Micro Needling at Home
The Vampire Facial was originally brought to my attention by Kim Kardashian a few years ago in an image of her with blood dots all over her face - it looked painful, creepy and like something I was not interested in trying. Since then, Vampire Facials, also known as micro needling or collagen induction, has become more popular including at home treatments that aren't quite as shocking.
The goal of micro needling is to create small, targeted injuries to your skin so it creates more collagen to repair the injuries therefore helping with a plethora of beauty concerns. This extra collagen boost plumps the skin to reduce aging and fine lines and can reduce scarring, uneven pigmentation and overall tired looking skin.
When done in a professional office, they use larger needles and it creates a short amount of downtime, but there are at-home options so you are in control of the pressure.
I have been using this dermatologist-created Stacked Skincare micro-roller at home. When doing it yourself, it is always best to use smaller needles of less than .25mm - the particular one I tried is .2 and has 540 stainless steel needles. The website suggests using it 3-5 times weekly, but I have been using it once per week. It is important to replace the head as dull needles can damage skin, so your amount of use will dictate how often you should replace.
Micro needling is important, but the products you select are of equal matter. First, start with a clean face. Then lather on a serum - personally, collagen boosters and vitamin C are what I chose and have been using Ole Henriksen Collagen Boosting Truth Serum. Micro needling increases product penetration by up to 90% so the more collagen, the merrier! Next I roll it with mild pressure back and forth, side to side and diagonally on my cheeks, lips, chin and forehead. Viola! That's it. it takes 5 minutes once per week and there is zero down time. My face is slightly itchy the next day as it is healing itself and has microscopic injuries, but there is no blood or pain of any kind.
Cleaning your micro roller is of the utmost importance. You can soak it in boiling water or in 91% alcohol. I chose the alcohol method and let it soak for five minutes, and then let it air-dry in its case. It is important not to share rollers and not to use it on broken skin (breakouts, psoriasis, etc.) - otherwise, it will spread the bacteria from one area to another.
I have only been using this for a short time but will post a before and after picture after a few more weeks!