What is dermarolling?
A dermaroller is an instrument that creates micro pathways in the skin for product to better penetrate, referring to dermarollers with a 0.1 to 0.2mm needle size. Those tiny needles, wouldn’t necessarily be for collagen synthesis. It’s a great way to get your products to absorb and penetrate the skin. When the needle is larger, like 0.5mm, that’s when you’re getting into wound healing stimulation. A dermaroller creates tiny pricks around the skin and gives enough space in between so the wound healing response takes over. You grow new skin. That, in turn, leads to a smoother, more even, and plumper complexion.
Microneedling stimulate collagen and elastin fibers to make skin smoother. While the procedure is still done today, less extreme and less painful DIY-friendly variations of the process have since emerged. Enter dermarollers. Dermarolling, a form of microneedling, involves using a mini wheel covered with hundreds of tiny needles to gently prick the face. They look like mini torture devices but, trust us, work miracles for clearing acne scars, fading fine lines, and evening out skin tone, when they are used properly.
Who is dermarolling best for?
Anyone could use it: Someone that has acne scarring, someone with larger pores, someone who just wants a skin-tightening boost. It depends on the needle length. For scarring, you’ll want a thicker and deeper needle. To refine pores, you’ll need thin, short needles.
For anyone with acne, you shouldn’t roll over cystic skin or an open wound from a zit because it’ll spread bacteria all over the face.
What kind of preparation do you need to do?
Since you may draw blood, cleanliness is key. The skin has to be completely clean of oils and dirt. Cleanse preferably with a foaming cleanser, use a toner to balance the PH. As for the dermaroller itself, it needs to be put down on a clean surface, so lay out a paper towel. You want to make sure you’re soaking your roller in an alcohol-based soak and you should clean it once a week.
Does dermarolling hurt?
The larger the needle you introduce, the more painful it’s going to be. You don’t want to press into your skin. You want to have a light hand. You want to feel it but not to the point where it’s uncomfortable. It’s not the best thing you’ve ever felt but it shouldn’t hurt. It does hurt. If you have a low pain tolerance it’s probably better for you to go to a professional. You want to create an inflammation response because that’s what’s going to promote the healing. Don’t take any aspirin. Don’t take any blood thinners.
When will you see results?
With the roller, it’s subtle but I do feel like after using it, see results pretty immediately. It is suggested starting with dermarolling once a week to build tolerance up to twice or three times a week (the smaller the needle, the more frequently you can do it). When you get to three nights a week you should definitely see a change in the skin. Lines that were more pronounced aren’t there anymore. Collagen takes a good two months to grow, so within a month you should start to see really nice results.