Is at-home Microneedling safe?
Microneedling, also called dermarolling, has become more popular especially during the COVID-19 quarantine in Chandler, AZ. Many beauty gurus, influencers, or YouTubers have shown amazing at-hone Microneedling before and after photos all over social media.
Is it possible to get the same results from microneedling at home? Is it safe? When should you go to a professional microneedling in Chandler?
What is microneedling?
Microneedling uses hundreds of tiny needles across your skin to encourage the natural healing process and promote new collagen growth. The process has been proven to reduce the appearance of acne scars and hyperpigmentation.
There are two main types of microneedling:
Cosmetic microneedling
Cosmetic microneedling is for at-home usage. The needle length is less than 0.5 mm and is used to enhance the absorption of skincare products into the epidermis, boosting the efficacy of active ingredients.
Medical microneedling
Medical microneedling is used at the clinic. The needle length of 0.5mm -1.5mm is used on the face, neck, or chest, and 1.5mm - 2.5 mm on the body.
The longer needles allow aesthetician to penetrate the epidermis and the varying depth of the dermis results in a skin healing process being triggered. During this procedure, collagen and elastin production is stimulated in the dermis.
It's important to note that microneedling with needles greater than 0.5mm in length should not be used at home. Needles longer than 0.5mm can cause a sensation and have a higher risk of bleeding and infection.
In-office vs. At-home Microneedling
When considering between a professional microneedling and a DIY microneedling, here are some factors for you to consider:
Device: While in-office treatments use an electric or battery-operated device that resembles a derma roller and derma pens, at-home microneedling is mostly performed with manual derma rollers. Most professional microneedling performed by an aesthetician or a dermatologist can penetrate deeper into the skin to treat deep scars or deep wrinkles, which at-home microneedling cannot.
Treatment Concerns: At-home microneedling can improve the texture of the skin by stimulating collagen production and the skin's absorption of topical skincare products. If you are more concerned with deep wrinkles, scars, hyperpigmentation or pockmarks, at-home microneedling won't be able to do much. You would need to consult a professional microneedling performed by an aesthetician or a dermatologist.
Results: With in-office treatment, one session may be enough to get some of the long-lasting results you desired. For microneedling at home, daily sessions are definitely required for you to get the results you want.
Cost: It is much cheaper to microneedle at home. Professional microneedling treatment in Chandler AZ can range anywhere from $150 to $700 whereas you can easily purchase a derma roller from retail stores at around $20. You should replace your derma roller every 10 uses or so but then it's still a saving-money option.
Risk of Microneedling at Home
Infection
The online marketplace is flooded with thousands of unregulated derma rollers which are often of poor quality with little information about the manufacturer and the correct usage. The needles can be hazardous if not made from reputable materials such as titanium or surgical steel. If you decide to do microneedling at home, it's important to do thorough research on a reputable brand. Unqualified tools increase the risk of bent needles and can cause severe damage to your skin.
The risk of infection is very high when using a derm roller in a non-clinic or non-sterile environment.
To initiate the healing process and collagen production of your skin, microneedling punctures and create microscopic wounds on the surface. When the procedure is done at home, the small wounds have a risk of infection.
To lessen the risk, make sure to:
clean your face before derma roll
clean roller in soapy water and remove any skin and debris after each use.
soak the roller in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes to disinfect
discard your roller after 10 times usage.
Though there are lots of Amazon or Beauty blogger reviews about microneedling at home, we would recommend you have a professional treatment. It's very easy to unknowingly roller over a part of the face that is already infected. In a clinic, the dermatologist or aesthetician would use a new, single-use sterile roller per client for each treatment.
At home, microneedling is usually used multiple times. Though cleaning and using alcohol can disinfect the tool, it's difficult to sterilize it completely so harmful microorganisms might still exist.
Potential skin damage
While there are lots of instructional videos online, you still run the risk of damaging your skin with the wrong techniques. If you put too much pressure, it can cause ripping skin, irritation, or even scarrings or hyperpigmentation on the skin.
It's also important to know that you should only purchase an at-home device with needles of 0.1mm-0.3mm. Needles longer than 0.5mm should only be done in an aesthetician's or dermatologist's clinic. There is professional-depth roller are available online for anyone to buy and use at home. You should read the device details carefully to avoid damaging your skin during usage.
When should you go to a professional microneedling?
If you want dramatic results and are more concerned with stretch marks, scars, large pores than just uneven skin, you should definitely go to an in-office microneedling treatment. If you have sensitive skin or are prone to infection, you should avoid dermarolling at home.
Remember: never use dermarolling on active acne, extremely sensitive skin, rosacea, cold sores, or cuts.
At Lazaderm, we offer a free consultation for every patient. If you are not sure if microneedling is right for you or which reputable derma roller you can use at home, you can consult our aesthetician for advice. Call us at (480)-573-7546 or fill out the online form for a free consultation.