What is a dermaroller?

A dermaroller is a skin needling device with many small surgical needles, usually 0.25 mm in diameter. Dermarollers come in needle lengths between 0.13 and 3 mm.

The dermarolling principle

Dermarolling remolds the skin by creating thousands of microscopic channels through the skin, increasing the formation of new tissue by activating the body’s wound healing cascade (hemostasis-inflammation-proliferation-tissue remodeling). The micro-channeling causes the release of growth factors that promote scar-less healing and the deposition of normal woven collagen rather than scar collagen. The fibroblasts are responsible for collagen production. The exact mechanism how this happens is complex and not yet completely understood. New collagen and elastin forms. In one study, twenty blinded biopsies taken from 10 different patients from various parts of their body demonstrated an average increase in new fibers of 206%, in one biopsy a 1000% increase was recorded.

What microneedling can do for you and what needle length do you need?

Enhance the penetration of skin care products: Maximum 0.3 mm needle length. This is painless and you can roll every day.

Fine wrinkles: 1 to 1.5 mm needle length. This is a relatively minor procedure and can be done safely at home, provided you disinfect properly. Dermarolling is a safe alternative for people with skin too thin to have laser treatment.

Individual deep wrinkles: Glabella wrinkles (between the eyebrows) and deep forehead wrinkles: Use our single needle instrument.

Loose skin: 1.5 mm. Anywhere on the body including the neck, the back of the hands, arms, abdomen, thighs etc. In the early stages of skin laxity, it can postpone or even replace a facelift. Sensitive areas with thin skin such as the neck need only 0.5 mm.

Sun damaged skin: 1.0 to 1,5 mm.

Pigmentation spots: 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm (not to be used on moles!).

Enlarged pores: 1.5 mm.

Scars: All scar treatment requires a dermaroller with 1.5 mm needles and benefit greatly from our single needle instrument to locally crush the scar tissue deeper and with a greater prick density. Look at some single needle results.

Stretchmarks:  Become less indented, less wide and the original skin color may be partially restored.

Acne scarring: Become less indented.

With deep acne scars, 1.5 mm is often not enough and 2.5 mm is required, but this is impossible to do safely at home with a dermaroller. Therefore, we supply a single needle of the right specifications (0.25 mm diameter, long taper, gamma-sterilized) to be used for home needling.

Surgical or atrophic scars: (Not keloid scars) - will soften and the original skin color may be partially restored.

Hypertrophic burn scars: Should be done by professionals, we do not recommend self treatment.

Dermarolling instructions

0.20 or 0.25 mm long needles:

Put the skin care product on your skin, then roll it in with the dermaroller. Alternatively, you can first roll the skin and then apply the skin care product.

0.5 mm and above:

Take a shower or wash the to-be-rolled area.
Wipe the rolling environment (table etc) with alcohol.
Wipe the skin and your hands with disinfecting alcohol. Alcohol will evapo-rate in a few minutes.
If you like, apply an ice-pack or numbing cream. Remove the numbing cream with alcohol before rolling.
When using ice-packs, clean them with alcohol before applying.
When rolling, stretch the skin by pulling it with your other hand – it will make needle penetration much easier.

Roll in a star pattern: maximum five times horizontally, 5 times vertically, 5 times diagonally. Roll the dermaroller around five times in each direction. Back and forth equals two rolls. Lift the dermaroller slightly or change the angle of rolling and move back to the beginning. This ensures that you will not hit the same prick channel. Use medium pressure – but very light pressure around your eyes, especially with needles longer than 0.5 mm!

Try to spread the pricks evenly. You could first only roll the entire skin area horizontally, when you’ve covered all skin that you want to treat, you roll vertically, and finally diagonally (across). Use whatever technique you are comfortable with, as long as it spreads the number of pricks per sq. inch / cm2 more or less evenly.

Dermarolling after-care

If you roll with 0.5 mm needles or shorter, no special after care is needed.

If you roll with needles longer than 0.5 mm, the skin will turn red (like sunburn), sensitive and might get slightly swollen for several hours. Keep the area moist. For the first couple of days, the best choice is to cover the area with a very thin layer of an occlusive ointment that contains vit. A. and D.  Do not expose the rolled areas to the sun for several days and thereafter, use a sunscreen lotion with a high protective factor. Wait two or three days with applying makeup as well.

The rolled area might start “peeling” after some days. Don’t pick at the loose skin.
Collagen production is a very slow process and it can’t be rushed. Do not expect miracles too soon. It can take up to 10 months to get substantial results.

How to clean a dermaroller

0.20 or 0.25 mm dermaroller:

After each use, soak the dermaroller for ten minutes in a mixture of warm water and dishwashing liquid. Air-dry.

0.5 mm and above:

Wash the dermaroller in warm water and dishwashing liquid, taking great care not to bend the needles. Then soak it in disinfecting alcohol for 20 minutes. Discard the alcohol. Air- dry. Put back into container. Keep the container clean with hot water but do not use any cloth or sponge to clean it since those are full of bacteria.

How often to roll the skin?

Rules of thumb: A 0.2 mm or 0.25 mm roller can be used every second day. A 0.5 mm roller can be used once a week. A 1.0 mm roller can be used once per three weeks. A 1.5 mm roller should not be used more often than once every 5 weeks.

Dermarolling in detail

Read our detailed dermarolling instructions that come with our dermarolling kit, containing an ointment with vitamin A & D, vitamin C powder and two single needles for individual treatment of stretchmarks and acne scars.