Read on for my thoughts on this popular procedure and the DIY culture surrounding it.
Many skincare trends come and go, but microneedling is the one that just won’t quit. Is it the ‘miracle treatment’ ticket to perfect skin or an expensive way to make things worse? Depending on where your skin is at and what you want to treat, it could be a bit of both. Image by Freepik.
Microneedling has taken the aesthetics world by storm, and for good reason. There aren’t many cosmetic procedures out there that claim to work solely by harnessing your body’s own repair machinery and claim to improve both skin and hair.
It’s a bit like gaming a system, isn’t it? Which I think is partly why so many people are enamoured with the idea – who doesn’t love a ‘natural’ result?
And that also might be why the benefits can be overblown as well.
What Can Microneedling Really Do?
Microneedling is best known for its ability to improve skin texture, scarring, and it has gained ‘traction’ for its potential to improve hair growth.
The simplest explanation for how punching microscopic needles into your skin helps things is that it tricks your body’s repair system into ‘getting off the couch and going to work’. In response to the ‘microwounds’, growth factors, keratinocytes, and fibroblasts are recruited and kicked into high gear and, as they repair things, improvements are made. Collagen is (hopefully) increased (improving the appearance of fine lines and texture), pigmentation can be resolved, and – in the case of superficial scarring (like acne) – the controlled wounding can lead to collagen being laid more uniformly, improving the appearance.
Where the hair is concerned, microneedling induced microinjuries can (for the right candidate) help improve hair growth by increasing blood flow and triggering the recruitment of growth factors to the scalp and hair follicle, and the results are amplified by combining the treatment with PRP. While it’s not a replacement for hair loss medical therapy, if you’ve got the time, budget, and inclination to experiment (safely) microneedling might just be a good fit for you. Think of it more as a ‘booster’ for other treatments.
Microneedling has become popular as a tool for hair growth. Though it’s a promising treatment, it’s not a replacement for medical therapy and best left to the office professionals. Image by Freepik.
However, despite the promise, microneedling for the skin or hair is not risk free. For example, if you’re experiencing scarring alopecia, are prone to keloid scars, have active inflammation or acne, or have the procedure performed too often (or with the wrong device or too deep) microneedling can set you back and do potentially permanent damage.
It’s also not for all scar types. I actually don’t recommend microneedling for lip lift scars because – in my experience – it just doesn’t have great efficacy and can lead to an indented scar. There are other, better ways to address this tricky area.
DIY Microneedling Culture
There’s no way we could get out of a discussion on microneedling without addressing at home rollers. There’s a reason most of the ‘microneedling’ devices you find at reputable beauty outlets (the GloPRO at Sephora, Ulta’s Ora, and Qure’s microneedle and serum system) sport a needle depth of no more than 0.5 mm and use terms such as ‘microneedle-like’ in their marketing materials, and it’s likely because the legality of these kinds of devices is… a bit of a quagmire. Technically, they’re not really ‘microneedling devices’ – or not as far as the FDA is concerned. Rather, they’re considered ‘cosmetic treatments’, as they use shallower needles and keep their claims to ‘improving serum penetration’ and helping with ‘exfoliation’.
If you’ve been looking into microneedling, chances are you’ve come across one of these popular ‘rollers’. Available online from respectable (and not so respectable) retailers, I don’t recommend. The rolling motion can tear skin and increase the chance of scarring. They’re legality is also a questionable point. Image by wirestock for Freepik.
True microneedling devices in both the US and Canada are considered ‘medical devices’, which means they’re highly regulated. Those deeper microneedling stamps, motorized pens, and rollers up to 2 mm sold directly to consumers online? Health Canada and the FDA have issued warnings to consumers over a number of them – and for good reason. Devices that penetrate past even a 0.3 mm mark can pose increased risks of infection and scarring. And even the devices that fall below 0.3 mm can cause serious problems if not used as directed, and that’s not considering unregulated manufacturing processes and the potential for metal contamination.
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So, where does that leave my recommendation? Though the devices sold through retailers like Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta are unlikely to cause serious problems, it’s just too easy to over and misuse them, and they just can’t deliver great results. Though many claim to be a lower cost option to in office treatment, I’m not sure that the math works out for me. You probably won’t see impressive changes, so are you actually saving money, or throwing it away? The majority of devices sold for at home use are also rollers, which I am not a fan of because of the potential to drag, pull skin, and damage hair. Stamps are much more effective, but again, for best results (and bang for your buck) you should really be seeing a provider who is qualified, trained, and using a real, FDA approved microneedling device – and the qualified part is also very important.
Word of caution while seeking out a professional for a microneedling procedures: avoid deals that seem too good to be true. Just because a place looks nice and has people dressed in professional outfits doesn’t mean it’s licensed. And run if they ask you to meet them in a hotel room! Image by senivpetro for Freepik.
Not to fear monger, but microneedling breaks the skin and induces bleeding. That could put you at risk for bacterial infections and blood borne diseases (staph, HIV, Hepatitis C) if equipment isn’t cleaned properly. We usually think of these nightmare scenarios as happening overseas, but we’re seeing a frightening rise in the USA of people contracting these illnesses from bad players in the aesthetics market – there have been incidences of HIV from vampire facials, black market botulinum putting people in the hospital, and life threatening, hard to treat bacterial infections originating from contaminated products and dirty equipment.
And don’t kid yourself – even if you’re performing these treatments at home, there can be a risk.
At the end of the day, money spent on devices that can’t deliver isn’t saved, it’s wasted. Gentle skincare, consulting experts when you need to address something, and an affordable skincare routine that includes gentle products and takes into consideration sun protection/avoidance will serve you better than a plastic roller any day.
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