Have you tried microneedling? Have you ever wanted to try microneedling? Well I went ahead and tried it for you. And let me just say, it is amazing. Sure, you can go to a medical spa and get a treatment there, but that costs anywhere between $200 and $700 per session. For one session! So instead, I bought an at-home microneedling set and I am here to share my own microneedling at home guide.
And let it be known that I am not a doctor, plastic surgeon, or any other kind of medical professional. This post is based on my educational research and personal experiences with microneedling.
I bought my microneedling set during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2019. It was a full set with the microneedling tool as well as two different attachment heads, one for the face and one for the body. Plus a lot of moisturizers and other products. I do recommend getting both the face and the body attachments. I’ll get more into that later.
So what is microneedling?
Microneedling is a procedure that uses small needles (not painful) to prick the skin in order to generate new collagen and skin tissue for smoother, firmer, more toned skin. Microneedling is mostly used on the face to treat wrinkles and large pores, but can also be used on other parts of the body to treat various scars (i.e. stretch marks). (source: Healthine) Microneedling is used to help treat fine lines and wrinkles, large pores, acne scars, age spots/sun spots/dark spots, other kinds of scars (boo-boo’s, ouchies, dog bites, surgery scars, etc.), uneven skintone, stretch marks, reduced skin elasticity, and more.
How do you use microneedling at home?
First you have to have a microneedling tool, please do not stick sewing needles or safety pins into your face. Since microneedling does involve tiny needles and your beautiful face, I recommend splurging a little and getting the high-end microneedling tools. You’re investing in your skin and your face so why not splurge and treat yourself?
You want to use your microneedling tool at night/in the evening. You don’t want to put makeup on after microneedling because the makeup will just soak into your freshly microneedled face and probably cause breakouts.
At night, wash your face with a gentle cleanser, like the TULA Purifying Cleanser, and then use an alcohol-free toner. I use the TULA Pro-Glycolic 10% Resurfacing Toner. Alcohol-free toners are better in general, regardless if you are doing microneedling, because the alcohol will strip your skin of the good bacteria it needs and it can dry out your skin and create more fine lines and wrinkles.
After cleansing and using a toner, grab your microneedling tool. You want to use the microneedling device AFTER you cleanse and use a toner to get rid of any impurities on your skin before microneedling. And you want to use the microneedling tool BEFORE you use your other skincare products. After using the tool your skin has tiny micro holes making it easier to absorb skincare products and therefore making them more effective. The products will soak directly into your skin instead of just sitting on the surface and absorbing that way. That’s also why you want to cleanse and use a toner beforehand so that your skin doesn’t get damaged. You also want to avoid using anything harsh with alcohol in it after microneedling because that can cause irritation and really damage your skin.
I like to use my oils and retinol products right after I use my microneedling tool so they can really absorb and get all up in there while my skin is fresh and opened up. Then of course I finish with my moisturizer to really hydrate.
When you are using your microneedling tool, you want to roll in every direction for 60 seconds. Roll up and down, side to side, and diagonally. I really focus on my problem areas like my forehead, around my eyes (crows feet), around my mouth, chin, and my cheeks. I’ll briefly roll over my nose, my temples, and my upper lip. I also like to use the body attachment and roll my thighs and butt cheeks where I have stretch marks. I will typically roll my face for about 5 minutes and then my thighs and bum for 5 minutes. It shouldn’t take very long unless you want to be really diligent.
I also only use my microneedling tool 2-3 times per week. I would say, the older you are the more often you should use it. Since I don’t have very many fine lines and wrinkles I am using it now as a preventative tool. But if you are more {mature} and have more fine lines and wrinkles, you would probably want to use it 4-5 times per week or every night.
It’s also important to use a disinfectant to clean your tool after you use it. Since it is tiny needles you’ll want to spray it with rubbing alcohol afterwards so that you don’t get an infection using it over and over again. The one I got came with a little spray bottle that I put rubbing alcohol into and I just give it a few sprays after I’m done using the tool and by the time I use it again the alcohol has evaporated and dried so it doesn’t burn next time I use it.
My microneedling tool also has a red light on it, which is extra beneficial for skin. There is a lot of information about the benefits of red light therapy for skin but I won’t get into it now since this post is already long enough, haha! But let’s just say that the microneedling itself plus the red light therapy attached is a win win for skin.
Check out my skincare product list below!
