Derma roller - How to Use

Microneedling techniques vary. They can include small skin punches (Dermapen) or a rolling method that uses microneedles on a wheel (dermaroller)^3,4. A dermaroller is a handheld microneedling device that can provide even needling over large areas². Its medical-grade needles³are just long enough to pierce the epidermis and induce the wound-healing process without causing damage to underlying tissue.

Several microneedling devices are approved for at-home use. If you choose to try microneedling at home, you first need to make sure you use the right roller. Different needle sizes and roller shapes are intended for different areas of skin. For skin on your face and the front of your neck, use needles no longer than 0.5mm. Use needles only 0.2mm long for very delicate areas such as the skin around your eyes (never roll directly over your eyes or eyelids). The skin on the rest of your body is thicker and will need a longer needle length to be effective. Home rollers with needle sizes up to 1.0mm can be used on body skin.

Dermaroller use is fairly straight-forward. The recommendation is to spend about one minute rolling each target patch of skin during each session. Gently roll the cylinder back and forth across the target area about ten times, then change direction. In all you will roll in four different directions: horizontally, vertically, and in each diagonal direction. Simply use enough force to allow the cylinder to roll; do not press it down into your skin. When performed correctly, microneedling may cause some discomfort or mild stinging, but it should not be painful.³ Dermarollers can be used for 2-3 months before you need to buy a new head with fresh needles.

A priority is to keep your dermaroller sterile and undamaged between each use. After each use, place cleansing solution in the roller’s cleaning tray for a minute before removing and drying. Special cleaning solution is available which contains diluted enzymes that clear fat and debris from the dermaroller cylinder. Alternatively, you can use diluted rubbing alcohol. Shake the roller to dry it⁷; practitioners strongly discourage practices like dabbing the dermaroller with a cloth or using an air blower. Store your roller heads in their designated solid container so the needles don’t become bent or blunted.

When used in combination with moisturizers or special serums, dermarolling boosts the turnover of collagen and elastin^2,5and promote procedure efficacy⁶.  Serums that contain ingredients like peptides and growth factors stimulate collagen production and speed up cell turnover¹.  Other reports show that dermarolling can also be combined with topical vitamin C⁵. Whether or not serums should be applied both before and after dermarolling, however, is up for debate. One additional researched additive is topical platelet-rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma contains growth factors and can improve collagen induction¹. Some spas and dermatology clinics offer a special type of dermaroller treatment that also applies platelet-rich plasma, known as a “vampire facial.”