Micro-needling is a general term for a process that involves moving a special device over your skin that has a roller with many tiny (usually metal) needles embedded in it. There are different kinds of micro-needling devices with different product names. One is the manual version of micro-needling called a Dermaroller. There are also motorized devices such as the Dermapen or Dermastamp. For the most part, these micro-needling devices have reasonable science behind them indicating they may help in reducing the appearance of scars, but there’s far less support for their ability to address wrinkles or for their ability to help anti-aging ingredients absorb better into skin. Here are the various options:
Dermapens look exactly like a pen, with a circular head studded with tiny needles. The head and needles are motorized. The motor-driven needles move in and out of the skin in a stamping motion, piercing it with thousands of tiny punctures.
Benefits of Micro-needling and Derma RollersThere are three primary uses for micro-needling devices, but not all of them are beneficial. The first, which has some good research behind it, is to break down the thick collagen that causes some types of scarring.
You may have seen claims that these needling procedures can also reduce cellulite. However, whether or not micro-needling of any kind can work on cellulite is at best dubious. That’s because cellulite involves fat deposits in connective tissue on the legs and buttocks, and needling skin cannot change any of this, not even a little. If you see results on your cellulite from needling, it’s most likely due to the inflammation from the needles, not because cellulite was reduced. Once the inflammation subsides, the cellulite looks just like it did before needling. So the needling can help, but just a little and the results will be temporary.In terms of building collagen, the Dermapen and Dermastamp have emerging research about their benefits for wrinkles as an easy procedure that’s far less expensive than other devices or treatments. In contrast, the Dermaroller has no such research, though again, theoretically there’s logic to the concept.