Did you know that 50% to 90% of women have stretch marks? Many men have them too, even though it's not as common. If you've got them, you're not alone. After countless women trying different lotions and oils to reduce stretch marks, the world finally gave us a better solution - dermaroller!.
So if you'd like to get rid of them, microneedling rollers, like the well-known DermRollers, can help with that, as they have done so to many women and men alike.
In this post, we'll discuss how dermarolling stretch marks can help reduce them. We'll also talk about a bunch of other stuff - how to use a dermaroller on old stretch marks, post-treatment products, and much more. Keep reading!
What are Stretch Marks?
Stretch marks are scars that are rippled and stretch across the skin. They're typically purple or red-ish in the beginning but fade to a more skin-like color after some time.
However, most of the time, they're still prominent enough to bother people and mess with their self-esteem.
Why do they occur? Stretch marks appear when the skin stretches too fast and breaks. It happens mainly to people that grow up or gain weight a bit too fast and pregnant women. It happens even more if the skin is dry or dehydrated.
You'll usually find stretch marks on fatty areas, such as the hips, thighs, tummy, breasts, or even your biceps. Touching them during the initial stage may make them itchy, but they're usually harmless - if you minus the self-esteem issues that they create.
How Does Microneedling Help Reduce Stretch Marks? Is it Effective?
Microneedling was previously known as Collagen Induction Therapy. The name was given because of how successful the therapy proved in increasing collagen production in the skin. Collagen is a protein in our skin that keeps it elastic and helps regenerate it.
Inducing collagen production in areas with stretch marks can help rejuvenate the skin, improve its texture, and reduce any purple or pink pigmentation. Hence, the visible appearance of stretch marks is greatly reduced by microneedling.
Moreover, several studies prove this. A 2019 research paper explores the efficacy of microneedling old stretch marks and analyzes results from a number of different studies from 2010 to 2017.
All of the studies show positive results with regard to microneedling. For instance, one study included 40 females with stretch marks. 20 of them were treated with dermarollers, and the other 20 were given microdermabrasion with sonophoresis therapy.
The results? 18 of the 20 women in the microneedling group showed clinical improvement, while only 10 in 20 women from the other group showed any positive results.
It's safe to say that a dermaroller is an effective and clinically-proven device for reducing stretch marks and gives visible and satisfactory results.
Stretch Marks' Needle Size
Choosing the correct dermaroller size is imperative. Since stretch marks are deep scars in the skin, a facial dermaroller won't help with it.
You want bigger but strong needles - like the ones from Dermrollers. They offer dermarollers with durable titanium needles in a variety of sizes, ranging from 0.20 mm to 3 mm.
For microneedling old stretch marks, you want needles between 1.5mm to 2mm. They're the perfect size to penetrate your skin deep enough and target the scars. Use this size on areas like your belly and breasts.
For thicker areas like your hips and thighs, we suggest sizes between 2.0 mm to 3.0 mm. However, dermarollers with needles this long should only be used once every six to twelve weeks. We also recommend consulting a dermatologist before using long needles.
How to Use A Dermaroller on Stretch Marks?
Whether you're using a 1.5mm needle or a 3.0 mm one, you must take the necessary precautions to perform the procedure safely. Even though dermarolling stretch marks at home is easy and straightforward, not following the correct instructions can result in injury and infection.
Here's how you can safely use a dermaroller at home:
- Pour enough isopropyl alcohol into a clean and deep bowl. Make sure you're using a concentration of 70%, which is most effective at killing germs and other pathogens.
- Take out your dermaroller from its storage container and gently place it in the bowl with its head submerged completely. Try to place it in a way that puts minimal pressure on the delicate needles. Let it soak for 5-10 minutes.
- Next, prepare your skin. Wash the target area with a gentle cleanser. It's important to use a gentle formula because you don't want harsh chemicals penetrating your skin when you dermaroll it. Here is a list of all the serum you can use while microneedling.
- Dry your skin and apply a numbing cream. This is necessary as needles this long will hurt a bit.
- Now, grab your dermaroller with clean hands and let the alcohol dry. Pull your skin taut with one hand and start dermarolling stretch marks with the other. Make sure you go over each area eight to ten times in one direction, and another eight to ten rolls in the opposite direction. Don't overdo it, though.
- When you've finished the procedure, wipe away any blood (which is common) and wash the area with water. Next, clean your dermaroller thoroughly before storing it.
- Apply any moisturizing serum (discussed in the next section) after you're done.
The Good Skincare for Your Old Stretch Marks
You shouldn't apply just any serum after dermarolling stretch marks. Choosing the right serum is important because this will determine how quickly you see your results.
First and foremost, we recommend using a moisturizing serum, as the skin often becomes very dry after dermarolling. The best thirst-quenching serum for your skin is hyaluronic acid, which draws in moisture to your skin and keeps it there.
- You can either use hyaluronic acid on its own, or use a serum that combines it with other herbal extracts. These will combat redness and help with any irritation that you may feel after microneedling old stretch marks.
- After this, you may want to apply a collagen-boosting serum for your stretch marks. These include serums with vitamin C derivatives and retinol (with vitamin A derivatives), both proven to boost collagen. You can also try niacinamide, which is effective against scars and wrinkles.
However, using these serums after dermarolling can be tricky. Your skin has open wounds after the procedure, and you don't want to irritate it with strong acids.
Hence, you may want to wait a few hours or even up to a day before applying them - depends on how well your skin tolerates the serums. Test your skin for irritation by patch testing before slathering on serums on the entire area.
When Will You See Results?
Results with dermarollers are quick but don't expect miracles overnight. Since you'll be dermarolling stretch marks every six to twelve weeks, expect results after at least four to five sessions (or six to seven months).
You'll start seeing improvements after the first two or three treatments, but noticeable differences occur after a few months.
Final Word
Everyone is different, and so are their bodies. Some may find that microneedling old stretch marks is super effective and get results quickly, while others may have to wait.
Either way, dermarolling is a safe and effective method for treating skin issues, including scarring. The key is to remain patient and religiously dermaroll your skin.