Archive for October, 2021

With the rise in popularity of micro needling – or derma-rolling as it’s also known – aesthetic nurse prescriber, Carly Pearce, cautions against DIY options

 There has been great interest in the use of dermarollers and their benefit to the skin, but be warned, home dermarollers should be purchased with caution.

 There are varying qualities available on the market and you need to check that the device is sterile, that the needles are the correct length and are of a high quality.

After a quick search for dermarollers online, I found a triple pack for £13.99. The needle depths of the rollers in the pack were 0.5mm, 1.0mm and 1.5mm. And there are a few issues here. I was trained to recommend home roller devices of 0.1 and 0.3mm needle depth. A deeper needle is not appropriate for home use. Without the correct sterilisation of your skin and the roller itself, you could cause an infection. Without adopting the correct technique and using the deeper needles, you may cause an increased level of trauma and even damage skin. This could result in scarring and pigmentation.

There is a precise technique to rollering in order to achieve optimum results and to perform the procedure safely. The devices I saw are not sterile so you have no idea how they are made or where they have been stored – so who knows what bacteria you could potentially be needling into your skin.

As the devices are extremely cheap, it is highly unlikely that the needles will be of a good quality.

 However, a high quality home dermaroller device might be of benefit to the skin by stimulating the epidermis with a short needle length and increasing the absorption of tailored products for your skin. It is important to know what products are suitable for use post procedure as incorrect product choice could result in redness, stinging and evident skin irritation. If you need advice on a suitable home roller, I know an ethical company that uses German engineering to produce high quality devices so please send me a message. 

Derma roller or Electronic Derma stamp (EDS).

This treatment creates vastly different effects to a home roller. The needle depths are greater, and this accounts for the increased effect on the skin and the changes that follow post treatment.

The rollering process creates micro channels of needling, causing a small trauma to the skin to then wake up the cell cycles that go on to stimulate collagen production. This process takes time and a protocol of three treatments – six to eight weeks apart is normally recommended.

If the person has scarring or pigmentation, more sessions may be beneficial. There are again varying levels of quality for clinic devices. Try not to be lured by the discounts – it is your skin, and you want it to look it’s best. Think sterility, quality of roller and the experience of the practitioner.

Micro needling can be performed on most areas; the most treated areas being the face, neck, décolleté and hands for rejuvenation of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, and acne scarring.

I have used the Genuine Derma roller for the treatment of stretch marks and have seen dramatic improvements in them. I always point out at the consultation that there are no guarantees on treatment results and the time the results take may vary from person to person.

My clinical experience has been hugely positive in helping clients change their confidence levels by improving acne scarring, pigmentation, stretch marks and creating luminous and glowing skin. 

In the event of treating acne scarring, I have found the trauma caused by the needling process, encourages the production of collagen which can flatten out the ice pick scarring. This gives the skin a smoother appearance and it has been apparent in clinic that the red coloration left from where blemishes were in the past has improved and resulted in greater skin clarity. The treatment results can have a great effect on the patient’s confidence and self-esteem.

The EDS or Electronic Derma stamp is the next generation in micro needling and is a machine version of the Derma roller. It provides a more comfortable treatment and is one that can be adapted to the different areas of the skin or according to skin need and patient comfort levels.

You can expect post needling for your skin to feel warm, tight and appear red. This will normally resolve within 48 hours. Bespoke products are added to your skin post needling. There is increased absorption of the products due to the micro channels that have been created in the skin. 

In clinic you can have bespoke protocols to intensify your results, this may include chemical peel treatments, Neo elegance advanced LED light and skin boosters. There is great truth that great skin is created by appointment.

Patients often report people telling they people comment that they look well rested, glowing and refreshed. From patient feedback derma rollering is a treatment where no one knows but everyone notices.

Nurse Carly x