I believe good skin is genetic, but perfect skin is something you’ve got to work for (inside and out). While it's true that you are what you eat, topical treatments and techniques do go a long way. After seeing how plump and dewy my skin was, friends, colleagues, and almost anyone I had come into contact with remarked, "What are you doing, how are you doing it, and where do I sign up?"
In the last two years, since I actively boarded the derma-rolling train, I've managed to convert dozens of people in adding the technique to their daily skincare regimen. Admittedly it requires one to be proactive and committed, but this preventative measure is so effective you'll likely never forget to do it daily.
Here's your derma-rolling cheat sheet:
SIZE – the size of the needle all depends on your skin objective. I encourage any first timer to start small at 0.2 or 0.25mm to build your tolerance to the needle. 0.25 is great for fine lines and absorbing your topical products i.e. Vitamin C for skin renewal, Hyaluronic Acid for moisture – I’m now on 0.5mm and go to a professional for anything more (I’ve gone to the Biolite clinic here in Dubai for Micro-needling three times, and they've proven to be quite affective).
CLEANING – get a small plastic container, add Cetaphil antibacterial gel wash, add a few drops into warm water (fill to top so it covers the roller), put in the roller in face up, let it sit for 15minutes. Boil hot water and rinse the roller thoroughly. To sterilize (SO IMPORTANT) fill a small cup with Isopropyl Alcohol and soak the roller in there. Proceed by rinsing with luke warm water, and lay out, on a clean towel on its back to dry. Then get to rolling (make sure your skin is clean and dry before beginning). REPEAT once finished rolling and store your roller back in its case.
ROLL TECHNIQUE – I think everyone does this differently, I tend to spend more time on the areas I want to target but universally, roll 4 times vertical, then horizontal, then diagonal on your forehead, left cheek, right cheek, chin and neck. Control your roll and don’t be too aggressive. That's key. Remember it is still skin, so you have to be gentle.
USAGE – I do every other day on the 0.25mm; living in a dry climate can dehydrate your skin quite a lot, so I need the extra help to ensure my skin drinks up all the serums and moisture it can.
As always, be careful with your skin, do your research, if you are using topical products that might make your skin sensitive to the sun (Retinol, AHA’s, Glycol based products) wear your SPF!!! If you’re unsure about mixing certain products, read up; the internet is your friend when it comes to being informed. If after reading this you’ve decided to try rolling, let us know!
