DermaRoller to Replace Laser?

By Danielle Fisher, Esthetician

I have to admit, I am a fan of certain laser treatments as a method of treating moderate to severe skin conditions. However, I discovered the damage that could be done to your skin from Fraction Laser (Fraxel), and I realized how potentially contradictory a laser could be.
Think about this – Fraxel uses a hot beam, inflicting a thermal injury, which destroys the stem cells, fuses the capillaries and tissue beneath the skin, and inhibits stimulation for creating new blood vessels. Fraxel creates an upholstering effect giving the illusion of firm, youthful skin and diminished wrinkles.
But in fact, you are suppressing blood flow and stopping the release of growth factors to the blood platelets. You may not know that growth factors are vital to creating new, YOUNGER tissue.
Are you really reversing your signs of aging or are you only temporarily masking it? You be the judge. Ahhh…How relieving.. There is an advancement in skincare that you don’t typically see at your local medical spa!
Developed by a German scientist in 2001, Dermaroller, is a non-ablative, mesotherapeutic, sterile needling device is used to treat skin conditions such as acne scarring, wrinkles, large pores, hyper-pigmentation, stretch marks, cellulite, hair loss, etc. Dermaroller preserves the top layers of the skin while inducing the body to create collagen and elastin.
For thousands of years, the Far East has used needling devices for therapeutic purposes. So it came as no surprise that the Dermaroller was first introduced to Asian cultures to begin testing. The results are phenomenal. Dermaroller may be a new concept to the USA, but backed with years of research around the globe.

The procedure:

This is a medical procedure that can be performed by trained and licensed skin care professionals. They require medical knowledge that MUST to be performed in a clinical environment.
The area you wish to treat calls for numbing with a medical grade numbing cream for approx. 20 minutes. At that time you can rest and unwind, as the tranquil sounds of instrumentals and nature take you into a deep state of relaxation.

After the removal of the numbing cream is complete, we use a drum shaped roller with 192 fine micro needles, across the area you are treating, repeatedly in multiple directions.

There is little downtime after Dermaroller therapy, you may have a slight redness like a sunburn, which could last from a few hours to a couple of days.

Results: They are what we all want, aren’t they?

Although puncturing the skin may seem a bit discouraging, GOOD things do start to happen. I’m going to get a little technical but here it goes..
Various growth factors are released plus new tissue structures are generated, in the form of COLLAGEN AND ELASTIN fibers and CAPILLARIES. NEW FIBROBLASTS and NEW CAPILLARIES are created and migrate, providing better blood supply that carries oxygen and nutrition to the skin.

Non-needled biopsy with normal collagen fiber formation (stained violet)



Six weeks after microneedling, a second biopsy from the forehead was taken. A dramatic increase of new collagen- and elastin fibers are clearly visible (stained violet). They reach into a depth of 0.6 mm. The increase of new fibers can reach 1000% with 1 procedure.

Your skin cannot be repaired over night, so I stress the phrase, “patience is a virtue”. It takes time to transform and you can expect results objectively after 6 to 8 weeks.

Facts After Several Sessions:
1) Significant improvement of fine lines, wrinkles, and texture
2) Skin is fresher, smoother, and more juvenile
3) Scars, acne scarring, and stretch marks can be drastically reduced
4) Pigmentation spots can become more even
5) Increased epidermal thickness
6) Decrease in pore skin and overproduction of sebum and melanin
7) Preservation of the epidermis during treatment, and no permanent damage to the skin

Over 10,000 acne scar treatments have been performed in within the past 3 years with Dermaroller. Acne scars have been found to respond the most positively to Dermarolling.

Depending on the area and the severity of the scars, several treatments may be needed to achieve the best result. The results vary from 30 to 70% improvement.

The best visible results are achieved with Dermaroller on wrinkles around the eyes (crow’s feet) and on the upper lip – areas where visible skin aging begins. The earlier and more often these kinds of wrinkles are treated with the Dermaroller, thebetter and more lasting are the results.

In conclusion, through research and various trials we have conducted, we have found the Dermaroller to actually be as effective as it claims to be. I tested the Dermaroller on a my own scar and I have noticed a visible change in the pigment of the scar and the texture is much smoother.



We are excited to be able to offer this service at AIM!

Advanced integrative Mind-Body Medical • 901 Dover Dr. Ste 204 • Newport Beach, Ca 92660• 949-722-9884