A cartridge for SkinPen is not one product with one part number. The public FDA device registry carries two separate records, one for SkinPen Precision and one for SkinPen Precision Elite, each with its own catalog number and package identifiers, so ask which handpiece an offer labeled only "SkinPen cartridge" is for. Both catalog numbers sit in public documents, checked on September 18, 2026, together with what the instructions say about single use and shelf life and how many cartridges a full series consumes. What the maker's pages show about price is the shortest of those items.
Two cartridges, two catalog numbers, and how to tell them apart
The FDA device registry lists the SkinPen cartridge twice, once as REF014 under catalog number F5SP021 for SkinPen Precision and once as REF015 under catalog number F5SP388 for SkinPen Precision Elite, because the Elite system cleared in 2024 on its own submission and arrived with a consumable of its own.
| cartridge | REF | catalog no. | DI | system it belongs to | registry record published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkinPen Precision Microneedling Cartridge | REF014 | F5SP021 | 00863221000309 | SkinPen Precision | April 9, 2018 |
| SPP Elite Microneedling Cartridge | REF015 | F5SP388 | 00850060751028 | SkinPen Precision Elite | October 1, 2024 |
The Precision manual prints the same pairing, "Part #F5SP021 / REF 014". The registry record for REF014 sits under the Bellus Medical name with FDA product code QAI, and the registry record for REF015 ties its part to clearance K241400.
The REF014 record still showed commercial distribution status on September 18, 2026, and the REF015 record was published on October 1, 2024, so ask each supplier which of the two it stocks. Ask the seller in writing whether a REF015 cartridge seats in an older Precision handpiece. Order by REF and catalog number rather than by brand name, since the brand name fits both parts and therefore identifies neither. Two related pages are which brands record a catalog number and Thermage CPT and FLX treatment tips.
Every SkinPen cartridge is single use
Both generations are sterile single-use parts, since the Precision manual describes a lock-out that prohibits re-installation and the maker's provider page says the Elite system "digitally recognizes and verifies unused and valid ECUs", which is why one treatment costs one cartridge.
The FDA De Novo review for the Precision system describes a "sterile, disposable needle cartridge. Not to be resterilized or reused." The manufacturer manual states that the "cartridge is designed for single use, with a lock-out feature prohibiting re-installation". For the Elite, the provider page calls the cartridge the "Elite Cartridge Unit (ECU)" (read September 23, 2026), and the 2024 clearance for the Elite system describes the cartridge with an "NFC Chip". Related pages are Morpheus8 tips and handpieces, mechanical vs RF microneedling, SkinPen vs Rejuvapen, MicroPen and SkinStylus and which cartridge fits which device.
A single-use consumable cannot be stretched across a slow week, so cartridge spend tracks appointment count. Build the budget line as treatments multiplied by cartridge price.
How many cartridges a full series consumes
The clinical studies in the manufacturer instructions for use scheduled treatments on "day 1, day 30, and day 60" for acne scars and on "day 1, day 30, day 60, and day 90" for neck wrinkles, and at one cartridge per treatment that is three cartridges for the scar series and four for the neck series.
- Acne scar study schedule in the instructions: treatments on day 1, day 30 and day 60.
- Neck wrinkle study schedule in the instructions: treatments on day 1, day 30, day 60 and day 90.
- Cartridges per treatment: one, on either generation.
- Cartridges per full series: three for the scar schedule, four for the neck schedule.
The needle side does not change the count, since the official US provider page states that needles are "validated to remain sharp at least 80 minutes in use", a limit measured in treatment minutes rather than working days.
Count the series you expect to start against the per-series figure above, add the single sessions, and the result is a unit demand figure a quote can be measured against, rather than a box count that hides the demand behind it.
What the maker's pages show about price
The maker's pages showed no cartridge price on any read, since the Crown Aesthetics products page lists SkinPen beside "Become A Provider" with no amount (September 18, 20, 23 and 24, 2026), the "Crown Aesthetics Portfolio Starter Package" page showed no amount on September 18 and 24, and on September 24 it listed the device, Skinfuse and the ProGen PRP system, and the official US provider page showed no price on September 20, 23 and 24.
The same documents restrict who can buy. The manufacturer manual carries the restriction in plain terms, "Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician", and the provider page describes the system as "only available to physician-directed practices". Ask the maker for the cartridge price directly.
With no price on the maker's pages to anchor against, ask for the unit price and the selling unit in one message, because "$95" says nothing until the count sits next to it.
What sellers outside the official channel list
SkinPen cartridge prices do exist outside the maker's channel, each tied to a named seller on a named date, with botoxon.com listing a box of twelve at $95 on September 18, 2026, which is $7.92 apiece, and mrp.io listing one REF 014 kit marked EXP2023 at $30.00 on the same date.
| seller | pack | listed price | price per cartridge | date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| botoxon.com | box of 12 cartridges | $95 | $7.92 | September 18, 2026 |
| botoxon.com | 33 cartridges | $150 | $4.55 | September 18, 2026 |
| botoxon.com | 100 cartridges | $550 | $5.50 | September 18, 2026 |
| mrp.io | single REF 014 kit, EXP2023 | $30.00 | $30.00 per kit | September 18, 2026 |
Read the spread as four offers, not as a brand price band. Within one seller the per-unit figure moves from $7.92 down to $4.55 purely on quantity, so ask that seller in writing whether it is authorized and whether it checks a license. An mrp.io listing for a REF 014 kit runs the other way, carrying an expiry already in the past and a warning on the same page, "do not bid on this item unless you are an authorized purchaser."
An open-channel pen gives the contrast. The store at us.drpen.co, whose footer read "Authorised Distributors of Dr.Pen" on September 23, 2026, listed a ten-pack of A6S 36-pin cartridges at $55.00 on September 18, 2026, which is $5.50 per cartridge in the open channel. The difference in access, rather than the gap between the figures, is what to weigh next to SkinPen vs Dr Pen vs Dermapen cartridge cost. For more lines, see cartridge cost across microneedling pens, and for the device itself, where to buy the SkinPen device.
Shelf life decides how much you order at once
A SkinPen Precision cartridge is good for two years from its sterilization date, according to the Precision manual, so a case bought against a quiet month can reach your shelf with part of that window already spent.
- Sterilization date, asked of the seller in writing, since the two-year window runs from it and not from delivery.
- Storage conditions for the cartridge, asked of the seller in writing.
- Sharps container for used cartridges, which the instructions require for medical waste disposal.
- Date check at goods-in, recorded per box rather than per delivery note.
The Precision instructions state that "The shelf life of this needle cartridge is 2 years from sterilization date." The temperature and humidity range in the same manual is given under "Storage and Operating conditions" for the device, so ask the seller how the cartridges themselves were stored before dispatch, and get the Elite cartridge's shelf life in writing. For the wider question, see batch codes, expiry dates and storage.
Pack sizes push against that clock. The manufacturer's registry records list commercial units as a "Case of 24 count of Single Treatment Kits – SkinPen Precision" and a "Case of 12 SkinPen Precision Treatment Plus Kits", so ask how many cartridges each kit holds before you size the order against the two years. A kit dated EXP2023 was still listed for sale in September 2026. Size the order against the series count above, and get remaining shelf life at dispatch in writing.
How to check a cartridge against the public registry on delivery
The public FDA registry lists a device identifier for each SkinPen cartridge pack count, including 00850060751943 for a box of twelve REF014 alongside 00850060751929 for the single unit and 00850060751950 for the twenty-four count, with an independent set on the Elite side, so a delivery can be matched against a public record before anyone signs for it.
- REF, either 014 or 015.
- Catalog number, F5SP021 or F5SP388.
- Package device identifier for the exact count delivered.
- Sterilization date, and for REF014 the months remaining against the two-year window.
- Match against the handpiece in the room, confirmed with the seller rather than assumed.
- Authorization documentation from the seller, on the seller's own letterhead.
The registry entry gives more than a number to tick off. For REF014 it records sterile packaging, ethylene oxide sterilization, the prescription-use flag, the term "Cosmetic micro-needling electronic handpiece cartridge, professional" and a record published on April 9, 2018 in commercial distribution. A box whose markings do not reconcile with that record is one to question at the door, while you can still refuse the delivery. Those identifiers stay the only neutral vocabulary with a supplier, because they do not depend on the trade name in a listing. For the delivery itself, see what to check when cartridges arrive.
Pull the REF and the catalog number off the box, then put the unit price, the selling unit and the remaining shelf life at dispatch into one supplier question. With those in hand you can request a quote for the cartridge you need and compare answers on identical terms.
FAQ
Are SkinPen cartridges prescription devices?
The FDA registry marks the REF014 cartridge record with the prescription-use flag, which sits in the same entry as the sterility and single-use flags and is checkable at the moment you look up a catalog number; the Elite cartridge has its own registry entry to read the same way. A seller who ships without asking anything about your practice is worth a second look for that reason alone.
What sterilization method is on record for a SkinPen cartridge?
The registry record for REF014 names "Ethylene Oxide". For REF015, ask your supplier for the method in writing, file it with the product record and note the date of the answer.
How many needles does a SkinPen cartridge have, and what are they made of?
The Precision cartridge carries 14 solid needles in medical grade stainless steel according to FDA submission K220506, though at least one comparison page in the results calls the same needles titanium. For the Elite cartridge, ask the supplier for the needle specification in writing. FDA submission K220506 gives the device a 0 to 2.5 mm excursion range, while the instructions cap use at "maximum depth of 1.5 mm on the face and 2.5 mm on the neck".