Everything You Need to Know About Microneedling and Dermarollers, Pens, at Home & More!

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR an at-home treatment that can minimize fine lines, plump up the skin, fade pigmentation and soften scars look no further than dermarolling. A derma roller is a handheld device with a tiny wheel covered in hundreds of fine needles. While it might look terrifying at first glance, once you learn about the benefits of dermarolling, you’ll be rolling on the reg.

Microneedle roller creates tiny channels in the skin to effectively promote collagen synthesis while allowing penetration of active ingredients directly into the skin. This is an ideal treatment to renew the appearance of healthy skin while improving texture and tone. The less invasive fine needle length (0.5 mm and 1.0mm) is safe for at home use and effective.

Derma roller, a device rolled onto the skin to form micropores, is extensively used for cosmetic purposes. The pores thus created are utilized to either result in the induction of collagen production, leading to glowing and wrinkle-free skin or for permeating the applied formulations to the site of action within the skin. Recent studies have shown the benefits of using derma rollers for transdermal delivery of drugs. In the nascent stage, this approach paves a way to successfully breach the stratum corneum and aid in the movement of medications directed towards the dermis and the hair follicles. The review essentially summarizes the evidence of the use of derma rollers in cosmetic setup, their designing, and the preclinical and clinical reports of efficacy, safety, and concerns when translated for pharmaceutical purposes and transdermal drug delivery.

What Is Dermarolling?
Dermarolling is a form of microneedling, a process that involves pricking the face to gently ‘damage’ the skin as a way to activate its natural healing mechanisms. This process helps to rebuild collagen beneath the surface of your skin. Used regularly, derma rollers work miracles for smoothing and plumping the skin, reducing acne scars, fading fine lines, and evening out skin tone. When used in conjunction with a serum (as it should be), it boosts ingredient absorption up to 90%.
While using a derma roller can hurt a little, it’s nothing to be afraid of. The discomfort is no greater than the pain of plucking your eyebrows. Here’s what’s actually going on…

Why Dermarolling (Actually) Works
The real power of derma rolling lies in its ability to stimulate collagen synthesis by generating acute inflammation. This stimulates healing and cell regeneration, and it breaks down and targets calcification and fibrosis.

5 Benefits Of Dermarolling

MINIMIZES WRINKLES. A derma roller can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles by stimulating the production of new collagen and elastin. Using the derma toller once or twice a week (with a few days between for healing) you’ll start to see significantly smoother skin in just a few weeks.

ERASES SCARS. Dermarolling diminishes the appearance of scars by breaking up calcification and fibrosis and triggering calcification regulators in the body, which helps promote perfect healing.

SMOOTHES SKIN. Regular use of a derma roller promotes collagen synthesis which contributes to thicker, smoother, and more elastic skin. Collagen takes approximately two months to grow, so be patient and use the derma roller regularly.

IGNITES GLOW. Dermarolling greatly increases oxygenation and blood circulation. Used in tandem with a mask or serum, derma rolling can increase nutrient delivery to the skin resulting in more nourished skin that glows.

BALANCES TONE. Hyperpigmentation is often caused by poor blood flow and external damage to the skin. Using a derma roller can help normalize pigment cells and balance the inflammatory responses in the skin. Over time, this results in an evener skin tone.

How To Use A Derma Roller At Home

SANITIZE. Quickly sterilize the needled head by running it under boiling hot water or soaking it quickly in rubbing alcohol.

WASH. Cleanse your face using a gentle cleanser or by dabbing a cotton ball soaked in a natural toner like apple cider vinegar on your skin.

ROLL. Using gentle pressure, roll the derma roller back and forth 2 to 4 times across each section of your face. Start with your forehead, then each side of your face, chin, and then anywhere else that hasn’t been touched by the derma roller. According to Alitura, “the rolling pattern is important. On every part of the face you want to roll horizontally, vertically, then diagonally to the right and then the left. By the end, you will have gone in four different directions, covering every part of your face.”

TONE. Once you’ve finished rolling, gently cleanse your face and apply a nourishing toner.

NOURISH. Layer on your usual skincare products. Applying a face mask after using your derma roller will help the ingredients penetrate more deeply. Be sure to follow with a nourishing serum and moisturizer.

REPEAT. Start by using the derma roller 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).

How To Pick A Derma Roller

Cheap rollers usually use poor quality needles that bend and rust easily. This can potentially harm the skin and even lead to infections. With a quality roller, however, you can ensure a near-painless experience with viable and long-lasting results. Here’s what you need to consider when shopping, according to Alitura…

NEEDLE LENGTH. For sensitive and thinner skin you want a shorter needle of 0.25 to 0.75 mm. For areas where the skin is thicker, and when treating scars, you will want to use a needle that is a minimum of 1.00 mm for best results.

NUMBER OF NEEDLES. As a general rule, the greater the number of needles, the more effective the treatment will be. However, a lower number of needles works fine for smaller treatment areas such as the face.

NEEDLE QUALITY. There are many outdated rollers on the market still today. Poor quality rollers use needles made of cheap surgical steel. These needles bend, rust and easily dull. This can harm your skin, potentially leading to infection, and at the very least are painful to use. The best derma rollers are made with titanium. Titanium needles are the strongest and sharpest of all needles, and therefore the least painful and most effective.

Dealing with multiple skin concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, and large pores can be frustrating and expensive to deal with, since there are few (if any) products out there that can actually tackle them all. Many have turned to microneedling, an in-office treatment that is effective but can cost thousands, especially since multiple treatments are needed to see real results. Thankfully, there’s an at-home alternative that’s affordable and has a track record for working.

It’s called derma rolling, and the best-selling derma rolling device on Vaney — the Vaney Skincare Derma Roller.
Derma rolling, for anyone not familiar, is the practice of gently pressing a device that’s covered in teeny microneedles across the skin to help with all of those concerns we mentioned. It creates tiny punctures in the outermost layer of the skin to stimulate the production of collagen, a protein that makes skin strong, firm, supple, and elastic. And when it comes to this particular roller, the professionals give it two thumbs up.

The best way to use this roller is on recently cleaned, dry skin. Make sure that the device itself is also recently cleaned with alcohol, and then go either in an up-and-down or side-to-side motion; you can alternate between the two.

The amount of pressure you use is the most important thing to keep in mind while derma rolling, and you’ll know you’re using too much if your skin is reacting to it. It’s OK if your face is a little pink — that’s to be expected — but it shouldn’t be red or super irritated, and you definitely shouldn’t draw blood.

Skin should look a little bit pink after use with no signs of breaking the skin or pinpoint bleeding. Derma rolling is something you can do one or two times a week to determine your own skin’s tolerability.

Derma rollers are undoubtedly good for your skin, but plenty of attention and care needs to be given when using one. Both dermatologists stressed that the device has to be clean (as does your face), and that while you might start to see results quickly, anyone new to derma rolling needs to use it sparingly to give their skin time to get used to it.

What is microneedling all about?
Microneedling (or micro-needling) 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.).

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.

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, the consensus is that is pretty painless.

How Does the Procedure Go Down?
First, the practitioner applies a numbing cream to the patient’s skin.
Next, the practitioner will 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 apparently 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.

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.
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!

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.

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.

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!