single pass is. Set them in that order and the rest of the session follows.

The short answer

Set the depth gauge first, because it is the only setting that decides how deep the needles reach. Choose the head next, because it decides how much pressure each needle carries and how fast you cover an area. Set the speed last, and treat it as pace rather than penetration. Everything below uses the same depth figures as our own needle depth guide — no new numbers are introduced here.

The three settings, and the order to set them

• Depth, on the variable gauge — a continuous dial on the A11, covering 0 to 2.5 mm. This is the setting that decides penetration.
• The head, from the A11's cartridge range — 12, 18, 24, 36 and 42-pin, plus nano. The head decides how much pressure is concentrated per needle and how many passes an area needs.
• Speed, on the six levels — the pace at which the head stamps. It does not add depth, and a faster setting is not a deeper one.

Both of the other two settings are controlled by the pen itself rather than by the head, which is why the head can be changed between sessions without touching your depth or speed figures.

Setting depth on the A11

The A11 adjusts from 0 to 2.5 mm and shows nothing on a scale of its own — depth is a position on the gauge, and the markings on the adjustable housing are what tell you where it sits. Two rules cover almost every home session.

Start at the shallow end of the range for the area, not at the depth you eventually intend to work at. Then keep at-home facial passes at or below 1.0 mm. The 2.5 mm the pen is capable of is not a target: depths above 1.5 mm belong to trained practitioners working to a clinical protocol.

One habit is worth dropping before the first session. Do not press harder to force more depth — the A11 is an automated device, and its job is to hold the depth you set. Extra hand pressure lifts the head off the skin as often as it pushes it in, and it is the usual reason a session comes out patchy.

A starting depth for each area

Skin is not one thickness. The skin around the eye is among the thinnest on the body and the skin of the back and thighs is several times thicker, which is why the depth is set by area rather than by preference.

Area	Safe home depth	An A11 head that suits it
Under-eye	0.25 mm or less	Nano-R or Nano-S
Upper lip	0.25 mm or less	Nano-R or Nano-S
Forehead, cheeks, fine lines	0.25–0.5 mm	18-pin
Texture and enlarged pores	0.5 mm	24-pin
Pitted scars on the face	0.5–1.0 mm	18-pin or 36-pin
Jawline and neck	0.5–1.0 mm	36-pin
Scalp	0.5 mm	12-pin or 36-pin
Stretch marks and body scars	1.0–1.5 mm	36-pin or 42-pin

The eyelid itself is never needled, at any depth, on any device. If you want the full reasoning behind these numbers, the zone-by-zone explanation is in our needle depth guide.

What the six speeds actually change

Speed changes the pace of the needle, not the depth, so there is no single correct setting. A faster level moves the head across the skin more quickly and shortens the time the needles spend in contact on each pass; a slower one lets the head sit fractionally longer on each spot. That is a difference in feel and in control, not in penetration.

Because the two are so easily confused, this is the setting to move carefully. We recommend beginning on one of the lower levels and coming up once you know how the area responds, rather than starting high and working quickly. If a session felt rougher than you expected at a depth you have used before, bring the speed down before you bring the depth down — the depth is the part that delivers the result.

Choosing the head for the A11

The A11 draws on a wide cartridge selection, and the choice comes down to how much pressure each needle should carry. Fewer pins concentrate more pressure into each individual needle, which suits precise, targeted work. More pins spread the same pressure across a wider surface, which covers an area faster and tends to feel smoother at the same depth, because no single needle takes the full load.

• 12-pin — the finest head available — for work to a line rather than a region: an isolated scar, the lip line, a hairline.
• 18-pin — the balanced facial head — the all-rounder for fine lines and general texture across a full face.
• 24-pin — full-face coverage with more speed — the same facial work spread over a wider area so a face needs fewer passes.
• 36-pin and 42-pin — the coverage heads — for larger, thicker areas such as the jawline, neck, back, thighs and the scalp, where speed matters more than targeting.
• Nano-R and Nano-S — infusion heads — no needles, so depth does not apply to them at all; they press product into the surface and suit the under-eye area and a light finish to a session.

The A11 shares its cartridge system with the Dr. Pen M8S and A8S, so heads bought for those pens fit it. Heads from another family do not: a cartridge that resists the connector belongs to a different system. The head-by-head comparison is in what the different Dr. Pen cartridges are for.

Reading the display while you work

The A11 carries a large LED control screen, and one indicator on it is worth knowing before your first session: a flashing display warns that the battery is running low. Charge it on the inductive base rather than judging the motor on a session that is running out of power — a pen that is nearly flat does not represent how the device performs, and the difference can be mistaken for a setting that is wrong.

Running the A11 wired or wireless

The A11 runs either way. Wired, it uses its 2-metre cord; wireless, it runs for up to 3 to 4 hours on a full charge. Neither mode changes depth or speed — the choice is about where you are working and how much cable you want around you. The inductive base is there to store and charge the pen between sessions.

A first session, setting by setting

1. Check the head is locked. The A11 uses a 3-lock fixed cartridge connector with a backflow protection membrane; the head seats with a click, and a head that resists is not the right one for this pen.
2. Set the depth at the shallow end for the area you are about to work, using the table above.
3. Choose the head for that area, and fit a fresh one — the heads are single use.
4. Start at a low speed level and leave it there for the first session.
5. Work each section at one depth before moving to the next area, rather than changing the gauge mid-section.
6. Note what you used and how it felt. Depth, speed and head are the three numbers to record, because the next session is where you adjust them.

What to adjust if the session felt wrong

• It felt rougher than the same depth did last time — bring the speed down a level before changing anything else.
• It felt like the needles were barely contacting — check the depth is not still on the eye-area setting, check the head is locked, and check the battery indicator.
• Coverage was slow or uneven — move to a head with more pins, or slow down rather than pressing harder.
• The skin looked flushed and felt tender afterwards — leave a longer gap before the next session and come back at a shallower depth.

Frequently asked questions

Which of the A11's six speeds should a first session use?

Begin on one of the lower levels. Speed controls pace, not penetration, so a first session loses nothing by staying low, and it is easier to judge how an area responds when the head is not travelling quickly.

Does a higher speed on the A11 make the needles go deeper?

No. Speed changes the pace of the needle, not the depth. The only setting that decides how deep the needles reach is the depth gauge, and pressing harder does not substitute for it.

What is a sensible starting depth on the A11?

Start at the shallow end of the range for the area you are treating — 0.25 mm under the eye, 0.25–0.5 mm for general facial work, and no deeper than 1.0 mm on the face at home. Work up in later sessions rather than starting where you intend to finish.

What is the difference between the Nano-R and the Nano-S head?

Both are nano heads with no needles in them, so no depth setting changes how they behave. What differs is the pattern the tip covers: the round version suits a small, defined area such as the under-eye, and the square version spreads the same gentle pass across a wider area.

How do I know when the A11 needs charging?

The display flashes when the battery is running low. Charge it on the inductive base before the next session rather than working through it, because a session on a nearly flat battery does not reflect how the pen normally performs.

Can the A11 be used while it is on its charging base?

No. The A11 is run either wired on its 2-metre cord or wirelessly on the built-in battery; the inductive base is described as a place to store and charge the pen between sessions, not as a way to operate it.

Which A11 heads are meant for the face, and which for the body?

The 12, 18 and 24-pin heads cover facial work from precise targeting through to full-face passes. The 36 and 42-pin heads are for larger, thicker areas such as the jawline, neck, back, thighs and the scalp, where wider coverage matters more than precision.

Should I change the depth between areas in one session?

Yes, and that is exactly what the continuous gauge is for. The under-eye area and the jawline should not be worked at the same depth, so set the gauge per area rather than treating one number as the setting for the whole session.

Where the full charts are

Depth by area and by concern, with the number of weeks between sessions for each, is in our Dr. Pen needle depth chart. The head-by-head comparison is in what the different Dr. Pen cartridges are for, and the full A11 cartridge range is listed in M8S / A8S / A11 replacement cartridges. What to apply before, during and after a session is in how to use a Dr. Pen at home, and the pen itself is here: Dr. Pen A11 Microneedling Pen.

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