It’s hard not to wince when you hear the word needles, especially when it involves rolling them across your face. But … microneedling or dermarolling — a
minimally invasive cosmetic treatment that involves puncturing the skin with extremely tiny needles (or a dermaroller) to trigger your skin’s repair process and collagen production. Believe it or not this treatment is nothing new and dermatologists have been performing this procedure for years as a treatment for facial scars. Actually, the earliest forms of microneedling were reported by acupuncturists in China, centuries ago!
How it works is straightforward: The micro dermal roller is comprised of fine, precise tiny needles that are rolled directly on the skin in a controlled motion creating micro-injuries on the skin. This in turn sends collagen and elastin production into overdrive to compensate as it heals – basically leaving your complexion tighter and plumper than it was beforehand.
This makes it an ideal method for filling in fine lines and wrinkles, thickening and plumping the skin under the eyes (thus diminishing the appearance of dark circles and bags), and even plumping lips! Micro-needling is also a very effective treatment for acne scars and discolouration since it penetrates the skin so deeply. Plus, when used in conjunction with a sheet mask soaked in serum (as it should be!), it boosts ingredient absorption up to 90%!
Here’s what you need to know before trying microneedling:
Microneedling can improve a variety of skin issues including acne scars and crepey skin. It’s a safe, chemical and laser free method that triggers new collagen production and regenerates skin cells. And if you don’t have any major concerns the least it can do is give skin a dewy and more youthful appearance. Who doesn’t want that?
Microneedling shouldn’t hurt, but… it may feel a tiny bit awkward because of the ‘prickly’ sensation during treatment. When ‘home’ microneedling the needle size should be considered, using 0.3mm or lower. In general, microneedling can be painless however when the depth of the needle is more extreme for severe skin issues for example, consulting a professional is always recommended.
If you’re concerned about recovery time, burns or discoloration that can sometimes occur post-laser treatment, microneedling therapy is an excellent alternative. Like laser treatments, it can effectively lighten discoloration, resurface texture, stimulate collagen production and plump and tighten skin. It also has the added benefit of reliability.
Although the at-home device may take longer to take effect, it will pose less risk as the microneedling devices are designed to mimic the results of the in-office treatment and work rather differently. The at-home treatment is virtually pain-free and requires no topical numbing like surgical dermarollers used by salon professionals. They treat a wide variety of more severe skin conditions such as deep acne scars where treatments typically run between $500.00 to $1,200.00 per service.
Believe it or not you can use your microneedling device on the body, too. At-home microneedling devices also come in larger sizes, which allows you to treat larger areas—like abdomen, thighs, legs, buttocks, hands, arms, neck and back—twice as fast as you would with a smaller roller head. And don’t forget the microneedling for thinning hair or loss, and those lips!
And finally, as with any at-home beauty gadget, microneedling devices are not foolproof. Below is a step-by-step tutorial on how to use your dermaroller properly on your face or body. For best results, do this every three to five days. Also remember that since skin on the body is thicker than the skin on your face, it may take more than a few sessions before you can see visible results on your body.
Step 1: Before use, make sure your roller is disinfected using alcohol or a roller sterilizer.
Step 2: Do not force the roller into the skin but simply use mild pressure.
Step 3: Roll back and forth at the same intensity on the treatment area 5 to 10 times in each of the four directions: horizontally, vertically and diagonally.
Step 4: Following treatment, apply your sheet mask to gain maximin results and your skin will drink the product!
The post At-Home Microneedling or Dermarolling … what’s all the hype? first appeared on Lonvitalite.
