Bloody Beauty - Would You Try At-Home Micro-Needling?

image: luthraskinclinic.com

Article by BR Tabatha

I remember when I first read about micro-needling – it was an article talking about how the impossibly beautiful Angelina Jolie was a fan. I’m not one for going nuts for things celebrities love, but have you seen that woman’s skin? My sensible side was unleashed for a second and reminded me that not only does she have genetics on her side, but also squillions of dollars to spend on skincare and facial treatments, but I squished that sensible voice back into its box and read on to see if skin-needling was something I could do to end up looking like her. Just like her. Sisters. Twins even. (Dream on Tab…)

So it turns out that this micro-needling business involved Angelina having tiny needles puncture her skin lightly by a roller. The idea behind it being that it causes the lower skin to get busy creating collagen and elastin, which in turn gives the skin a more youthful rejuvenated look, all the while purportedly dealing to fine lines, sun damage and even acne scars. Brilliant!  Book me in! What’s that? It’s going to cost a couple of hundy for one session? Ummm, book me out. I don’t need to be twins with Angelina. I’ll be ok, really …

But now micro-needling is back on the menu as some fancy pants types have created in-home dermarollers, something you and I can get our hands on and use in the privacy of our boudoirs. I know! Shut the front door and let’s get rolling!

But as excited as I am that darn sensible voice popped up and started asking questions that made me all squirmy. Questions like, are you sure it’s safe for you to be let loose alone with what looks like an instrument of torture? What if you pricked your skin too deeply? What if it got infected? How can you be sure it’s sufficiently clean before you use it again?… and you know how terrible you are at cleaning your makeup brushes… (Hear that muffled mumbling, it’s that little voice trying to talk even though its been shoved back in its box.)

image: Kim Kardashian Instagram

So I’ve been researching, an uncharacteristic trait, but needs must and all that.It turns out an in-home dermaroller is quite similar to the micro-needling you’d get at a beauty therapists. The main difference is that the needles are shorter, usually between .2mm and .5mm, which results in less discomfort while still being effective. It’s recommended that needles longer than that remain in the hands of trained professionals. Speaking of those who have trained, it’s also recommended that if you are going to get an in-home dermaroller you have a trained professional show you the best technique for using it and cleaning it, because the last thing you want is a skin infection. Another tip given is to not use creams or serums immediately after as this too can cause infection. 

With all that in mind, in-home dermarolling can be an effective way to get thicker, healthier skin without resorting to chemical treatments, and it even gets the www.dermnetnz.org seal of approval, which as far as I’m concerned means this ain’t no fad, it’s the real deal.

It looks like Ang and I are going to be twins after all! I bet she’s thrilled…

Of course, I still have that sensible little voice wanting to hear from people who’ve had this treatment done before I fork out good money on an in-home dermaroller. So have you had micro-needling done before? Did it work? If you haven’t had it done, would you consider it? Or do you prefer less invasive methods of skincare? Chat (and convince) away!