At-Home Micro-Needling 101

Hellllllo my peoples!

I’ve been running around like a crazy person today, because I’m leaving for New York Fashion Week tomorrow morning at the crack-of-freaking-ass.

“Crack-of-freaking-ass“, for me, translates to 9:15 AM. LOL.

Also “running around like a crazy person” translates to: I got a bikini wax ( completely unnecessary for fashion week, but ok @me ), got some tea at a cafe, had lash extensions put on, lunched at Urth, & got a massage. Like, can you even BELIEVE how stressful that is…..?

I promise I’m not as big of a piece of shit as I’m sounding right now. Sometimes, I’m helpful. Like, for instance, how I’m going to change your life with this sweet at-home beauty treatment.

Enter: Micro-Needling ( also called Dermarolling ).

I’ve seen a lot about micro-needling’s collagen-boosting power on various online sources like Byrdie, Refinery29, & a number of beauty blogs, for quite awhile now. Honestly, it always seemed a little intimidating/torture device-y. Call me crazy, but ( initially ) I wasn’t super into the idea of rolling needles all over my face.

Once I realized that micro-needling wasn’t just a passing skincare fad ( or a torture tactic from the middle ages ), I decided to give it a try. I’m really living on the edge lately. BTW, I’d like to preface the rest of this info with: this process does NOT hurt like crazy, & it doesn’t make your skin bleed or anything dramatic like that. The needles are so, SO tiny.

The benefits of at-home micro-needling include:

1) the tiny pricks allow product to penetrate more deeply, which enhances product’s effects on the skin,
& 2) the micro-injuries created by the needles signal your brain to send collagen to the areas penetrated, creating firmer, healthy skin from the inside-out. At-home micro-needling is an extremely effective way to stop early signs of aging & prevent wrinkles from forming.

Note: if you go to a dermatologist or aesthetician for a micro-needling treatment, they usually use rollers with larger needles, which have the added benefits of repairing acne scars & treating stretch marks.

I bought my micro-needling roller from Stacked Skincare, after I read a Byrdie article on it ( because Byrdie is my JAM ). BTW: this post is not a sponsored advertisement, just really love this product!

The little roller is $30 online, and it looks similar to my cooling ice roller with its handle & rolling wheel. This wheel is covered in tiny needles that are just visible to the eye. The needles on the Stacked Skincare roller are 0.2 mm, which is the needle size experts have agreed upon to be the safest for home-use.

This teeny tiny needle size will help you avoid infection, scarring, & skin damage and sticking to quality needles will better ensure your safety! So, again, I definitely recommend the Stacked Skincare roller, because I trust in the quality.

Also, these tiny needles are safe to use in the delicate under-eye area & over your lips ( HELLO– more natural collagen-building in my LIPS? yes please! ).

Okay, so here’s how the process works:

1. Cleanse face & neck, and dry with a clean towel.
2. Make sure your micro-needle roller is clean! You can submerge your roller in generic rubbing alcohol ( 91% isopropyl alcohol ) & rinse to clean.
3. Apply a serum to your skin & neck. I chose my Radical Skincare Advanced Peptide Antioxidant Serum. I also like using super-hydrating hyaluronic acid ( my FAVORITE! ).
4. Working in sections ( right cheek, left cheek, chin, forehead ), roll your micro-needle roller with light pressure vertically, horizontally, & diagonally across each section. Repeat the process 2-3 times over the same section of skin at most.
5. With clean hands, apply serum over your skin again, & finish with the moisturizer of your choice.
6. I clean my roller after use, & store it in its plastic packaging.

I notice a little redness for a couple hours after micro-needling, but it’s never ridiculously irritating to my skin.

The package suggests that you do this whole process 3-5 times a week, but I’m starting out using my micro-needling roller 1-2 times monthly.

In the last month, I have noticed some improvements in the plumpness/firmness of my skin, so I’m excited to see what happens over the next few months! Verrrrrrrrry interesting, my friends.

Have any of you given this a try? Thoughts? Comments?

Lemme know what y’all think! xx

P

Follow Hustle + Halcyon on Instagram