We are guessing you reached here because you did a google search on how effective Derma Rolling or Micro Needling is to control hair loss. After sifting through a few sites, there is a possibility that you have got uneasy reading about hundreds of micro injuries Derma Rolling or Microneedling causes to the scalp. Is it safe? Does it give results? We did the research for you to answer all these questions.
Relation between Derma Rolling and Hair Loss
Derma Roller, by definition, means a device that rolls across the skin. As it rolls, it makes micro punches/ injury points on the skin surface. No, it’s not as painful as it sounds! In fact, the benefits of Derma Rolling or Micro Needling are immense as it increases blood flow, increases growth factors and therefore stimulates the hair in the thinning/ balding area to regrow. Imagine it to be a controlled superficial injury that stimulates hair regrowth.
The Derma roller comes in different depths. The reason for the depths is obvious. This is because different people have different derma/ skin thickness.
Can Derma Rolling or Microneedling be done at home?
We completely understand – doctor appointments are not cheap and hard to get, and why spend that level of time and money for a quick 10-minute procedure? Well, Derma Rolling might sound simple, but there’s a reason you must seek professional help.
The issue with doing Derma Rolling or Micro Needling at home is that Derma Rollers you see online aren’t usually the same as the medical-grade rollers used in clinics. At-home, Derma Rollers tend to have shorter needle lengths, which are less effective for treating hair loss.
Even if you did manage to get the right tool, you’d still be making a lot of guesses about how to use it, what pressure to apply, and when to stop (not to mention that you probably won’t even be able to see your scalp properly).
The dark side of Derma Rolling or Micro Needling is that if you overdo it or penetrate the skin more than the required depth, it can amplify growth factors and possibly damage hair follicles. All this can lead to temporary shedding or hair loss.
So, what is the right depth For Derma Rolling? Typically, the depth should be 1-1.5 mm in the skin. At this depth, any injury will activate the stem cells thereby assisting in hair regrowth. Managing at home with precise depth is not a guaranteed outcome.
For those reasons, we’d have to advise you to stick to in-clinic Micro Needling or Derma Rolling.
Is Derma Rolling safe?
We get it —needles are pretty scary and you are intimidated about the hundreds of them going into the scalp. That said, Derma Rolling or Micro Needling is actually relatively safe. Yes, it can cause some minor side effects (like bruising, pain, redness, swelling etc.), but all of which usually goes away after a few days.
For most people, the only serious concern associated with Derma Rolling is the possibility that the wounds will get infected or leave a scar. All this can be managed with aftercare instructions given by your hair loss doctor/ Trichologist. But for the same reason, doing this at home by yourself is not a good idea.
How is Derma Rolling performed?
When you head for a Micro Needling procedure, drum-shaped “Derma Roller” is used which is equipped with about 200 needles that are up two millimetres long. After applying a topical anesthetic, they’ll roll the Derma Roller across your scalp from every direction, just like a barber does during a haircut.
The whole procedure can be completed in less than 10 minutes. Once it’s done, a topical balm may be applied to soothe any irritation.
How much does Derma Rolling cost and how much does it compare to other surgical and non-surgical hair loss treatments?
At Evolved Hair Restoration Clinic in Perth, Micro Needling is performed in conjunction with Hair Mesotherapy as a preventive hair loss treatment. This combination gives superlative results as compared to standalone Micro Needling and pricing starts at $250 onwards.
There is also PRP hair Treatment, which is the organic way to treat hair loss, which also starts with $250 onwards. To put this into perspective, that’s way cheaper than a hair transplant, which can cost as much as $18,000, but the results of a hair transplant are likely to be much more dramatic than what you can expect from Derma Rolling. Apart from this, you can get an FDA-approved hair loss treatment like Minoxidil and Finasteride for a few dollars per month.
Now that you know a lot more about how Derma Rolling works, you’re in a much better position to decide if it’s right for you. Our hair loss specialist can help you determine the best treatment for your needs. Get started here and book a free consult.
