Derma Roller

Okay so this is one of those products that definitely isn't for everyone, and from comments I've seen online it seems pretty divisive, I guess because of how extreme it is. I'd personally say only use it as a last resort, for example if you have acne scarring; particularly the pitted kind. I wouldn't use it myself for anti-aging or if you already have flawless or near flawless skin. It's not that it's horribly risky, but there is of course SOME degree of risk involved when using needles on your skin so proceed with caution and do your research first.

I had small boxcar and rolling acne scars on both cheeks, which were mildly pitted. Foundation didn't cover them, so with nothing to lose I figured I'd fork over $60 for a dermaroller. As of this review I've been micro needling for 2 years (2015 and 16) and it's been an interesting experience, one of the most brutal yet effective beauty tools I've ever used.

I bought my roller from Dermacare Direct after hearing from friends who bought one there. It's lightweight with a clear plastic handle and teal blue head with titanium needles, and came with a sterilizing solution, plastic case and instructions. I read online that a 0.5mm is best to start off with, so that's what I got. I washed my face with gentle soap and some water (don't start out with irritated skin and do not needle open cuts, sores or acne; this is very important). I then put my hair back off my face and sterilized the roller, before rinsing it with hot water and letting it cool.

I then used the roller over my cheeks, pulling the skin taut with my fingers and moving the roller back and forth firmly. I think the thing that freaks a lot of people out about this device is the fact that, to use it *properly* (the way it was intended), there is usually a minor amount of blood drawn, which you can just wipe off with a clean damp washcloth as you go along. The roller works by piercing the skins epidermal and dermal layers; the needles breaking up old scar tissue, the longer the needles the deeper they pierce (though I don't advise going bigger than 1.0mm, even for very pitted skin). The skin then treats the piercings like an injury, and sends new collagen to repair them thus filling in the acne scars. You may hear a faint popping sound as you roll, which can be trippy. I don't like it so I listen to music.

I won't lie, this hurts A LOT imo and if you can get yourself some topical numbing cream, do so. Unfortunately it's hard to get a hold of where I currently live. It feels like what it is: being stabbed with lots of tiny needles. The pain is worth it, however, as I personally did see results. After rolling your skin should look pink and feel tender (like mild sunburn), which will last for around 2 or 3 days before peeling/flaking off.

I leave six weeks in between sessions as the skin needs time to repair itself; apparently the older you are the longer you need to wait, i.e. a twenty one year old may need 6 weeks but a 31 year old may need 9. After the first 3 or 5 rollings my scars began to fill in a little. I kept going every 6 weeks and now, 2 years on, they are all but filled in. A doctor told me when I was 15 that I'd be 'scarred for life' thanks to acne, and it feels awesome to say I have proved her wrong.

So, overall, the dermaroller DOES work, at least on acne scarred skin. It takes time and dedication, pain tolerance and good hygiene to see the results; it is not an insta fix. If you're going to use it, first ask yourself whether your skin is 'bad' enough as this is a drastic measure. Make sure you buy the correct length of roller, preferably a 0.5mm to start out. Sterilize your roller and rinse with hot water before and after using. Buy one that has titanium or stainless steel needles, and preferably a case. I don't personally apply anything after rolling, I just eat almonds for the vitamin E, though if you do apply something it will absorb deeper so its the best time to.

Don't share your roller with anyone, don't use on active acne or if you are taking blood thinning medication, and discontinue use if you have a bad reaction.

PLEASE RESEARCH THE ONE YOU BUY FIRST. some have been known to be too full and do more harm than good. I am starting out with the .25 and so far I like it I have been using everyday with my cream cleanser on or right after toning with whitchhazel. my skin seems to be calmer and less irritated. the scars are definitely fading, with the help of my kinda home fixed toner. if you want to go a bigger size make sure you start our with .25 and after a while maybe buy a .5 (better for collagen production) but anything above that I would leave to a professional. I feel like it is very risky and easier to damage skin. what I did with the toner I bought a full size bottle of toner and added 3-5 drops of lavender (just a hint of the smell) and shook it. lavender oil has been known to help scars fade and calm current blemishes.

Okay so this is one of those products that was about $10 on Amazon that I had to try.
I bought it about 6 months ago after an acne breakout turned into a staph infection that countless trips to the clinic and being told it's nothing, stop picking it, ended leaving round, flat indentations on my cheeks and chin.
You need to do some research on size, I went .05 mm which is middle of the road because I wasn't sure what the manufacturer defined mild to moderate scarring. And there is also titanium, surgical steel to consider which not all of these seem to be made of and then there is cleaning to do before and after of the device. I use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and hot water before and after use. I have heard of these getting rusty.
Then how often to use it. Too much and it irritates the skin and actually makes me break out in pimples with clear fluid. Too hard and the redness lasts for a day or two. Not hard enough and it does nothing.
I use it once a week. About 5 rolls back and forth horizontally and 5 vertically.
I decided to use it on an old chicken pox scar that sits in the middle of my forehead like a third eye.
The results? The old chicken pox scar is almost completely gone. What you can still see of it is no longer perfectly round but starting to fill in.
The other scarring is also starting to fill in albeit much more slowly. But it does work. This is one of those long term treatments.
I would repurchase but am considering the longer needles for the deeper scars.

Amazing results! I love this tool!!!! Must buy!
I didn't expect it to give me such wonderful results. I bought a cheap copy on eBay for about 5-10 dollars. I honestly think it is not worth getting a brand derma roller. Although I don't own the original, I think the one I bought on eBay is just as good. I started off with the 0.5mm size but I feel it wasn't doing much for my skin. I needed something more...so I bought the 1.0mm. It really depends on your skin though. Although the 0.5mm didn't do much for me, it could do wonders for someone else with my sensitive skin. But, I do recommend that everyone start off with the 0.5mm, which is the smallest size. So you skin can get use to it. My skin just got use to it really fast, so I went up to the 1.0mm. To see results, you need to use it continuously. I got lazy and stoped using it but when I was using it. My skin has never looked so good! EVER! Usually skin products do nothing for me, I feel like majority of skin care is not potent enough for my skin. Usually manual skin related products work well for me so I was really interested in the derma roller. So glad I decided to try it out!

This is good for smoothing out the overall skin and for acne marks. I just started not too long ago so I can't say it's a life changing product, but I feel like my skin has gotten thicker and fuller with collagen after using this. Make sure to put it in rubbing alcohol to disinfect before using it. And then do it again after you use it! I suggest you use it a few times (10 times max) and then move onto a new one. Amazon has cheap ones that you can get often rather than spending a lot on one

Use a vitamin C after this, as your skin will repair much better with a vitamin C serum

This is the only thing that ever cleared up my acne marks. I started using the 0.5mm and now moving up to 0.75mm hope the improvements continues!

I think derma rollers are great, but you have to be careful and buy good quality. The first set I bought was a 4-piece titanium set by Youyaner for about $30, and it's fantastic. High quality, lots of good information & instructions came with it, and I get good results that you can see right away. The needles are thin and don't leave marks on me. I then bought a 3-piece set by DRS for $9. It was advertised as having titanium needles, but there is nothing on the box that says titanium or anything else for that matter. I bought this one because it includes a large body roller and I thought it would save time when working on my legs. Thank God I didn't try this on my face first. It feels really scratchy compared to the Youyaner, and even though I was careful, it left horrible red scratch marks all over my legs that lasted for over a week. It looks like I had a run-in with Freddie Kruger. I tested the 1mm needles of both brands on my arms, and there's no comparison: the cheaper one is scratchy and leaves marks. The more expensive one feels like medical grade equipment. These aren't very expensive anyway, so do your research and buy the best quality that you can. I'm throwing the cheap ones away.

I bought this derma roller online for $20 AUD. It looks scary as f**k😂 I was really paranoid about infection etc so asked my paramedic ex about what to clean it with etc. So i also bought surgical grade isopropyl alcohol (transferred to a spray bottle). I thought id need numbing cream but once you get used to the feeling of it, its honestly not that bad. I bought this for scarring i received after a laser session. i have a small birthmark on my face and as im half indian, my skin is very easily burnt with lasers. it makes me so self concious. Im 27 and want a smooth looking face as does every woman. The treatment left my face feeling on fire for an hour afterward, but it wasn't too bad. i applied some rosehip oil too though next time i might try going without any products to let my skin go through the healing process naturally. ive only done the one treatment so far but its made a difference in the texture of my skin. i do think this is going to work with filling my scars in based solely on the results i have already had. Will definitely keep using this, and i wish I'd known about it sooner!!

I suffered from cystic acne on both my cheeks. After the acne were gone, they left horrible but shallow red pitted scars. About 30% of the redness went away after I applied calamine lotion on it, but the red pitted scars never left. I decided to try derma rolling even though I was skeptical about it. I bought one at $9 on qoo10 and its the MRM brand and the quality is quite good tbh. I used isopropyl alcohol to sanitize it by dipping it in a small container for 10-15 min and then dipped in it hot water. I used the 0.75mm once every 3 weeks. The results are very very slow and I actually only managed to see results like in the 2nd to 3rd month of derma rolling! SO PATIENCE IS KEY.. My pitted scars are actually 65 % gone after 3 sessions of rolling. The redness after rolling usually last half a day for me and I apply nothing to my face after rolling!

These are the claims:

Remove years from your appearance and promote younger looking skin by increasing collagen production. Collagen has been found to decrease wrinkles, smooth fine lines, regain skin elasticity, and minimize acne scarring.
♥ Increase absorption of your favorite skincare products such as Retinol, Vitamin C Serum, Hyaluronic Acid, and Cocoa Butter.
♥ Works on all of your problem areas. Minimize stretch marks, eliminate cellulite, and even shrink enlarged pores.
♥ You really can look years younger...in just 1 painless and safe session.
♥ In this offer, you'll receive a gorgeous golden 0.5 mm Titanium Needle DermaRoller with a special travel case with an exclusive instructional manual.

Honestly, I liked it but I didn't see a difference in stretch marks or reducing size of pores. Maybe it helps your body absorb nutrients that you put on your skin but it is hard to tell. I won't repurchase because this lasts a long time and I didn't see a difference.