Esthetician How To Tip: Using a Dermaroller - Microneedling - Which one to choose? What does it do? How does it work?

Home HOW TO for skincare enthusiasts:

Using a Dermaroller or Microneedling Device

At first glance these things can be scary. They are little wheels of lots and lots of little needles. You roll them across your skin creating many, many tiny, little "puncture" wounds that are touted to open up your skin and therefore increase the absorption of products, as well as build collagen, repair scars, plump the skin, etc.

But do they work?

I have to say I've been using a dermaroller for about four years now. I have to admit I was rather turned off by the idea when I first heard of it. However, after more research I thought I'd try it.

The first roller I bought, on ebay, was OK. I have since learned the various types and what they do. The first one I bought was less than $20 and after several years of use, washing, air drying, etc., it got creakey and the needles a bit less sharp. I noticed they were starting to drag a bit and even left a couple of scratches on my arms.

Arms? I thought this was for the face?

Yes, my pretty, but also the body! And here is where the microneedling really starts to shine (in my opinion). As we already to do so much for the face, this can be such a great addition. But since we are sometimes limited in what we can do for the body (NuFace--where's the body microcurrent machine?), we can use the roller for product penetration and smoothing and building collagen, just like on the face.

I love this regimen for the thighs and arms. If you have a good anti-cellulite serum, this can be used right after and you'll be surprised at the increase in how effective it is. While these serums tend to not do much on the whole, they will take on a bit more power after a good dermaroller.

As always, be sure to use a good quality serum or cream. Choose them without a lot of junk in them, like parabens and fillers. After all, you likely prefer to eat organic, so you you should choose products as close to natural as possible, especially if you're going to apply them after a microneedling.

For the face, choose a microneedling device that is .5mm. Don't think that going with a deeper needle is going to be better! This is a great start for getting a beautiful increase in collagen, as well as retexturizing your skin. You can reduce pock marks, acne scars and even pore size.

Using this device 2-3 times per week is going to yield results in about 30 days. You need to be consistent -- use it Mon, Wed, Sat. after your shower, before you apply your best serums. I like to use it at night so there is a lot of good time for the serums to penetrate without interference of makeup or sunscreen. I shower at night, so I do this right after when my skin is good and clean. I apply a good serum within a couple of minutes (important as your skin will start to "close up" and not accept the treatment if you wait too long). Then I slumber and let my skin repair itself.

Making a date with your microneedling device is what I suggest; whatever works best for you. I like to do a full face treatment and body treatment (with a different length needle) and then quickly apply all the face/body serums before bed.

The body can handle a bit more of a needle, so you can choose something like a 1.0mm for this. I purchased a set that has three: one for the face, one for the body and one for the eyelids. This eyelid device has little nubs that are not quite needles and can be rolled right over your closed eyelid. ALWAYS TAKE CARE when near your eyes!

The eye cream that you use after this will penetrate a bit more and you'll start to build collagen and even repair some of the droop you may be seeing around your eyelids. Be prepared to be patient. This takes a bit of time to see results, but you will if you are consistent!