How to clean a derma roller? We get this question almost daily, and it's surprising how many people do it incorrectly and unsafely.
Today we dive into the whole process of how to sterilise your derma roller so you can have a safe derma rolling experience.
How To Clean Your Derma Roller?
There's only one correct way to clean a derma roller: an isopropyl alcohol solution of 70% or more.
If it's less than 70%, it will not sterilise the roller properly, and you will risk a short-term skin irritation or infection.
What Alcohol To Use?
You should use an isopropyl alcohol solution of 70% or more. The brand does not matter, but the percentage of alcohol does.
Look for a brand that doesn't contain any extras such as fragrances.
You can see our Derma Roller Cleaner Here.
Most people stick to a 70% product as this can be found in almost all grocery stores and chemists.
However, if you have a 90%+ solution, that's also OK to use.
The main difference is the higher the percentage, the faster it will dry.
Dermaroller Cleaning Steps
Step 1 - Check The Derma Roller
Remove the derma roller from its case and give it a quick look to ensure the needles are in perfect condition.
The needles should be perfect if it's your first time using them, but it's a good habit to check them every time.
Manufacturing errors or accidentally bending a needle when you use it might mean you end up with a derma roller that is unsafe to use.
Step 2 - Sterilise The Derma Roller with Isopropyl Alcohol
Now that you've checked the head and the needles all appear in good condition, you can move on to sterilising the derma roller head.
Grab your isopropyl alcohol solution and proceed to sterilise the head. We want to kill the bacteria that could be present on the roller head.
If your alcohol is in a spray version, simply spray it generously all over the head to ensure every part of it is covered.
If your alcohol is in bulk liquid form, simply pour some into a small dish and let the derma rollers head soak in it for a couple of minutes.
Step 3 - Allow To Air Dry
After cleaning the derma roller, you can rest it in its case and allow the alcohol to dry.
This should only take a few minutes then you're ready to start using it.
Do not rest it on a paper towel or any other unclean surface; let the head air dry without touching anything.
This can be achieved by putting the derma roller upside down on a surface. Putting the handle or container upside down means the roller head will not touch any surface.
If you don't allow the isopropyl alcohol to dry, you may get a little sting when using the derma roller, but this is nothing to worry about.
Step 4 - Rinse With Water & Sterilise Again
After your rolling session, you should rinse the derma roller under cool water to remove residue, blood or oil and then repeat the sterilisation before packing it safely in its case or container, ready to be used next time.
That's how you clean a derma roller at home with isopropyl alcohol. Now, let's examine why the process differs when cleaning before or after use.
Dermaroller Cleaning Before & After Use
How To Clean a Derma Roller Before Use?
As mentioned above, you should check, clean, and dry your derma roller before using it. This ensures its clean and safe to use.
How To Clean a Derma Roller After Use?
After using a derma roller, we have one extra step. We rinse the derma roller under cool water before we sterilise it again.
Rinsing means we remove any skin or debris that might now be caught in the needles.
Then we can sterilise it as we usually would, before packing it away in its case or plastic container.
Derma Roller Cleaning Myths Answered
How to Clean a Derma Roller Without Alcohol?
If you want a clean derma roller, you need to use isopropyl alcohol, commonly called rubbing alcohol.
Using hot water or other chemicals will not leave you with a clean derma roller, and your derma rolling experience will become unsafe.
Can I Clean My Derma Roller with Boiling Water?
Boiling water indeed kills most bacteria, but when cleaning your micro derma roller, you need to factor in that besides the needles, it's also made of plastic.
Using boiling hot water on plastic is not a good idea as this can damage it.
How To Clean a Derma Roller with Dettol?
Don't do this! Dettol contains highly toxic chloroxylenol, which means if it gets under your skin, you'll most likely end up with some rash, redness or even some swelling.
Save yourself the pain and clean your derma roller the correct way.
How To Sanitise a Derma Roller Or Clean It with Sanitizer?
If you're asking yourself, how do I sanitize a derma roller? Then you must ensure you fully understand the difference between sanitization and sterilisation.
We should never sanitize a derma roller. Sanitizing reduces microorganisms; sterilizing removes all microorganisms from the derma roller.
How To Disinfect a Derma Roller?
Disinfection is the same as sanitizing. Your goal should be to sterilise the derma roller completely. Not disinfect/sanitise it.
Using a disinfectant is the wrong way to go about things.
Disinfecting reduces microorganisms; sterilizing removes all microorganisms from the derma roller.
Can You Clean a Derma Roller with Hydrogen Peroxide?
Despite what you might have read online, cleaning with peroxide is one of the worst ways to do it.
This comes back to the use of plastics in derma rollers and the hydrogen peroxide not reacting well with it.
Trust us when we say - You don't want to do this!
Can You Clean a Derma Roller with Soapy Water?
Soapy water or warm water is not a suitable cleaning method. Water contains bacteria, and soap usually contains other ingredients you likely don't want to get under your skin.
We don't want to wash the dermal roller; we want to sterilize it.
Can You Clean a Derma Roller with a Soft Toothbrush?
No! The needles on a derma roller are exceptionally delicate, and bending just one of these microneedles means the derma roller can no longer be used.
Simply rinse the derma roller under cool water if you have any skin cells or debris.
Using a toothbrush or clean sponge should be avoided at all times.
Can You Clean a Dermaroller with Denture Tablets?
No! Denture tablets contain ingredients that are not made for sterilising needles.
They usually contain some type of sodium or other toxic ingredients. Stick to a product that is made for cleaning needles.
Final Words
We hope this guide on what to use when cleaning your micro needling derma rollers has been helpful.
Feel free to check out our 100% Isopropyl Alcohol Derma Roller Cleaner.
Who would have thought that learning about how to kill bacteria would be so interesting?
Now let's go derma roll our skin in the most effective way possible.