There are ways, to optimise your skincare and to fast-track your way to a healthier more radiant complexion. Microneedling is one of those ways. But is microneedling right for you? Let’s talk about it here…

What is Microneedling?

Microneedling is a skincare technique that involves puncturing the skin with micro-needles (hence the name) to either trigger the skin’s natural wound healing response or to create micro-pathways for improved product penetration. There are two types of microneedling treatments – professional treatments performed in a spa or doctor’s office or at-home cosmetic rolling.

What’s the Difference Between Professional Microneedling and At-Home Cosmetic Rolling?

In one word, the primary difference is depth. Professional treatments use longer needles (up to 2.0 mm) to create deeper punctures in the skin. At-home cosmetic rolling uses much shorter needles (0.1 to 0.2 mm) to create very fine, micro-pathways.

Professional microneedling treatments, also called Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), can treat acne scars and the formation of lines and wrinkles. The deeper punctures stimulate the skin’s wound healing function – the release of anti-inflammatory cells to the “injured” areas to cause new collagen to be produced and thereby assisting in tissue repair and rejuvenation.

Cosmetic at-home rolling only affects the epidermis and greatly assists in product penetration and absorption. The skin, when functioning properly, works to occlude – it is concerned about keeping the bad stuff out. But that includes the wonderfully beneficial skincare products that we spend a small fortune on! At-home cosmetic rolling creates tiny pathways, allowing products to get to the right place and perform.

Did you know that less than 10% of your serums and actives are actually getting absorbed by your skin? Microneedling creates a delivery system that improves product absorption by more than 80%. Imagine the difference in your skin if more product gets to where it needs to go, in order to make a real impact. Guys, this is why at-home microneedling is KEY to ensuring that your at-home skincare regimen is truly effective! 

Does Microneedling Hurt?

Professional microneedling usually begins with a generous application of a topical anesthetic which makes the session much more comfortable. At-home cosmetic rolling, if done properly, doesn’t hurt at all (and doesn’t require anesthetic).

Cosmetic Microneedling – Where Did It Come From?

Dr. Des Fernandes, a world renowned plastic surgeon, pioneered this technology more than 20 years ago. He is a leading authority on dermal rolling and the skin regenerative benefits of vitamin A. In his practice, he noticed that his client’s skin would reach a plateau and he needed to find a way for their skin to absorb optimal levels of vitamin A. Microneedling was born out of this necessity.

At-Home Cosmetic Rolling Do’s and Don’ts

I recommend rolling during your nighttime skincare routine. While we’re sleeping, our skin is regenerating. Using your cosmetic roller in the evening, will allow the skin to better receive more of the product that it needs, when it needs it most.

Start off by cleansing the skin and applying an appropriate toner. Work in sections (forehead, right side and left side). Using gentle pressure, hold the roller on the surface of the skin and move it horizontally, vertically and diagonally (creating a nice and even basket weave effect).

• Let the needles do the work, don’t apply too much pressure and be sure not to drag the roller.
• Don’t roll over active acne (so as to avoid spreading bacteria).
• Don’t share your roller (like you wouldn’t share your toothbrush).
• Avoid any areas that are inflamed or irritated (eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, etc).

When finished rolling, apply your serum of choice and follow with a moisturiser. Be sure to properly clean your roller and allow it to air dry. Hard core microneedling enthusiasts roll every night and even roll other parts of the body (neck, décolleté, hands, arms, etc – anywhere you want product to work better). If you’re new, start rolling 2-3 times a week and work up to daily.

Don’t forget to properly clean your roller – use alcohol spray if you don’t have any professional roller cleaner.

Things to Consider When Purchasing Your At-Home Roller

• First and foremost, needle length. There’s a reason why professional microneedling is done by trained practitioners in a professional environment – longer needles are penetrating at deeper depths. When done improperly, you can cause damage. At-home roller needle length should not exceed 0.2 mm.
• Needle quality – durable surgical grade stainless steel. Imagine rolling needles that have rusted all over your face. Ew.
• Roller construction – precise needle placement for even and consistent punctures. A smooth action roller allows for smooth rolling and less dragging.

If you’ve reached a plateau in your skincare journey, at home cosmetic rolling may be just what you need to jumpstart your results.

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Goldie Premium Cosmetic DermaRoller

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DermaRoller Serum Infuser

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DermaStamp Serum Infuser

As different areas of the face vary in texture (for example, fattier areas such as the cheeks can handle a more robust needle depth than the delicate skin below the eyes).

Here are the recommended guides for choosing the appropriate needle depth on your face dependant on your skin type. All measurements are in millimeters (mm).

NEEDLE DEPTH GUIDE:

It’s also important to consider the type of skin that you’re treating, as thicker skin (such as mature skin or skin with stretch marks and scar tissue) may require a slightly deeper treatment to get the optimum results. 

HOW MICRONEEDLING WORKS

The chart below highlights how microneedling works. The needles can penetrate the dermis at a relatively low setting and achieve the wound healing response that is needed to create collagen. 

If you have any questions please reach out to us, we are always ready to assist!

Take a look at the most popular derma pen, the M8

Only this year, have I even ventured into using other pinned cartridges because I didn’t understand the nuances and differences until now. Frankly the lack of information did not hurt me, if anything it prevented me from buying cartridges I most likely never would have used. However, I get this question so much; “which cartridge should I choose? or what is the difference in cartridges?” that I decided to dig in and look at what sets these needle pin cartridges a part.

TYPES OF CARTRIDGES

The Nano Round Cartridge is great for regular use. This basically touches the top layer of your skin, allowing your products to penetrate more fully and helping get rid of old skin cells that build up causing your skin to look dull. A Nano cartridge has a max depth setting of .25mm and can be used with BB Glow serums. This cartridge stays in the epidermis.

The Nano Square Cartridge is exactly the same as the Nano Round, the major difference is that it is a square and not a circle. The square is ideal for brows when you want straight edges and for hard to reach areas like in the nose crevices. This cartridge stays in the epidermis.

12 PIN CARTRIDGE

The 12 Pin Cartridge is actually very aggressive because by having more space between needles this cartridge can really stab thoroughly having great effect on scars. Because this cartridge can needle up to 2.5mm in depth, it will help to induce collagen by entering into the dermis. Just because the 12 Pin Cartridge can go to 2.5mm in depth does not mean you will always use it at this depth. Its a great option for certain areas that you are treating, like in my case a chicken pox scar, but I rarely needle my whole face at this depth, in fact it would be quite difficult considering some areas of your face are very thin, like your forehead or eye areas. So although it has the range to needle at 2.5mm you will constantly adjust its depth on your pens dial.

36 PIN CARTRIDGE

The 36 Pin Cartridge is what I use the most. I like it because it picks me very evenly and causes my skin to glow. Like the 12 pin, the 36 pin cartridge has a max range setting of 2.5mm in depth. I attribute this cartridge the most for improving my skin.

COMPARISON OF MICRONEEDLING CARTRIDGES

In the end the choice is yours. What are you looking to achieve? I don’t truly believe you need all of these cartridges. If you buy a 36 Pin Cartridge this will give you options and range. For instance perhaps you have a couple scars that you want to address this year and you want to improve the texture and luminosity of your skin while inducing collagen production. The 36 Pin Cartridge will treat all of these concerns. You can needle deep during a session to induce collagen and treat your scars, then 2 weeks later you can set the depth to only .25mm and basically nano your skin, allowing products to penetrate, you can even use BB Glow with 36 pin at the .25mm setting.

If you never ever want to think about the possibility of bleeding then you are perfect sticking to a nano cartridge. Nano cartridges are painless and your skin will glow afterwards.

MICRONEEDLING CARTRIDGE SAFETY

I like cartridges that give me flexibility, which is why I don’t buy nano cartridges. I have some because I receive them from time to time but I would never order them because with my pin cartridges I can get the same results.

After nearly 5 years of at home Microneedling my skin is constantly improving from all of the sun damage I created while in my twenties. Now I am 37, and my skin looks more radiant, even, and smooth.

I hope this post helps you when deciding which cartridge is right for you. Have a great day and I hope your skin starts to glow:)

Blog post courtesy of Natural Chaos

See our wide range of Derma Pens here

Microneedling is a process that involves using needles to puncture hundreds of tiny holes in the skin (yes, seriously).

It may seem like the newest trend in beauty/skincare, but it’s actually been around and evolving for over 50 years!

Fans of the microneedle claim it treats everything from wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and dull skin to issues such as scars, stretch marks, and cellulite — although results are still dubious on that last one, so don’t get your hopes up.

However, in a 2009 study, 37 patients underwent microneedling procedures to treat atrophic facial scars (those sunken scars that result from acne, chicken pox, etc.).

After several professional treatments, over 80% of the patients saw a reduction in scarring and rated their treatment as “excellent.”

Today, we’re going to explore microneedling and dermarolling to find out exactly what is involved in the processes and what they promise to do for skin. So, let’s get to the point  (pun intended!)

What is Microneedling?

Microneedling uses tiny needles with a dermaroller to puncture the skin. This generates fresh facial collagen for pumper and smoother skin on your face. Micro-needling is mostly a facial treatment, and helpful with scars and acne. Many use dermarollers at home, but a professional is recommended.

Microneedling and Dermarolling

What could possibly be the benefits of microneedling? 

Microneedling, also called Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), involves using a tool called a dermapen.

The dermapen has tiny needles at the end that make little holes or needle pricks in the top layers of your skin.

Another method of microneedling uses a dermaroller, which looks like a miniature paint roller with lots of tiny needles.

It is gently rolled in different directions over the surface of your skin to achieve the same effect.

Royal Derma Roller

The purpose of this procedure is twofold: 

1. The little holes from the needles create “microchannels” that allow skincare products, such as potent serums, to penetrate and absorb into the deeper layers of skin to deliver more powerful results.

2. These tiny pinpricks act like a bunch of mini injuries that kick skin into healing mode and stimulate collagen and elastin production. This process plumps skin and improves the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, scars, and pores.

I know, you’re probably thinking this is on par with a face tattoo in terms of ouch factor.

But while this seems like just one more discomfort we have to endure for beauty (I’m looking at you, Spanx), the consensus is that is pretty painless.

Kim Kardashian even received a specific form of a microneedling facial dubbed “the vampire facial” on camera for her show.

The procedure involves a professional using a dermapen to inject the patient’s face with her own platelet-rich plasma to supposedly super charge collagen and elastin growth.

Kim Kardashian/Instagram

Model and actress Bar Refaeli also tried this controversial version of microneedling and posted post-plasma-needling result pics to her Instagram.

Bar Refaeli/Instagram

Don’t worry, the regular method of microneedling and dermarolling doesn’t involve blood injections and yields less…“vampire-y” results.

How Does the Procedure Go Down? 

First, the practitioner, or if doing this procedure at home, you apply a numbing cream to the skin.

Next, either gently roll a dermaroller over the surface of the skin in a few different directions, or use a dermapen to work around areas of the face to create tiny holes in the skin’s surface.

The whole process takes around 20-30 minutes and, while it involves needles in your face (a thought that would normally elicit a full body shudder), the process is pretty painless.

You can expect some redness for up to a couple days afterward as a result of all the skin stimulation, but it subsides quickly as the healing begins and the results of more glowing, supple skin start to show.

To get truly effective results, you’ll need more than one treatment to continually build collagen and elastin.

As certified esthetician, Claire Gross, explains, “Results are cumulative, just like working out. You’re not tearing your skin down, you’re building it up.”

Are There Any Risks to Microneedling or Dermarolling?

Infection

The biggest no-no is using the microneedle on active acne because you run the risk of infection.

Avoid blemished areas during microneedling or wait until pimples are gone before undergoing the process.

Skin Reaction

Experts agree that you should not get the procedure done on skin that is inflamed, irritated, if you have rosacea, or are currently experiencing eczema.

Since microneedling can cause your skin to absorb skincare products more deeply, there’s a chance it could react to ingredients differently and become irritated.

You also want to be careful about using products not formulated for use with microneedling.

In a case study from JAMA Dermatology, University of Utah scientists reported 3 cases of women who experienced itching, rashes, and scarring in reaction to using a vitamin C serum with microneedling.

It’s a good idea to do a patch test of any post-microneedling products by applying to a small area and waiting 24 hours to make sure there’s no reaction before using it on larger areas.

This is a for sure if you have sensitive skin!

Reputable Spas/Offices

I encourage you to read this article about the HIV and hepatitis outbreak that occurred with vampire facials.

I’m not trying to scare you, lovelies!

If you’re not getting a vampire facial, you should be A-OK.

I just want to stress the importance of finding a spa or office that is reputable with licensed professionals and has a clean, sanitary environment and practices.

This will likely involve doing your own research.

Your safety is of utmost importance to me!

In-Office vs. At-Home Microneedling 

When microneedling is performed at a dermatologist’s office, the needles they use are slightly longer (over 1 mm) and, therefore, are able to penetrate to deeper layers of skin to treat more complex conditions such as scarring or stretch marks.

Since there’s not a ton of scientific evidence studying the effects of at-home dermarollers, the jury is still out on whether they’re good, safe, or effective.

The version you can use at home includes needles that are smaller than 1mm, so they don’t penetrate skin very deeply.

They’re intended more for stimulating skin to reduce wrinkles, get your complexion all glowy and allow products to possibly penetrate deeper.

The good news? The smaller needles on at-home dermarollers don’t hurt, so you don’t need any anesthetic cream to use them.

The bad news is the results won’t be as effective as what you’ll get from a professional dermatologist. Also, if the needles are bent, dull, or not properly maintained, you run the risk of infecting or damaging skin that can lead to scarring.

But more good news! Performing these procedures at home costs nothing after your initial purchase!

Can you microneedle everyday?

We’re sure you’ve heard of the miracle routine of micro needling and the skin care product that goes with it, the derma roller. After all, it has a long list of uses; derma roller for acne, derma roller for scars, and derma roller for cellulite to name a few.

Maybe you’re ready to dive in and explore the micro-needling benefits for yourself but want to know how often to do it beforehand. Or, maybe you’re already using a microdermal roller and want to check that you’re being safe. 

In the former case, you may be asking “What is a derma roller?”. On your search you may find different names. You’ll see both derma rollers and derma needles. These two words are for the same product and mean the same thing.

So here’s the deal. If you’re going to be micro needling then you should know off-the-bat there are different rules for different situations. 

If you’re microneedling at home, whether it’s using the derma needle on stretch marks or the derma roller on cellulite, it’s important to know the procedure for derma roller uses. You should never use a micro derma roller everyday. Though, if the needles are relatively short, you can get away with treating your skin twice a week. On the other hand, if the needle is longer, you should wait three to four weeks between treatments. Ever seen a good microneedling before and after photo? Usually they are resulting in proper timing in between treatments, don’t overdo it!

When should I microneedle?

Thinking about adding a micro derma roller into your routine now? Let’s go through when the best time is for a dermaroller treatment. 

Micro-needling, as beneficial as it is in the long-term, can have less-than-desired effects in the short term. Namely, after a microneedling treatment, you’ll notice that your skin may look a bit inflamed  the first couple of times. Worry not! This is due to the stress response from your skin due to the mix of pressure and poking the micro needling pen places on it. 

So, unless you’re oddly into people asking why your face looks a little swollen, try to use microneedle rollers at night. This will give your body plenty of time to recover post-treatment.

How to microneedle stretch marks?

When it comes to implementing microneedle roller therapy, everyone has different target areas. Some of us may use a dermaroller for acne scars, while others will use it for stretch marks. The beauty of the device is that it works no matter the situation. 

So, for those that are dealing with the latter, you’ll be happy to find out how to use the derma needle for stretch marks. 

You’ll also find the fact that using a micro needle roller is relatively simple. Here’s the how-to on microneedling those marks. 

Buy yourself a microneedle roller specific for stretch marks, this will be sized 1.5 mm. The larger needle size the better in this case, but note that means longer periods between treatment. Microneedle the area thoroughly and be sure to follow up with a serum. 

There are also LED derma roller and derma pen options available. The first incorporates at-home laser therapy to help brighten the skin and the second is an electronic version that levels the amount of pressure placed on the skin. Find one that works best for you and enjoy!

When to replace microneedle?

Once you’ve started using–and loving–the micro derma for your skin and finding all the different derma roller uses for your needs, they’ll come a point where you’ll need to retire it. Why? Just like anything else, it gets worn down and have you questioning “Uh, this derma roller, does it work anymore?” 

So to avoid that as a problem, hear us out: After some time, the derma roller or micro needling pen gets dull do to the rubbing and rolling over your skin. All the glowing results come to an end around 3-6 months depending on how often you roll. So, be sure to notice when the micro needle pen is fading out or the derma roller use results aren’t as hot as before. It’ll warrant replacement. The microneedling benefits will flourish if you keep on top of replacing them when they are dull.

What size microneedle for body?

Not looking for face needling? The size of the microneedle roller varies depending on the area of the skin that you’ll be using it on. It’s definitely good to know ahead of micro needling what type of micro derma product is best. 

If you’re micro needling for fine lines and wrinkles on the face use a micro needle between the size of .25-.5 mm. 

If you’re using the microneedle roller to combat aging, 0.5-1.0 mm is ideal.

For acne scars or light scars, choose a micro needle pen that measures 0.5-1.0 mm. 

Lastly, when it comes to using micro rollers on deep scars or stretch marks, it’s advised you use a micro derma unit that measures 1.0-2.5 mm. 

Dealing with cellulite? There is a derma roller cellulite kit on the market that helps deal with that problem, too! 

A note: Please be cautious using a 1.0 mm roller on skin at home and anything larger than that you should seek professional assistance. 

Once you have your size picked, you can enjoy your new spa derma roller today and establish your own awesome micro needling before and after photos!

Final Thoughts

Many trendy beauty procedures will come and go promising miraculous results, but the best thing you can do to treat and beautify skin is to practice a solid, regular skincare routine.

As long as you’re taking the best care of your skin every day (even if it doesn’t involve needles), you can’t go wrong!

With thanks to Skincare by Alana