Lush, juicy lips have received quite a bit of attention over the past year. While some women have turned to injections to get a prominent pout, others have turned to nonabrasive methods like illusion creating makeup application, plumping products and Derma Rollers. The latter I briefly mentioned last summer in my 5 Ways to Plump Your Lips video, but after questions arose from my recent Into The Gloss piece, I wanted to share more.

Micro needling involves rolling a Derma Roller with hundreds of little needles across your face and lips to stimulate collagen growth. The needles, when gently pressed against your skin with even pressure, create tiny punctures. This, in turn, activates your self-healing mechanisms and rejuvenates the rolled skin. Micro needling sounds torturous, but I promise it’s not. And it has been known to diminish issues like wrinkles, stretch marks, acne scars and shrinking lips.

So what do you need to know about using a Derma Roller? Here’s a few facts about micro needling to get you started.

It’s an inexpensive way to enhance your lips. Where injections and other treatments can cost hundreds of dollars, a Derma Roller runs less than 20 bucks and can be used for a long time before needing to be replaced. A simple Amazon search shows how easily you can pick one up or you can get one from my fave spot. 

The size of your needles is important. Derma Rollers can have anywhere from 180 to 1000 micro needles on them. One of the most common sizes is the 540 needle roller like above. But it’s the length of the needles that really matter. Derma Roller needles can range in size from .25 to 3.00 mm in length, but you need at least a .50 mm needle to create the depth of punctures that will actually stimulate collagen growth. If you’re rolling your lips or other areas of your face, it’s safest to stick with a .50 to .75 mm Derma Roller. But if you’re working on tougher skin, say on your thighs for stretch marks, you can use a 1.00 mm roller or larger. 

Derma Rolling doesn’t take a lot of time. A good rule of thumb is to run the Derma Roller about 10 times over the area you’re looking to treat–this should take no more than a few minutes. The size of your needles can also affect how often you Derma roll the same area – here’s a quick reference. You won’t see immediate results, as it can take about a month to see a change in skin or volume, but then the upkeep is much easier. I prefer this method for long-term fuller lips.

How you roll affects everything. The proper way to micro needle is to run the Derma Roller in every direction over the skin you’re treating. That means running the roller a few times from right to left, top to bottom and then diagonally over your lips or skin. If you’re sensitive to pain, you can purchase a numbing cream like lidocaine first and leave on for 20 minutes before rolling. After rolling don’t forget to add a moisturizing product that can penetrate deep into the skin and leave the area nourished. 

Your roller is just that, yours. Since you’re creating small punctures in your skin, it’s vital that you sanitize your Derma Roller between uses and do not share it with anyone. Since you also want your skin to be completely makeup-free and clean before rolling, I suggest doing it at night right before bed. Your skin may look slightly red and swollen so rolling before night allows your irritated skin time to calm down before going out. 

You can overdo it. Too much rolling or too much pressure can cause real trauma (even bleeding) and not produce the results you desire. It can also hurt more than help you. If you have active breakouts, you shouldn’t roll. If you currently have a sunburn, you shouldn’t roll. You should never roll with a .50 mm roller or larger more than once a week or so. Just like a Clarisonic, it’s best to do one micro needling session and see how your skin reacts. 

Have you ever tried using a derma roller? Let me know how it worked for you below. 

<3 Mish