You might’ve started microneedling to reverse the signs of ageing, sun damage or maybe just to improve the texture and appearance of your skin.
You probably followed the instructions meticulously, but over time it’s easy to get complacent and relax with these crucial steps which can cause more damage to your skin.
Here are the seven common microneedling mistakes that people make and exactly how to avoid them.
Mistake 1: Deeper Doesn’t Equal Better
There is a common misconception that the deeper or longer the needles, the better the result.
In reality, you don’t need a deep needle to induce the wound response that creates more collagen. Using a needle depth of 0.5mm is deep enough to penetrate the dermis and reap all of the benefits microneedling has to offer.
Using a deep 2.5mm needle all over the face isn’t necessary, plus using a needle of this depth all over the face isn’t particularly comfortable. You’ll have the most comfortable experience by sticking to our needle depth chart.
Mistake 2: Using the Same Cartridge More Than Once
Microneedling cartridges are single use only! There are two important reasons you should only use a cartridge once.
Firstly, if you use the same cartridge again, the needles will become dull. And dull needles can damage the skin and create even more texture (which you don’t want).
Secondly, it’s very unhygienic. Keeping your microneedling tools and environment clean is key to having a safe microneedling session.
By reusing the same cartridge, you’re pushing any germs and nasties sitting on the cartridge into your skin and risking damage.
Mistake 3: Using a Retinol Whilst Microneedling
Retinol, otherwise referred to as Vitamin A, is a transformative active ingredient. It does wonders for the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and sun damage, but not during microneedling.
Retinol is too active of an ingredient to use when microneedling. Remember, the process of microneedling involves creating micro-injuries or ‘microchannels’ to the skin to prompt a healing response and increase the production of collagen. By filling these microchannels with such a strong ingredient like retinol, you force the product deeper into the skin than intended.
If retinol goes in too deep, it can cause more damage, potentially in the form of a chemical burn.
The recommended serum to use is hyaluronic acid when you are microneedling; this keeps your skin hydrated and plump without the risk of causing any damage.
Mistake 4: Microneedling Too Often
We know how un microneedling is, and the glow you get afterwards is incredibly addictive!
However, you don’t want to overdo it. The skin needs time to heal properly to produce more collagen and elastin.
It’s recommended to microneedle every 4-6 weeks. If you microneedle more frequently than this, you can worsen the skin issues you wish to fix.
You can get your glow on between sessions by ‘cosmetic needling’. Cosmetic needling is where you microneedle with a needle depth of no longer than 0.5mm. At this depth, you won’t need numbing cream and can perform this treatment every two weeks in between microneedling sessions.
You can use your current Dr. Pen microneedling pen and change the needle depth to be .5mm or less.
Microneedling too often can create more inflammation and pigmentation, and the skin will take even longer to heal. Stick to the instructions that come with your microneedling pen to avoid causing damage.
Mistake 5: Thinking You’ll See Instant Results
The microneedling process helps create tiny micro-injuries in an attempt to trigger a healing response from the skin.
Only once your skin heals from these wounds and has had time to stimulate the extra collagen and have some cell turnover, will you see the full benefit from your treatment.
This means results usually aren’t visible until four to six weeks after your microneedling treatment.
If you expect instant results, you may be disappointed. Right after a microneedling session, your skin might be red, and you may have pin-prick bleeding, otherwise known as petechiae – both of which are entirely normal responses from your body, but not the instant response that some people desire.
Mistake 6: The More Redness & Bleeding, the Better
Another common misconception is that the more bleeding and redness you have after microneedling, the more effective the treatment was.
This is false. It’s perfectly normal to experience redness, pinprick bleeding or mild swelling.
It depends on how your body responds to treatment. Some people have sensitive skin and will experience redness very easily, while others may not.
Mistake 7: Thinking That Microneedling is the Same as the Vampire Facial
The Vampire Facial is a different beauty treatment to microneedling.
Microneedling creates microchannels in the skin to induce collagen production, and in that process, it pushes the serum used during the treatment into the skin. This is usually a hyaluronic acid serum.
A Vampire Facial involves injecting your platelet-rich plasma into your skin and should only ever be performed by a qualified professional.
The only similarity is that both induce collagen production and elastin.
In Summary, Stick to the Instructions!
Once you microneedle at home a few times, it’s easy to feel like an expert and get a little complacent, but you must stick to the instructions that come with your Dr. Pen microneedling device. The instructions are to ensure you have a safe, comfortable experience whilst getting the best results.
If you have any other questions or concerns, contact us! Talk to our in-house Beauty Advisor one-on-one and get all your microneedling questions answered.
