Since I started college I’ve been at war with my skin; not just a little fight here and there every few months but a full-on battle. My skin used to be a friend; she never gave me any problems I couldn’t handle. After starting college, we became enemies and nothing I did calmed her down. Diet changes, medications, topicals, estheticians, weird homemade fixes, if you’ve seen it, I have tried it. Nothing had proven to be a success, so I took the risk and gave into dermarolling.
In the past, I had tried microblading, a treatment carried out by an aesthetician. The aesthetician has a machine with a lot of tiny needles that pierce your skin. By the end of it, you look like a tomato ready to burst, and don’t even get me started on the blood and pain! The treatment boosts your collagen production to “heal the skin.” I did this procedure about 3 times but, ultimately, it didn’t work for me, and my skin was not happy with it. As a result, I was a little skeptical when it came to dermarolling.
Dermarolling works like microblading but without the blood and horror. Derma-rolling is a form of micro-needling that uses a wand with mini needles creating little wounds on your skin. However, unlike microblading, dermarolling doesn’t really hurt. The frequency you use it and the results depends on the size of the needles, which can go from 1.5mm to .25 mm. The 1.5mm is used for deeper scars and can be used once every 6 to 8 weeks under professional supervision, as incorrect usage can cause a collagen breakdown in your skin. The .25mm, on the other hand, can be used every day.
Dermarollers are not just for acne scars. They can also be used to target wrinkles, stretch marks, enlarged pores, or to help the products you are using sink deeper into your skin. Importantly, derma-rollers don’t have to be expensive. You can get your derma-roller from online retailers like Ebay or Amazon. Because they come into contact with bacteria on your skin, it’s necessary to learn proper sanitation for these tools if you don’t want to end up causing more acne outbreaks.
I ordered the .25mm needle derma-roller because I wanted to start slow. Before diving into it, there are a few steps you need to carry out. First, I recommend you watch videos about how to use it because using it the wrong way can damage your skin, and nobody wants that. After you’ve watched a few videos, find a serum that works for you, because the serum is an essential part of the process. Last but not least clean your dermaroller with 99% alcohol and get rolling!
The first time I tried it my skin felt tight, sensitive, and really red. The last part never changed but I got used to the tight feeling, and my skin doesn’t feel as sensitive anymore. I’m not going to lie, it’s not a very pleasant feeling given the fact that multiple tiny needles are puncturing your skin, but it’s not all that painful. The good thing is that you control it: you choose how much pressure to use, how much you can handle, and how long you want to do it for.
The first week I couldn’t really see a difference, but that was to be expected. Besides the obvious redness, there wasn’t much difference. The second week, I started using it every day instead of 4-5 times a week. My skin started feeling a little too dry and even started to peel a little. I did some research and found out I wasn’t using the dermaroller the correct way (this is why step one is important), and I was also using the wrong serum. After rolling the correct way and finding the correct serum for my skin, I started to see a difference. My pores looked a lot smaller, my skin felt smoother, and recent acne scars started to disappear. I didn’t have high hopes for derma-rolling, but it jump into it with terribly low expectations either. Although it didn’t miraculously cure my acne, it did help reduce my acne scars and improved the overall texture of my skin. If you aren’t scared of needles, it might be a good tool for you. For now, I will keep it in my routine.