Derma Roller for Pigmentation
First things first, if you’re brand new you should be starting with the 0.5mm derma roller.
If you really want to speed up your results you should go for our Special Pigmentation Derma Rolling Kit.
The kit comes in Beginner, Standard or Ultimate and is a great way to combine derma rolling with serums that will help speed up your results.
One thing we know is skin, and its why we push so hard on you signing up for a free rolling schedule.
We sit down and create a schedule just for you so that you’ll get the quickest and safest results.
We've had people contact us a few months into treatment wishing they just took the free advice so they hadn't wasted so much time.
So, if you just came from the size choosing tool and chose not to sign up, here is one more chance to make sure you get your free custom-made schedule.
Just click the button below and spend 30 seconds letting us know your goals and we'll come up with a strategy that will improve your skin dramatically.
If you’re still super stubborn and don’t want any personal help, that’s okay! Let’s move onto how to get the best results with your 0.5mm derma roller and when & where to use those larger needle devices such as the 1mm or 1.5mm.
Introduction
The 0.5mm roller is what we like to call “The All-Rounder”.
When it comes to facial rolling it’s the perfect size for almost everything. Most people start with this size and never ever need to go for a larger size, its just unnecessary in most cases.
Here is a face map with the MAXIMUM size you can use for each area on the face – This is very important because rolling with a large needle device in the wrong spot can cause major damage to your skin.
The 0.5mm can be used on all areas of the face without any issues and with complete safety. This is why you should start with it. Its like running 10km a day to lose weight when you could easily lose the weight running just 5km.
The goal is to have the least invasive and pain-free experience with the largest results.
Micro-needling should be looked at as a new part of your monthly schedule, it does wonders for your skin and can slow down the signs of aging as well as fade or regenerate that pigment in your skin.
After 3-6 months or so you’ll start to realise your skin is looking healthier by the day and then maybe you can look to go for a larger needle to push along those stubborn areas.
How Does Micro-Needling Work?
I’m going to warn you, this gets very scientific; So if you don’t want to read this extract I’ll give you the super quick version underneath it, just scroll past and continue on in the guide.
Micropunctures are created using microneedles which produce a controlled skin injury without actually damaging the epidermis. These microinjuries lead to minimal superficial bleeding and set up a wound healing cascade with release of various growth factors such as platelet derived growth factor (PGF), transforming growth factor alpha and beta (TGF-α and TGF-β), connective tissue activating protein, connective tissue growth factor, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF).
The needles also breakdown the old hardened scar strands and allow it to revascularize. Neovascularization and neocollagenesis is initiated by migration and proliferation of fibroblasts and laying down of intercellular matrix. A fibronectin matrix forms after 5 days of injury that determines the deposition of collagen resulting in skin tightening persisting for 5–7 years in the form of collagen III.
The depth of neocollagenesis has been found to be 5–600 µm with a 1.5 mm length needle. Histological examination of the skin treated with 4 microneedling sessions 1 month apart shows upto 400% increase in collagen and elastin deposition at 6 months postoperatively, with a thickened stratum spinosum and normal rete ridges at 1 year postoperatively. Collagen fibre bundles appear to have a normal lattice pattern rather than parallel bundles as in scar tissue. Liebl et al. have proposed another hypothesis to explain how microneedling works. Resting electrical membrane potential of cells is approximately −70 mV, and when needles come near the membrane, the inner electrical potential increases quickly to −100 mV.
This triggers increased cell activity and the release of various proteins, potassium, and growth factors from the cells into the exterior leading to the migration of fibroblasts to the site of injury, and hence, collagen induction. Thus, the needles do not create a wound in a real sense, but rather body cells are fooled into believing that the injury has occurred. The expression of matrix metalloproteinases induced by microneedling is speculated in reduction of hyperpigmentation.
In addition, the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes is downregulated by microneedling in acne patients because it overall balances out the cell equilibrium. However, more research needs to be done to elucidate the chain of events clearly. Microneedling enhances the delivery of various drugs across the skin barrier as it bypasses the stratum corneum and deposits the drug directly up to the vascularized dermis. It has also been shown to cause significant widening of the follicular infundibulum by 47%, which may partly explain the increased penetration of the medication across the skin barrier.
In addition, it removes the scales and sebum residues in the neighbourhood of the infundibulum. Hence, this procedure extrapolates the body's own physiology of wound healing and the new collagen deposition results in skin tightening and filling-up of atrophic scars with an overall better aesthetic appeal since overlying epidermis is not ablated.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Basically, the derma roller needles create hundreds of little punctures which force your skin to rapidly repair itself by creating more collagen. The more collagen you have the better your skin looks. Its as simple as that!
How to use a Derma Roller
Here is a brief introduction on how to use your derma roller. Once you make a purchase we also send you a more in depth instruction manual on how to use your derma roller.
Okay, let’s get into this.
Step 1 - Inspection
Remove it from the packaging carefully and inspect if for any damage or faults. Some things to look out for are:
-Was the packaging seal broken before you opened it?
-Does the wheel spin smoothly?
-Are all the needles straight with no bends or obvious looking faults?
If it all checks out its time to move onto the next step
Step 2 – Sanitisation
Before use you MUST always sanitise the roller to ensure you don’t get any type of infection.
There are many methods to do this but to keep it simple you just need to clean the roller head with an isopropyl alcohol solution. You can find this almost everywhere, common places are Chemists, Bunnings Warehouse, Big-W, Kmart etc.
You with want to soak the roller head in the solution for 5-10mins and then remove and allow to dry or if you have the spray version just spray the roller head generously until fully soaked and allow to dry.
You will also need to make sure that your face has been cleaned thoroughly and if possible use a small amount of rubbing alcohol on your skin to make sure you’re extra sanitary.
Step 3 – Numbing (optional)
Numbing is something that is worth considering if you are using a large needle roller. For the 0.5mm and below you will not need a numbing cream. For 1.5mm and above it is recommended to use one to ensure the slight pain doesn’t stop you from rolling correctly. It comes down to personal preference on using the cream.
You can find numbing cream at places such as Chemist Warehouse.
Its important to clean numbing cream off and use an alcohol solution to wipe down your face before commencing the use of your derma roller.
Step 4 – Rolling
Finally, we’ve made it to the fun part – Let’s get rolling!
While pulling the skin tight to one side gently roll the derma roller over the area you wish to treat 4-5 times vertically, 4-5 times horizontally, 4-5 times diagonally to the left and 4-5 diagonally to the right.
The area will become red and this is 100% normal. Depending on the size needle you use you may experience mild discomfort or even slight bleeding. Bleeding should not happen with sizes under 1.5mm.
Step 5 – Cleansing
Now that you’ve finished rolling you should wash your face with a gentle cleanser and remove any traces of blood. You will most likely feel a tingling sensation, and this is completely normal.
Step 6 – Boosting
The great thing about skin needling is that it boosts the absorption of topical products. Now is the time to apply your favourite serum or moisturizer and watch the magic happen.
If you get great results from your serums or cream now, wait until you see the results when combined with micro-needling.
Step 7 – Resting
This is where the real magic happens, you need to give your skin time to heal and come back stronger than ever with an even glow.
Make sure you follow the instructions in your derma rolling schedule to see how long to wait until your next session.