What Is Microneedling? And How To Use A Dermaroller At Home | Glamour UK

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The idea of sweeping a miniature paint roller covered in spikes over your face may seem barbaric, but allow us to convince you otherwise. Microneedling can improve the appearance of scars, pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, as well as making your skincare work harder, too.

"It's an all round skin treat," says Fatma Shaheen, skin expert and founder of cosmecuetical skincare and treatment brand, Skin Design London. "It delivers instant radiance to the skin and is an inexpensive, easy and effective way to rejuvenate the skin and deliver a healthy glow."

With that in mind, it's a popular aesthetic treatment but a less invasive version can also be done at home.

So what exactly is microneedling? And, all importantly, does it hurt? Whichever way you choose to proceed, we called on certified dermatologists, facialists and skin experts to demystify the treatment for you.

Otherwise known as derma-stamping or dermarolling, microneedling is the use of tiny needles to create a controlled micro-injury on the skin's surface.

The skin then reads these tiny holes as an injury and rushes to send in the foot soldiers to heal it. "This, in turn, jumpstarts the skin's repair cycle" and stimulates collagen and elastin production for plumper, more radiant skin, assures Dr Maryam Zamani, an oculoplastic surgeon and aesthetic doctor and creator of MZ Skin.

As if that wasn't good enough, it creates a channel to the deeper layers of skin to fast-track your skincare ingredients to make them work even harder.

The majority of at-home rollers use micro-fine needles that range in diameter from 0.2mm to 0.3mm to create little pin pricks in the surface layer of the skin.

But if you really want to stimulate collagen production, the needle length needs to 0.5mm, says skincare founder Trinny Woodall, who has created her own at-home microneedling tool to do just that.

The premise is the same for professional microneedling but the treatment is more invasive (yes it can draw blood) "as it utilises a much longer needle,” says clinical facialist Kate Kerr.

“With at-home microneedling the main benefit is to increase product penetration,” she says. "Although professional treatments create a micro-channel for effective product penetration, the goal is to initiate trauma deep within the skin,” she says. “This will kick-start the wound-healing cascade, leading to the production of hyaluronic acid, collagen and elastin within the body.”

With that in mind, if you have acne scarring or hyperpigmentation, you may want to hold out for a professional appointment.

1.All-round rejuvenation: Kate is a fan of microneedling for its skin rejuvenating results. “I offer a range of micro-needling treatments in clinic as it’s an extremely effective treatment for the reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, pore size and the collagen stimulation also improves skin texture, as well as improving the appearance of acne scars."

2.Scarring and pigmentation: According to the experts, microneedling works on all skin types but is especially effective on those who have scarring and pigmentation.

“It can be used in acne treatments to help improve the appearance of scars by breaking up the scar tissue and stimulating the induction of new collagen and elastin,” says Dr Zamani.

"It can also be used on hyperpigmentation because it helps shed the top layer of the skin while also helping the absorption of topical agents that can be used concurrently to help prevent the formation of new pigmentation," she continues.

3. It works on all skin tones

A myth about microneedling is that the punctures can cause post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in dark skin tones. But when carried out by a professional who isn't aggressively heavy-handed, and spread out over a couple of sessions, you can avoid causing the irritation that can lead to patches of uneven skin tone.

Clearing things up.

It will elevate the experience and enhance the results. "To tackle pigmentation, scarring and wrinkles, opt for something with a high-quality retinol or lactic acid in it to boost cell renewal," says Shaheen, who likes to pair the treatment with her own Skin Design London Retexturing Serum, which is infused with antioxidants.

Opt out of microneedling if you have active acne, rosacea or a skin infection, though.

Avoid moving the microneedling tool over your skin in an up and down movement. “Think of your face as a checkerboard,” says Trinny, who recommends making a small cross on one area, repeating once, lift the tool up and move to the next area. You can micro needle your cheeks, forehead neck and chest area.

Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, founder and medical director of the Adonia Medical Clinic, is quick to point out the hygiene issues of using a dermaroller on your skin, throwing it into a dusty draw overnight and then rolling it over your skin again, potentially transferring bacteria and dirt into the tiny indentations.

If you do want to try the treatment at home, keep the roller on a sterilised surface and spray it with colloidal silver or isopropyl alcohol before and after each use.

A skincare staple you might have not known you needed.

Using a dermaroller at home feels more prickly than painful on the skin but you may still experience some redness immediately afterwards. During in-clinic microneedling, a numbing cream is applied to dull the pain but side effects include sore, swollen and red skin for a few days post-treatment.

For this reason, it's important to focus your skincare routine on gentle hydration and cleansing, as well as creams with anti-inflammatory properties. "Anything containing hyaluronic acid is great to use post-treatment," Kate says.

Cerave cleansers and the Kate Somerville DeliKate Recovery Cream are both excellent.

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Boots

“I first tried a course of professional microneedling to even out my skin tone on the tops of my cheeks where some hormonal pigmentation had crept in,” says Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR's associate beauty director.

"Rather than using a dermaroller, professional microneedling is done using a pen-like device that allows your practitioner to control the treatment intensity.

"First, a numbing cream is applied, which means I barely felt anything while in the dermatologist's chair – it was just a little painful when the needles crossed over my jawbone and my sinuses. However, with each treatment the intensity was upped – and with it the swelling, redness and (whisper it) the pain.

"After the first two treatments, I just looked very sunburnt – but the third, and most intense, left me with some bloody areas that felt very tender and did require some over-the-counter pain relief. For this reason, preferably try to time your appointment for a Friday so you have the weekend for any redness and swelling to subside.

“I'd also say, don't expect results overnight. You won't notice too much of a difference in your skin quality and tone until about three weeks later – that's when you really start to see intense changes and why, like me, you'll book in for another treatment.”

Find out more about the best skincare ingredients with the GLAMOUR A-Z of Skincare.