I know you’re going to love this post. Why? Because who doesn’t want to stimulate collagen, reduce wrinkles, and look younger. Dermarolling is a simple treatment you can do at home to improve the appearance of your skin. And did I mention it’s very inexpensive, which is typically unheard of when it comes to anti-aging skincare procedures. Let’s learn how to use a dermaroller.
Dermarolling is a skin-needling treatment that involves irritating the skin with tiny needles. Tiny holes are created via these needles forcing the skin to heal itself. Sounds like fun, right? Although counter intuitive, dermarolling is an effective way to rejuvenate the skin by injuring it. This is where the needles on a dermaroller come in. They mechanically damage skin cells.
When injured, the skin will repair itself by replacing damaged skin with smoother, stronger, healthier skin. This healing process stimulates collagen, diminishes pigmentation, reduces scarring, and increases cell turnover. Essentially, you grow new skin. Now we’re not talking about severe damage to the skin that causes permanent injury, but rather, irritation that is serious enough to cause the skin to go into repair and remodel mode.
This is the concept behind microneedling, also called dermarolling or collagen induction therapy. In fact, this exact principle is behind most popular skincare techniques, such as, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, IPL, and rejuvenations treatments that use lasers.
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Benefits Of Dermarolling
The beauty of dermarolling is that while it does wound the skin, it does so without removing any layers of the skin. Although, tiny holes are created by needles piercing the skin, no lasting damage occurs. Because of this – healing is rapid and no downtime is required.
This can’t be said of more-invasive procedures that do require downtime, are costly, and leave the skin vulnerable. For instance, many people have skin that is too thin for laser therapy. Dermarolling is a safe alternative.
Benefits include:
- Stimulates collagen to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Prevents premature aging
- Reduces pore size
- Diminishes hyperpigmentation
- Help combats hair loss
- Helps sagging skin
- Reduces acne scars
- Decreases stretch marks and cellulite
- Thickens and tightens the skin
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Supercharge Your Skincare Products
Another advantage to using a dermaroller is that it greatly increases the absorption of skincare products. As we age, clogged pores prevent adequate absorption of serums and lotions so there is no visible effect. This dual effect of increased absorption along with the benefits detailed above, result in a one-two punch that will leave you thrilled with what you see.
After rolling, take advantage of the micro tears created by applying vitamin C serum, retinol, hyaluronic acid or other collagen-promoting products. They’ll penetrate deeply into your newly punctured skin. Anticipate seeing favorable results within a month or two. Oh, and don’t forget to roll your neck.
How To Use A Dermaroller
Let’s get into the nitty gritty of how to use a dermaroller. The length of the needles is key. Needles shorter than 0.5 mm enhance product penetration, whereas, longer needles, are able to penetrate the dermis, stimulating collagen and elastin. Keep in mind, the longer the needles, the more you’re going to feel it. Some pain is okay, without it the inflammatory response that initiates healing won’t happen. Think of pain, in this regard, as your friend.
Wash your face thoroughly before use, and gently clean your roller with alcohol. While holding your roller, applying light pressure, gently roll vertically, horizontally, and diagonally in both directions across the different areas of your face. Take extra care around your eye area. The pain you’ll experience while rolling is more of a tingling sensation than anything else.
Be careful not to roll over open wounds, cystic acne, warts, or keloid (raised) scars as you don’t want to spread bacteria. It may be obvious, but don’t apply makeup after a dermarolling session. As a general rule of thumb, begin by using the smallest needles possible to let your skin adjust to the technique. And under no circumstances should you share your dermaroller with anyone, EVER!
Needle Size Is Key
Up to five hundred micro needles are contained within a wheel of a dermaroller. This is serious stuff folks. Here’s a rundown on the needles:
0.25 mm – the shorter-length needles are used to increase the absorption of skincare products. The 0.25mm size is used for this purpose only. They’re not long enough to stimulate collagen. Only the longer needles reach into the dermis. Shorter needles are used strictly to increase absorption, and are safe to use daily. They won’t cause pain and you’ll only notice a slight redness after treatment.
0.5 mm – this length of needle is useful to treat superficial damage to the skin and shallow pigmentations. I don’t feel pain when using 0.5 mm needles. Some people may, however. Collagen production is triggered, but only minimally since only the top layer of the dermis is penetrated. The dermis must be fully penetrated to receive the many benefits dermarolling has to offer.
0.75 – 1.0 mm – this needle length has a very beneficial impact on skin imperfections like wrinkles, fine lines, scars, pigmentation and stretch marks. Treatment at this length may cause bleeding, although, this may or may not be your experience. Recovery time between treatments is longer, and may require a wait period of 4-7 days before repeating the process.
1.5-3.0 mm – treatment using long needles can be painful, causing discomfort and bleeding, and should only be performed in a clinical setting.
Conditions more severe in nature benefit from rolling with longer needles, which are also used on the body to treat stretch marks, cellulite, and scarring.
Don’t be alarmed how red your skin looks after your dermarolling session. This is why I do it before bed. In the morning, you’ll be greeted with plumper, firmer, younger-looking skin.
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After you’re done rolling, apply your favorite anti-aging serums and lotions. They will penetrate deeply, allowing you to receive the full benefit of their healing properties.
Hair Loss And Dermarolling
Dermarollers aren’t just for the face. They can also be used to combat, and possibly even reverse, hair loss. This is huge since many hair loss treatments are prohibitive due to cost. Use dermarolling as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct to other treatments you’re incorporating into your hair-restoration routine. In fact, dermarolling is a one of the most promising solutions to regrow hair.
Dermarolling is a promising scalp treatment, promoting hair growth by stimulating the proteins that are responsible for developing new hair follicles. Better circulation and increased nutrition to hair follicles increases the likelihood of new growth. DHT is the main hormone implicated in androgenetic alopecia, or hair loss, and is thought to inhibit growth-stimulating pathways in the follicle itself. Microneedling is effective because it activates these pathways and stimulates stem cells.
Scalp dermarolling also makes the hair-care products you use more effective by increasing their absorption. .25-1.5 mm needles are typically used for this purpose. Use the roller once a week for optimal results. Hair-loss treatments must be continued regularly to see improvements.
This dermaroller comes with serum
Key Points
Microneedling is one of my favorite DIY skincare techniques. It only takes a few minutes before bed, and I can rest assured that my lotions and potions are absorbing deep into the layers of my skin while I sleep.
Add this handy little tool to your anti-aging arsenal, it’s safe and it works. Dermarolling is a non-invasive and inexpensive natural option to more invasive skincare procedures. It will definitely improve the look and feel of your skin.
Have you used a dermaroller? What improvements have you noticed? Let me know in the comments:)
References:
(1) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology
(2) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Microneedling with Dermaroller
(3) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Microneedling: Advances and widening horizons
(4) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Safety and Effectiveness of an Automated Microneedling Device in Improving the Signs of Aging Skin
(5) National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information: Microneedling: Where do we stand now? A systematic review of the literature
(6) US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health: Combination Therapy in the Management of Atrophic Acne Scars
Who doesn’t want to stimulate collagen, reduce wrinkles, and look younger, exactly! I do love this post because I’m always looking for younger looking skin. Dermarolling looks great in that it is a simple treatment that can be done at home and looks really effective.
That it’s inexpensive is an added bonus. Wow the benefits are extensive. I appreciate your explanation not only of how to use a dermaroller but also the particular needle sizes that should be used. OxeDerm looks like an exceptional product. I’ll definitely be saving your post and recommending it to a few friends, thank you!
Exactly! I think we’re all looking for ways to look younger. Microneedling is awesome because it can be done at home, doesn’t cost a lot and it works. You’ll want to buy a dermaroller that comes with different heads and corresponding needle sizes.
Longer needles stimulate collagen while shorter ones help with product absorption. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Yes, people are in the market for ways to keep their youthful glow. Never understood how this thing worked or how it could help. Thanks for explaining how a dermaroller works. I have always been concerned about the recovery period. What about individuals who bruise easily? Will this affect their skin long term?
Yes, and that’s why skin care is a billion dollar industry because all of us are looking for ways to look as young as possible. I use a dermaroller four times a week or so to stimulate collagen and for product absorption. Even when I use my roller with the needles that penetrate the deepest, my skin is only red for an hour afterwards. The puncture wounds are miniscule.
If you were to get microneedling done at a spa, recovery time would be much longer, but there are still no negative long-term effects other than positive ones. Thanks so much for reading my article!