We’ve been known to go to great lengths in the name of beauty (remember when I dyed and permed my eyelashes?), but everyone draws the line somewhere. If you consider yourself to be the adventurous type when it comes to this realm of experimentation, I ask you — would you ever stick your face with hundreds of tiny needles to get seriously flawless skin? Your gut reaction may be something along the lines of WTF NO WTFFF, but — brace yourself — this method, called micro-needling or micro-rolling, has become one of the most buzzed-about beauty trends in the industry. We investigate:
As someone who’s a *huge* fan of micro-needling myself (seriously, it’s amazing!), I wanted to learn as much as I could about this practice that seems so scary to some. I chatted with Kerry Benjamin, at-home micro-needling expert and founder of StackedSkincare, a spa and product line designed for use with micro-needling. She explained what micro-needling is, how it can step up your overnight skincare routine game and have you wake up looking gorgeous. Here’s what you need to know about micro-needling.
WHAT MICRO-NEEDLING IS + HOW IT WORKS
To put it simply: Microneedling is a skincare method that involves poking the top layer of your skin with tiny needles so it’s forced to repair itself, leaving it bright and plump. It’s not as intense as it sounds (take it from this wuss), and the results are serious thanks to the use of a special tool. “You use a device that has hundreds of tiny needles on a roller that is used to stimulate collagen and drive active ingredients deeper into your skin for maximum efficacy,” Kerry explained. “The needles stimulate epidermal growth factors to boost collagen and elastin and increase absorption of active ingredients by more than 90%. Basically, this procedure is one of the most powerful and effective ways to stop early signs of aging and prevent new wrinkles from occurring.”
WHAT MICRO-NEEDLING *REALLY* FEELS LIKE
Needless to say, the concept of micro-needling isn’t for everyone — we’re talking about hundreds of tiny needles here. That said, it really doesn’t hurt like you might imagine would, and there is no waiting period after (no, you won’t even come close to bleeding). “You can even do this an hour or two before an event or date night,” Kerry said. “It will instantly plump and hydrate your skin.”
MICRO-NEEDLING MUST-HAVES
Not all micro-needling rollers are created equal. For at-home use, Kerry recommends using a roller with .25 millimeter-sized needles like this Collagen Boosting Micro-Roller ($30) up to five times per week, depending on your skin. A roller this size will give you noticeable results, keep the whole process pain-free and drive the good stuff in your serums deep into your skin. “If you’re buying a skin serum, you should buy a roller, and vice versa,” Kerry said. “They go hand-in-hand and make each other work optimally.” The more you know! Kerry doesn’t suggest using larger needle sizes at home, BTW, because it’s more difficult to use them properly and therefore a greater chance of damaging your skin.
BEST SERUMS TO USE
When you’re in the market for a serum to accompany your micro-roller, Kerry says that “micro-needling works best with serums that contain ingredients such as stem cells, peptides and hyaluronic acid,” she said. “These are the types of ingredients that will maximize the effects of micro-needling because they stimulate collagen, speed up cell turnover, lift hyperpigmentation, smooth out fine lines and firm, plump and hydrate your skin.”
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