Two Of Us Actually Tried Microneedling, and This Is What Happened To Our Skin…

By Adele Chan
Two months ago, I came across an article on Microneedling and decided, what the heck, let’s just try it too for fun. I did some research on “safe” at-home micro-rollers and decided that the one from StackedSkincare was decent enough. To be honest, we couldn’t find any bad reviews on this product, but as our policy goes…we approach all new beauty items with skepticism and caution. And in full disclosure, I contacted StackedSkincare’s press department and requested for a roller to review. They sent us two rollers, and we were under no obligation to promote their products. I held on to one piece, and passed the other to NYLON‘s Editorial Assistant, Marcus to try. This is what he has to say:

Marcus: “When I was handed StackedSkincare’s micro-roller to try, I was SUPER skeptical. Honestly, I’d never heard of the micro-roller before. I was still getting pubertal breakouts, my skincare routine was pretty ghetto (until I found Melanie Simon’s videos on YouTube, she’s a life changer) and was in no mood to further “damage” it if ever possible. So of course the idea of poking tiny needles into my skin as a form of “reverse psychology” to repair it horrified me. Would my skin be able to handle the wounds? Would it trap even more dirt as a result? Then I saw this video go up on our Instagram account…

 

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Great. I decided the best way to prepare myself for micro-needling my face was to read relevant online reviews and watch YouTube videos. Here were my favourites:


“I Tried At-Home Microneedling—and It Totally Changed My Skin” pretty much did it for me. I’m not kidding, I couldn’t find A SINGLE bad review of the micro-roller online. The perfect results of this mini-torture device sounded not so scary anymore; in fact, I was quite desperate to micro-needle my face to improve it. From what I’ve read, the micro-roller has many short-ended needles in 4mm or 6mm which puncture tiny holes in the skin. That prompts the skin to heal itself, which is beneficial in smoothing and removing discolouration.

How To Use It

STERILISE IT: It’s important to work with clean equipment, especially since it’s going to be digging into your skin. Rinse it with boiling water before use, every time.
APPLY A SERUM: After cleansing, I usually tone and apply a hydrating serum before micro-needling just so I feel like there’s something protecting my skin against the sharp roller. It doesn’t hurt, it just feels like a cat’s licking you.
MICRO-NEEDLE: Apply light pressure evenly and begin rolling! Roll back and forth upwards, downwards, sideways and diagonally so you cover all areas of the face. Tan France, the fashion expert from Queer Eye, recommends to micro-needle one area at a time, instead of rolling the whole face, one direction at a time.
APPLY MORE SERUM: Here’s when you want to put something heavier. I feel “airier” after micro-needling, so I immediately put a night cream or overnight mask on so most of the product can sink in.
HOW OFTEN TO USE: Surprisingly, you can and should use the micro-roller once every few days. The skin is a powerful organ and can actually take the pressure, as long as you’re being gentle and using good products in your skincare routine.”


Our Verdicts

Adele: “I didn’t know I was only supposed to micro-needle once every few days. When I started, I used it consistently for four days in a row. It wasn’t painless; those little needles poking into the skin do actually prick and hurt. And no, I wasn’t using a lot of pressure. But you know what…I stopped after the fourth day (no, it didn’t do any damage), and by the following week, my skin was amazing! It looked healthier, fresher, more awake…you get the idea. I’m honestly surprised that micro-needling worked, and now I’m constantly using it, focusing on areas with fine lines, like my forehead.”
Marcus: “It works. It really does. Where I dissent with most reviews is how quickly you’ll see results. I think a lot of people are drinking the Kool-aid when they say they see results in a day. As I’ve said, I DO feel like my skin breathes better right after micro-needling it; I even feel like my night creams are still on my face (and not swiped by my pillow) after I wake up the following morning. But the results I prefer are the visible effects on my skin: small bumps on my face have subsided, it looks smoother overall, and I’ve actually STOPPED BREAKING OUT. I still get tiny ones that don’t leave scars, but those nasty buggers that I used to get every few weeks, you know, that incubate for days before looking like a police siren? They’ve completely gone.”

Shop StackedSkincare’s micro-roller here:

ss-derma-roller-detail

StackedSkincare Micro-Roller, USD30