What is Microneedling? And How Can It Make Me Look Younger?

A couple weeks ago someone mentioned to me that they use tiny needles on their face in order to improve the look of their skin.

Ouch, was my first thought.

Trust me, I love myself a good beauty treatment, but as someone with sensitive skin, the idea of running needles across my face seemed like the worst idea possible. But, since hearing about this beauty hack, it appears more and more people are talking about it.

It’s called microneedling or dermarolling, and essentially, what you do is run a tiny tool, called a dermaroller, across your face. The dermaroller looks like a paint brush, except it’s covered in small needles.

Here’s an image to give you an idea: 

Image via Dermaroller Shop

So why exactly would you want to run needles across your face? Well, good question.

There are two primary reasons to try microneedling:

1. Microneedling opens up your pores

When you penetrate the skin with the tiny needles of the dermaroller, you’re opening up your pores, which allows any products you use on your face to dive deeper into your skin. This is especially beneficial if you’re using a high quality skincare product that your skin reacts well to and could use more of.

In particular, you’ll find that allowing your serums to get extra absorption has a positive impact on your skin’s overall glow and youthful appearance.

RELATED: Winter Skincare Tips From Dermatologists To Keep Your Skin Hydrated 

2. Microneedling produces collagen

In addition, when you puncture the skin with the dermaroller, it sends a message to your brain that damage has occurred. The brain’s response is to then produce collagen.

And, if you’ve ever read up on anything beauty related, you likely know that collagen is what gives us that healthy, radiant glow. In other words, you want collagen in your life if you’re looking for that fresh faced glow. 

In other words, you’re temporarily damaging the skin in order to benefit from the process long term.

Important Considerations To Make Before Trying Microneedling

1. There are different forms of microneedling

First off, it’s important to understand that when it comes to microneedling, the procedure done at home versus by a dermatologist is very different.

At home treatment consists of using a dermaroller with needles that are 0.2-1 mm.

While dermarollers in a dermatologist’s office can be as long as 3mm.

Basically, what it boils down to is that at home treatments will help with the absorption of products into your skin, while professional treatment by a dermatologist is more aimed at treating acne scars and fine lines.

Both have their benefits, but just be aware of the difference so you know exactly what to expect from your chosen method.

2. Microneedling is not for everyone

Also, be aware that micro-needling might not be for you if you’re prone to breakouts (never use a dermaroller on active acne!), or if you have highly sensitive skin.

As somebody with extremely sensitive skin, who has personal experience using a product similar to this, I can vouch for sensitive skin not being too pleased with any sort of irritation.

And so, personally, I’m not so sure that micro-needling is in my future, but I definitely see the benefits of trying a procedure like this to help stimulate collagen and product absorption.

If you think your skin can handle it, I would suggest starting slow, and working your way up to larger needles. Who knows, this could be the beauty treatment that makes all the difference in the appearance of your skin.

What do you think? Would you try microneedling? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. And definitely let me know if you’ve tried it, and how it went. Beauty treatments like this fascinate me. 

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