Dermapen is a popular brand of microneedling device that uses tiny needles to stimulate collagen production and effectively rejuvenate the skin. While people use the term Dermapen interchangeably with microneedling, Dermapen® is actually a trademarked brand that makes microneedles.
If you’re leading a hectic and busy life with little to no time for daily skincare routines, clinical skincare treatments might be the best option for you. One of the most common requirements for all of us is to make our skin a bit more firmer and smoother. A little younger is stretching it too far but it is actually possible.
With so many skincare treatments out there promising to erase fine lines, fade acne scars, and give you that glow, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Ideally, you want to look for less invasive techniques that would make you feel comfortable throughout the process. If there’s one treatment that has been making serious waves in the beauty world, it’s microneedling—and more specifically, Dermapen microneedling.
Before it gets any more confusing, we’ve put together a guide for you to understand what Dermapen is. Is the hype real though? How does it differ from traditional microneedling, is it safe, and how often should you do Dermapen to get the best results?
Let’s break it all down so you can decide if Dermapen is the right skincare upgrade for you!
What is Dermapen?
So before you learn about Dermapen treatment, it would be better to know a bit about microneedling. It’s a process of using microneedles to create micro-injuries in the skin, specifically to the epidermis (outer layer) and dermis (inner layer).
Wait, what? Injuries?
Don’t stress yourself with the word “injury”, the stress is on the word “micro” here. These so-called “micro injuries” are practically bland that you probably won’t feel anything. But what it does do is it triggers the body’s innate ability to repair itself. And repair calls for the new and shiny cells! In the process, the body boosts the production of collagen and elastin, which consequently makes your skin better than it already is.
How Does Microneedling Work?
Collagen is like the building block of your skin. It’s the most abundant protein in your body that keeps your skin firm, plump, and youthful. It provides structure, strength, and elasticity to your skin, helping to prevent sagging, wrinkles, and fine lines.
As you age, collagen production naturally decreases, leading to looser skin and visible signs of aging. You might want to stimulate the production of collagen. There are protein supplements and collagen powders you can take, but what you might want is a process that’s a bit more invasive. And that’s where microneedling comes in.
When you’re allowing microneedles to make small holes into your skins, it kickstarts the growth of fibroblast cells that will stimulate the production of collagen. Now, overproduction here is not a bad thing as you need it for your skin. When those trenchant yet delicate needles make unnoticeable piercing into your skin, it’s secretly witnessing a massive increase in the collagen production.
What more do you want to make your skin smoother, firmer, and youthful?
For obvious reasons, microneedling is also known as collagen induction therapy and it’s a very effective method among non-surgical treatments to help you eliminate acne scars, stretch marks and pores.
So you know microneedling involves the use of sophisticated devices called microneedles to create small holes into the skin. There are several brands of microneedles available in the market like Dr. Pen, SkinPen, DermaRoller, and CosmoPen, but Dermapen® is perhaps the most prominent brand due to its state of the art technology, unique design, and ease of use.
Is Microneedling and Dermapen the Same?
Are Jacuzzi and hot tubs the same?
Exactly our point.
Just like Jacuzzi is a brand that makes hot tubs and bath tubs, Dermapen® a brand, arguably the most popular, that makes microneedles. It’s so popular that cosmetic professionals even use the term Dermapen microneedling.
Traditional microneedling like derma rollers uses a rolling mechanism with fixed needles, which can sometimes tug at the skin unevenly. Dermapen, on the other hand, is motorized, which means it delivers precise, controlled micro-injuries without dragging or pulling your skin.
Dermapen Specifications
Dermapen features a patented 12 tip needle arrangement called SurSpaceTM Technology that delivers good efficiency and tip depth control. It uses a 12-needle structure that gives more opportunity for skin penetration in a single stretch.
The safety features offered by Dermapen are unparalleled with an elastomeric spring for quick tip retraction. It also has a Patented anti-backflow membrane and SurVent™ protection greatly reduces the risk of cross-contamination. The material used is of Aluminum composition, making it lightweight and durable.
Dermapen Benefits: Why It’s Popular
Microneedling as a whole is gaining so much popularity due to its various advantages compared to other methods. A 2022 study by National Library of Medicine suggested the healing time is relatively short and there is very minimal risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Not to mention the cost for this procedure is very affordable compared to other techniques.
But why is Dermapen more popular than other microneedling devices? And why do most of the leading cosmetology experts choose Dermapen over other brands? Let’s do a comparison of Dermapen with other brands:
- Dr. Pen: Very reasonable in terms of price, making it a budget-friendly option, but it doesn’t have the same precision as Dermapen.
- SkinPen: The first FDA-cleared microneedling device. Safety is unmatched but tends to be on the pricier side without offering significantly better results.
- Rejuvapen: Another professional-grade option, but some users find it bulkier and harder to maneuver than Dermapen.
- DermaRoller: A popular at-home alternative, but it uses the traditional microneedling technique as the tip rolls instead of stamping like Dermape. So it can cause unnecessary skin damage and irritation.
- MD Pen & Eclipse MicroPen: Both are solid choices but don’t offer the same level of depth control and adjustability as Dermapen.
Dermapen is certainly superior in terms of precision, results, price, and ease of use. And that’s why it stands out in the market
What Skin Concerns Can Dermapen Treat?
Versatility is synonymous with Dermapen microneedling. You can deal with a number of skin concerns using this procedure. You’ll find this treatment suitable for various skin types and can address multiple issues simultaneously, making it a popular choice for skin rejuvenation. Let’s have a look at the most common concerns that can be treated with Dermapen microneedling.
- Acne scars: This one is such an annoying issue. Acne scars form when deep breakouts damage the skin, and the body’s healing process sometimes does not produce enough collagen. Dermapen treatment breaks down scar tissue and encourages the growth of new, healthy skin cells, leading to the gradual fading of acne scars.
- Pore size reduction: Dermapen helps tighten and refine enlarged pores, resulting in smoother, more polished-looking skin.
- Uneven skin texture: It’s another after effect of collagen loss, coupled with acne scars and enlarged pores. Dermapen microneedling enhances skin texture by promoting a more uniform skin surface, creating a smoother and more even complexion.
- Fine lines and wrinkles:An obvious sign of aging, wrinkles and lines form due to a combination of collagen and elastin loss, reduced skin hydration, and repeated facial movements. This causes the skin to lose its firmness and elasticity over time. As Dermapen treatment stimulates collagen and elastin production, it helps the skin to rejuvenate and you can see the lines and wrinkles casting weaker spells on your skin.
- Stretch marks: Dermapen boosts collagen production and skin renewal, helping to diminish the appearance of stretch marks and blend them more seamlessly with the surrounding skin.
- Improved product absorption: The tiny micro-channels created by Dermapen allow skincare products to penetrate deeper into the skin, making serums, moisturizers, and other treatments more effective.
We’ve seen most of our patients reaching out to us to discuss two important skin concerns so we’ll discuss them in detail.
Dermapen Treatment For Pigmentation
Pigmentation usually happens when you’re exposed to too much sunlight. But hormonal changes, acne, or skin injuries could also be major causes. Adverse conditions like these trigger an uneven or excessive production of melanin. This leads to dark spots and overall pigmentation of the skin.
You need to break down the excess melanin and replace the pigmented skin with evenly toned skin cells. Multiple sessions of microneedling can help you achieve this and allows the skin to reveal a brighter and a more uniform complexion.
Does Dermapen Help Acne?
You can probably forgive some wrinkles but not acne scars. Acne practically destroys your confidence, especially if you’re in a job that requires face to face interaction with a lot of people. Not to mention the irritation it causes.
Acne scars form when deep breakouts damage the skin and underlying tissue, when your skin becomes too oily and it’s exposed to a lot of atmospheric impurities. When acne (especially cystic or inflammatory acne) penetrates deep into the skin, it causes significant inflammation and damages the surrounding tissue. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) can also occur, leaving behind dark spots after acne heals. While not a true scar, PIH can take months to fade.
Does Dermapen help your acne go away? Of course it does. The treatment reduces oil production on your skin and of course stimulates collagen creation. This enhances the cell turnover and clears out clogged pores. If you’re using anti-acne serums, microneedling helps them to be more effective by allowing them to penetrate deeper into the skin.
How Often Should You Do Dermapen?
If you don’t have any specific issue and you’re just looking for general skin rejuvenation, a session every 4-6 weeks is ample. But if you’re tackling a specific skin issue, the frequency gets tricky.
How Many Sessions of Dermapen Do I Need?
Let’s face it. No skin issue is going to go away in a single session. You might want to have multiple visits done to your cosmetologist but how many? It depends on your skin care goals and the skin issues you’re dealing with. But generally, most of the issues could be fixed in 4-6 sessions on an everage. And each session should be spaced 4-6 weeks apart. It’s easier if you consider your appointments as monthly.
If you’re looking to treat mild texture issues and face lines, 3-4 sessions would suffice. Deeper pigmentations, sun damage, and acne would require 5-6 sessions and severe wrinkles or stretch marks might demand over 8 sessions. A certified cosmetologist will examine your skin and provide you with an apt schedule.
Once you’ve completed the treatment, you can enjoy the results for up to a year.
Factors Affecting Frequency
Apart from your goals and the type of concern, there are other factors that would affect the number of times you need to consult your cosmetologist to get your microneedling sessions done.
- Your skin type: If your skin is generally sensitive to invasive treatments, you may experience more irritation or redness and this requires an extra level of aftercare and possibly longer recovery time. In that case, it’s good to space out your sessions to make sure your skin is fully healed before the next session. Oily or resilient skin types heal pretty quickly so sessions can be done more frequently. People with mature skin usually find good results when sessions are spaced out because it takes longer to rebuild collagen.
- Your aftercare routine: The goal of your aftercare routine should be ensuring your skin heals fast enough so that you can schedule your next session. Using harsh exfoliants, skipping SPF, or not moisturizing properly can lead to irritation, prolonging downtime and requiring longer breaks between sessions. We’ll talk more about how to do proper aftercare in detail.
Dermapen Aftercare: Essential Post-Treatment Tips
The idea of Dermapen aftercare is ensuring a fast and effective healing of your skin, and it happens over the course of 24 hours to 5 days. What you have to do can be separated into two stages – immediate aftercare (within 24 hours post procedure) and prolonged care.
Immediate Aftercare
For starters, don’t touch the area unnecessarily. If your hands are not clean or disinfected, you run the risk of causing infection in the area. A cooling mask and a topical numbing cream is also recommended. Make sure you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Don’t expose your skin to harsh sunlight and don’t do activities that would cause sweating.
Prolonged Care
You can wash your face thoroughly the following day using a mild soap to remove any debris. If possible, avoid direct sun exposure and alcohol-based toners for at least 10 days after the procedure. You can use moisturisers but consult your cosmetologist before that.
Special Considerations for Acne-Prone Skin
Acne-prone skin is more sensitive after treatment, so applying a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen is crucial to prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Also, we’d also recommend you to be cautious with exfoliants like harsh scrubs and strong acids for at least a week.
What to Expect Post-Treatment
You can expect a red or pink hue of the skin within the first 24 hours or the day after that, along with possible swelling. But that is normal and you may feel your skin a bit tightened. The skin becomes dry after 3 days but after that you can see it getting brighter and fresher.
Noticeable improvement starts after 10 days. Just touch your skin and feel the new and improved texture. Your skin will feel firmer and look more even. Those treating acne scars or pigmentation may start to see visible fading. The full effects of microneedling take time, with optimal results developing over several weeks.
How Long After Dermapen Can I Wear Makeup?
Absolutely not recommended within the first 24-48 hours because your skin is still recovering from the micro-injuries and pores are still open. If you apply makeup at this time, you run the risk of clogging pores that could lead to infection.
If you need to use makeup, you can consider it after 48 hours but make sure you use mineral-based, alcohol free makeup that is lightweight. You can return to your regular makeup routine one week post treatment, but make sure to clean your brushes and sponges.
Is Dermapen worth it? Are those Dermapen before and after advertisements true? One hundred percent yes!
It’s a less invasive way to boost collagen that will help you deal with multiple skin issues and rejuvenate your skin as a whole. But always book a microneedling consultation with an expert and licensed cosmetologist to discuss your goals and issues, and let them examine you to determine how to carry out your sessions.
Book a session with us today to give it a try, it could be the game-changer your skin always needed.
