I've had one professional microneedling session with an aesthetician, but the cost of $675 per session is beyond what my teacher salary permits, so I decided to find the device and use it at home.
I decided on the Dr. Pen, A1 model, which costs about $70.
Other items I use:
Rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, antibiotic ointment, hyaluronic acid gel -- AND numbing cream.
I've purchased three different types of numbing cream, and the only one I've found that really works well enough for me is LMX numbing cream. I have the 4% now, but I'll buy 5% next time, even though it's for 'other' uses.
Preparation:
I follow the precautions and steps used at my derm's office, which are critically important for avoiding an infection!
1. Disinfect all equipment by soaking or wiping down with alcohol. My cartridges come in pre-sanitized packets, but they can be re-used up to four times, so I disinfect by soaking in 70% rubbing alcohol after each use and prior to the next use.
2. Thoroughly wash hands and cleanse face of sunscreen, makeup, etc.
3. Apply numbing cream and wait for 30+ minutes. Don't cheat here, or you'll regret it.
4. Remove numbing cream with water/damp cloth, and rewash hands
5. Donning rubber gloves now offers the most protection; either way, I'm cognizant of what I touch. Even touching my hair picks up bacteria that can transfer to the wound area
6. Disinfect facial skin with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. I do NOT skip this step.
7. Apply hyaluronic acid gel; this allows for easier movement of the device needles on the skin, but I always make sure my product is new (don't want any bacteria here); I use Swanson's Hyaluronic Acid Serum because it's simple without added ingredients
8. Determine the needle length for the section of face; a chart with this data accompanies the device.
Procedure:
1. I move in small, circular motions, reapplying gel and adjusting needle length as needed, as performed at my derm's office
2. I perform 4-6 rotations in each small section, which takes me about 20-30 minutes, or a bit more, to do most of my face. Note: I usually see small pins of blood every time. I do not stop or wipe off the blood; I just keep gently moving unless I need to adjust length or apply slip agent.
3. I use the .75mm on my cheeks and 1mm around my mouth. I usually can''t feel anything on my cheeks, but above my lip is more sensitive. Interestingly, my cheeks stay red longer, but around my mouth is usually just a bit pink.
4. Although the professional used the pen on my nose at the derm's office, I avoid that area because there are too many ridges that I am not proficient enough to do without injury. I could probably do the creases on the sides.
5. When I'm finished, I lightly cleanse the area with a moist cotton ball (and water)
6. Apply antibiotic ointment
7. I would apply sunscreen, but I always do this just before bed for the most healing time immediately afterward.
Other Serums:
Some people like to apply serums before the ointment, but I've read that it's not always safe. I wouldn't risk it since the skin is so vulnerable to infection at this stage. It's just not worth it to me.
How Often?
Several sources say to wait at least two weeks between sessions. Here's a quote from the DermaPen site, the makers of the device used by my derm's office: "The healing, inflammation, and collagenesis processes must take place for the benefits of microneedling to become evident. Collagenesis peaks at 14 days after treatment. Thus, a period of 14 – 30 days should elapse before a repeated microneedling treatment."
This picture is from day 2 after my most recent DIY microneedling with Dr. Pen: Cheeks look pink but they're fairly bright pink IRL; around my mouth is barely pink IRL and swollen. I also did my forehead, but you can't see it well here.
For more information on using Dr. Pen, there are videos online to observe the procedure performed by a trained aesthetician. I also recommend having a trained professional perform any procedure like this, at least once, those who want to try it.
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