Hi, I'd like to share my experience of the 1.0mm derma roller, as an at home skin treatment for general skin ageing.
I've always had good skin, and I've always looked younger than my age. However when I hit 49 I saw an abrupt change - I started to develop crows feet and crepyness around my eyes and a general lack of firmness and elasticity over the whole face.
I'm not a great believer in drastic solutions like surgery (which I think can make you look older) so I did some research and was intrigued by what I read about skin needling. After several weeks of reading I purchased a generic (but good quality and well reviewed) 1.0mm roller from Amazon. This was very cheap, coming in at around £10. I read lots of reviews and instructions on how to use the device correctly and carried out my first at home treatment in November 2014. Because I hadn't done this before it was a little alarming - my skin went bright scarlet and there was a little pinpoint bleeding. There was also a popping noise when used on my forehead. I would not describe the experience as painful, but it was uncomfortable (but no need for any numbing creams). Took about 15 minutes to do all of my face). Afterwards I applied a mixture of E45 cream and rosehip oil which was very soothing, but my skin became extremely dry over the next few days and had to be moisturised constantly (I resorted to organic olive oil, which worked well). The redness subsided a few hours following the treatment, but my skin was a little pink for a couple of days. It also felt a bit crusty and peeled somewhat.
A couple of weeks later I did start to see a bit of a difference - my skin had a nice glow and looked firmer. After around six to eight weeks went by, I repeated the treatment. I saw better results this time - particularly with firmness. I'd read that the results can take several months to appear so I repeated the treatments every few weeks for one year. I would say that optimum results were achieved after the third session. I saw an improvement in fine lines and firmness. I still have crows feet, but the crepyness is greatly improved. I have not seen an improvement in my frown line on my forehead but my Naso labial folds have definitely improved due to the tightening action of the treatment, likewise my jaw line. After repeating the treatments every few weeks last year I will now continue a maintenance programme of rollering once every three months. I no longer have bags under my eyes and I do feel that I look a bit better than I did.
I would say that I have seen real benefits on the backs of my hands. The skin on my hands had started to look loose and thin and lined, quite unpleasant actually. After just one rollering session the results were noticeable in terms of firmness and tightening. I will continue to roller my hands periodically.
I have also applied to roller to my neck and decollete and to some old stretchmarks at the top of my inner thighs. The firming benefits were good, even after one attempt. Results seem to be permanent.
Everyone is different, but I think rollering can be very worthwhile. The trick is to do your research, but this in itself can be confusing, particularly with respect to frequency. I always take a cautious approach (after all, we only have one face) so I allow a good few weeks between treatments and I would not use needles longer than 1.0mm. Don't expect miracles on deep wrinkles, but fine lines and laxity can be improved for most people, from what I've seen.
Obvious as this sounds, cleanliness is paramount. I always cleanse the relevant area first, following with a gentle wipe over the skin with rubbing alcohol or skin tonic with a high alcohol content. I disinfect the roller with alcohol beforehand. After use I clean the roller in hot soapy water then I allow it to air dry before spraying with alcohol and storing.
After a few months I introduced 0.05% tretinoin into my skincare regime as an adjunctive treatment for surface texture and age spots. This doesn't seem to have done a great deal as yet, but my skin does feel softer.
I've always had good skin, and I've always looked younger than my age. However when I hit 49 I saw an abrupt change - I started to develop crows feet and crepyness around my eyes and a general lack of firmness and elasticity over the whole face.
I'm not a great believer in drastic solutions like surgery (which I think can make you look older) so I did some research and was intrigued by what I read about skin needling. After several weeks of reading I purchased a generic (but good quality and well reviewed) 1.0mm roller from Amazon. This was very cheap, coming in at around £10. I read lots of reviews and instructions on how to use the device correctly and carried out my first at home treatment in November 2014. Because I hadn't done this before it was a little alarming - my skin went bright scarlet and there was a little pinpoint bleeding. There was also a popping noise when used on my forehead. I would not describe the experience as painful, but it was uncomfortable (but no need for any numbing creams). Took about 15 minutes to do all of my face). Afterwards I applied a mixture of E45 cream and rosehip oil which was very soothing, but my skin became extremely dry over the next few days and had to be moisturised constantly (I resorted to organic olive oil, which worked well). The redness subsided a few hours following the treatment, but my skin was a little pink for a couple of days. It also felt a bit crusty and peeled somewhat.
A couple of weeks later I did start to see a bit of a difference - my skin had a nice glow and looked firmer. After around six to eight weeks went by, I repeated the treatment. I saw better results this time - particularly with firmness. I'd read that the results can take several months to appear so I repeated the treatments every few weeks for one year. I would say that optimum results were achieved after the third session. I saw an improvement in fine lines and firmness. I still have crows feet, but the crepyness is greatly improved. I have not seen an improvement in my frown line on my forehead but my Naso labial folds have definitely improved due to the tightening action of the treatment, likewise my jaw line. After repeating the treatments every few weeks last year I will now continue a maintenance programme of rollering once every three months. I no longer have bags under my eyes and I do feel that I look a bit better than I did.
I would say that I have seen real benefits on the backs of my hands. The skin on my hands had started to look loose and thin and lined, quite unpleasant actually. After just one rollering session the results were noticeable in terms of firmness and tightening. I will continue to roller my hands periodically.
I have also applied to roller to my neck and decollete and to some old stretchmarks at the top of my inner thighs. The firming benefits were good, even after one attempt. Results seem to be permanent.
Everyone is different, but I think rollering can be very worthwhile. The trick is to do your research, but this in itself can be confusing, particularly with respect to frequency. I always take a cautious approach (after all, we only have one face) so I allow a good few weeks between treatments and I would not use needles longer than 1.0mm. Don't expect miracles on deep wrinkles, but fine lines and laxity can be improved for most people, from what I've seen.
Obvious as this sounds, cleanliness is paramount. I always cleanse the relevant area first, following with a gentle wipe over the skin with rubbing alcohol or skin tonic with a high alcohol content. I disinfect the roller with alcohol beforehand. After use I clean the roller in hot soapy water then I allow it to air dry before spraying with alcohol and storing.
After a few months I introduced 0.05% tretinoin into my skincare regime as an adjunctive treatment for surface texture and age spots. This doesn't seem to have done a great deal as yet, but my skin does feel softer.
