A microneedle roller is a roller with microneedles on the surface to pierce the skin. The process of puncturing the skin is called microneedling. The stimulation of the microneedling is said to help the skin to secrete more collagen, which revitalizes the skin. Micro-needling also opens pores and promotes the skin’s absorption of serums and hydration products. Microneedling rollers are mainly used on the face, but other parts of the body can also be treated with microneedling, especially scars. The microneedling roller is very simple to use, but you must clean your skin and roller before and after use.
- Sterilize the roller before use. Microneedling can puncture your skin, so it must be sterilized first. Put the rollers in 70% isopropyl alcohol and soak for 10 minutes.
70% alcohol is better than 99% because the former doesn’t evaporate too quickly.
Pick up the roller after 10 minutes, shake off excess alcohol, and set it aside to dry for a few minutes
- Wash the skin with warm water. Before starting to use a microneedle face roller, you must cleanse your skin. You can carefully cleanse your face with a mild foaming cleanser and the rest of your body with soap or body wash. Clean skin is an essential prerequisite for starting a microneedling roller. As long as you can cleanse your skin, just use your usual facial cleanser or body wash.
But don’t use harsh cleaning products, such as face washes that contain salicylic acid. The milder the cleaning product ingredients, the better.
- If the microneedle of the derma roller is longer, you have to disinfect the skin. The longer the microneedles are, the deeper they pierce, and the easier it is to cause skin inflammation. If you use a roller with microneedles longer than 0.5mm, both the roller and the skin must be sterilized. Gently use a cotton pad dipped in 70% rubbing alcohol and rub all the skin to be microneedled.
- If necessary, apply a little anesthetic cream first. Most people can tolerate the slight tingling sensation of microneedling on the skin, but if you find the pain unbearable, especially if the microneedle is 1mm or more in length, you can start by applying an anesthetic cream to the skin. Apply the lidocaine topical anesthetic cream to the skin and wait 20 minutes before using the roller.
Wipe off excess anesthetic cream before microneedling.
- Roll vertically. Start at the edge of the skin and work your way up and down. If rolling on the face, be careful to avoid the eye sockets. Then lift the roller up and roll the rolled part again. The same area needs to be repeated 6 times. Then move the roller down an area until all skin is fully stimulated.
If the microneedle length is equal to or greater than 1 mm, the skin will bleed slightly. Small bleeding spots are normal, but if there is too much bleeding, stop immediately and switch to shorter microneedles.
- Roll sideways. Starting at the top or bottom of the skin, move the roller horizontally across the skin. After you’ve finished rolling, lift the wheel, start at the starting position, and roll again. Roll the same area 6 times. Then move the roller up or down a little and repeat the process until all skin is fully stimulated.
You can also roll diagonally, but the needles will pierce unevenly.
- The time of using the roller should not exceed 2 minutes. When the roller acts on the face, you have to abide by the above rules. Microneedling is prone to overtime, resulting in over-stimulation of the skin, especially the facial skin. So every time you use the scroll wheel, you want to keep the time under 2 minutes.
- Do microneedling every other day. Using rollers too often can cause skin irritation. Microneedling is performed up to 3 to 5 times a week because the skin needs time to rest. Some people only use a microneedling roller every 6 weeks.
- Wash your face. After you’re done, wash your face. Since you have already washed your face before, this time you just need to clean your face with water. If there is blood on your face, clean your face with a mild cleanser.
- Hydrate the skin. Hydrating the skin after microneedling is good for skin health. For example, applying a mask can both hydrate and repair the skin. You can also apply an anti-aging or anti-wrinkle serum. The rollers have poked holes in the skin so the serum can penetrate deeper.
- Clean the microneedle roller with dishwashing liquid and water. Wash the rollers with dish soap and hot water. Dishwashing liquid is more effective at removing fine skin tissue and blood stains from rollers than other cleaning products. Pour hot water and dishwashing liquid into a clean container, put the roller in and shake it a few times.
- Disinfect the rollers after cleaning. Shake off the excess water first, then soak the roller in 70% isopropyl alcohol. Pick up the roller after 10 minutes, shake off the alcohol, and set it aside to dry. Finally put away the dry face roller.
