How to do microneedling at home without damaging your skin?

This treatment, which consists of using a roller covered with fine needles to deeply regenerate your skin, is no longer just reserved for institutes and can be done directly in your bathroom. Is it safe? What precautions to take? Lighting for homemade microneedling.

Tempting, microneedling promises to erase acne scars, sober up the complexion, blur dilated pores or even reduce the signs of aging. Initially offered in an institute, this treatment can now be practiced at home. Provided you take a few precautions. Because who says microneedling says micro-needles.

To achieve this, you will indeed need to equip yourself with a tool called a dermaroller. This small roller is covered with needles which, as they pass over the skin, will create a slight inflammation of the epidermis to boost cell renewal.

“Be very clear: using a derma roller at home can be dangerous and damage your skin if the treatment is not carried out correctly”, warns journalist Alexis Gaskins, who asked for expert advice from beautician Kerry Benjamin for the American edition of Marie Claire .

Microneedling at home: how to proceed?

To perform microneedling at home, you must first of all have a dermaroller “with 0.2 mm needles”, recommends Kerry Benjamin. Rollers with larger needle sizes are reserved for beauty and medical professionals. Also, we avoid getting it on dark aesthetic sites or from unreliable dealers. Stacked Skin – a brand of skincare and beauty tools developed by Kerry Benjamin – offers a model suitable for non-professional use on its eshop.

Then, it is essential to make sure that our skin will withstand the treatment. Avoid homemade microneedling in case of acne with purulent pimples, rosacea, herpes, sunburn, open wounds on the face, pregnancy and when taking anticoagulants.

Before using the dermaroller , disinfect it with an antiseptic solution (if it is not for single use) and remember to check that the needles are not blunt (in case of use regular dermaroller ). After scrupulously cleaning your skin, roll the dermaroller vertically, diagonally and horizontally, 2 to 3 times on these four areas of the face: forehead, cheeks, lips/chin and neck.

And if we feel like pressing the dermaroller on the skin, thinking of increasing the effectiveness of the treatment, we immediately forget this idea. “Not only can you cause bruising by putting too much pressure on, poor technique can easily create micro-tears in the skin, leading to scarring and hyperpigmentation,” warns skin specialist Lisa Montlake, in a Refinery29 UK article.

We finish by applying a serum based on hyaluronic acid, a moisturizing and plumping active ingredient that needs no introduction, followed by a soothing and moisturizing cream. On the other hand, care should be avoided based on irritating active ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C. “It can be very active and unstable and cause a lot of irritation, especially because it penetrates deeper into the skin”, warns Kerry Benjamin.

How often do you do microneedling at home? Like the facial scrub, it is done only once or twice a week, depending on the sensitivity and reactivity of your skin.