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Microneedling at home – how-to, important tips & warnings. This video will take you through my entire process from start to finish. If you have any questions please ask!
If you plan to do this at home, please do so at your own risk. I highly recommend Penn Smith Skincare’s videos on youtube as she is an expert and professional and shares extremely detailed instructions & warnings if you want to do it at home. I learned quite a lot from her expertise.
Where I Buy My Microneedling Supplies
If you’re looking for authentic microneedling pens and cartridges, I now buy my supplies from MTP Skin Tech – you can use code code LIFEDIY for 8% off your order. They are a licensed reseller for Ekai, which is the official manufacturer of Dr. Pens and cartridges. I’ve purchased from Temu in the past too when options were limited, and if you prefer to buy there you can use my code “acn120083” for 30% off, but there is less quality-control and no way of knowing if the products are authentic.
I have the roller style needle device and it seems to work well. I am considering getting this type of needling device but I’m not sure about the difference in effectiveness. Have you tried one of the at home microdermabrasion devices? I currently have a Kendal HB-SF01 and it seems to really help with the texture of my skin and to reduce the size of my pores, even though I don’t use it as often as I should. I’m just wondering if I should add chemical peels and this style of needling or if the microdermabrasion is enough. Maybe I should do them all?
Hi Laura! I also used to use a roller device. I think the microneedling pens are more effective when it comes to longterm changes in the skin, as it can more evenly go into the skin and it can go deeper. But, it’s good to be careful with that. I am sorry I haven’t tried any at home dermabrasion devices. I will check out the one you have though as I think it’s interesting. If you haven’t done any peels yet, I would totally recommend it. I prefer them over manual exfoliation – though I do that a little bit. It will help so much with skin texture. I would just be careful to not do it around the time you do any other exfoliating on your skin. I think if you try some peels, you will absolutely be amazed at how it gives instant and lasting changes in the skin. The first time I used a chemical exfoliant, I used peel pads from Dr. Dennis Gross. But, on Amazon there are some 20% glycolic peel pads sold on there (and I think 10% too) that are more affordable. These could give you a good idea of what to expect with peels and it’s good to start at a lower level or percentage. :)
My only objection with the peels is I’m not sure I can deal with the healing time bc of my work schedule. I wonder if more frequent weaker peels are as effective as occasional stronger peels. How long is the healing time with the power needling?
Hi Laura! I totally understand that and I don’t think TCA peels are necessary. I’ve had really great results with doing glycolic peels regularly for years. I think the weaker peels can work almost better because the risks are lessened and the results are gradual but really noticeable. The healing from needling takes about 10 days for me before my skin looks a lot better from it – but the process still continues after that as it takes a lot of healing. But, there is no downtime with needling, though the skin will look dry or tighter at first.
Thanks for the replies! I was typing a response but lost it for some reason. I was asking if a weekend is enough time for the swelling to go down from power needling? I mean would my face look rough on Monday if I did it Friday?
Hi Laura. For me, if I microneedled on Friday, my skin would look fine on Monday – but it might be a bit dry (though I often already have dry skin). Swelling wouldn’t be an issue as I usually only have that a little on the first day. Also, I sometimes have a few spots where I needled a little deeper and it might be a little red but that goes away in a few days or can be covered with makeup as it’s faint. I think it would look just fine – but maybe a little dry. :)
Thank you again!
How many needles are in the tip you use?
It is a 12 needle cartridge.
After seeing your results i also want to try this Dr pen but I am confused between A6 and A6s Please tell me which one should i buy…???? And Which products should i use after & before Microneedling…? Please suggest me the best products, i have the sensitive & dry skin.
Please guide me🥺
Hi Amu!
Either pen is fine. But, I recently got the newest one (the A6S) and it seems to be more powerful. If possible, I would probably lean more towards getting the newest one – the A6S. But, even saying that, the A6 is also great and has worked really well for me over the year or year and a half. I’m not sure how the prices are on them, but either one is really good. I made a video here: https://lifeanddiy.com/microneedling-aftercare-post-treatment-tips/ with information on products to use. I also update the description if anything changes. The most important thing is the hyaluronic acid serum you use. I have a link to the hyaluronic acid serum and other skincare products I use (many soothing ones for after needling) here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/lifediy?listId=JYNJMETZ53US. If you have any more questions, please let me know!
Thank You so much for your reply.
I will purchase A6S now from the link you have given above.
The products you have suggested in the link are out of stock😢
Can i use numbing cream before needling..? If yes then which one numbing cream should i buy please suggest me &give me the link🥺
And please give me a link cartridge of A6S🥺
I’m your biggest fan you’re most beautiful in the world ❤️
May ALLAH protect you from evil eyes❤️
One more question
Can i purchase A6S in amazon or somewhere else..? Where could i get the high quality..?
What product I can use after micro needling after the first time for the nex few days ! My sling is very dry.and what kinda cleanser I should use!
Hi there! I am relatively new to micro needling. I have watched I think all of your videos at this point. I bought a pen on Amazon with great reviews that seems to be very comparable to the Dr. Pen. The first time I did it, I did it per the instructions of one of your videos…a 1.0 on the majority of my face and .5 underneath the eyes. I am 40 and while I eat and live very clean… I have never put any effort into my skin, and it shows. I definitely have plenty of wrinkles, and I would love to tighten up my under eyes and see the darkness go away. I have always been a very thin skinned person and have been pulling on my under eyes for over 30 years wearing contacts and it has taken its toll. So I waited four weeks, which I realize now probably should’ve been longer. In my typical overzealous fashion… I assumed that more is more as long as I could tolerate it… And I did as high as a 2.0 on my forehead and cheeks… And a 1.0 underneath my eyes. I know. Horrible. That time I didn’t have a glow the next morning and I feel like the ruddy, dryness lasted a full 10 days but even now at nearly 4 weeks later… I still haven’t gotten that magic glow. Some days I think my under eyes look better and some days I think they look worse than before my last treatment. I may have just done way way too much. So I will wait longer this time before I do a third and I will resort back to what I did the first time around. My question is… When you talk about nano needling a couple times a week…can that be done in the middle of these eight week stretches that you wait before you do a serious micro needling treatment again? And then secondly… Do you have any suggestions for serums that could help with overall ruddiness…darker around the chin … Some uneven skin tone and stone lines and wrinkles? Any help would be so appreciated!
Thanks for the comment and sorry I am a little late to reply here! Do you mind sharing a link to the microneedling pen you bought? I am just wondering because I bought one that was a bit cheaper at first (from Amazon) and I thought it seemed like it would work just as well as the other Dr. Pens out there and figured it did the same thing. But, it really didn’t. It was very irritating on my skin and I noticed a massive difference when I got the Dr. Pen. I’m not saying that’s the case with your situation, but I just wanted to share that with you, just as something to keep in mind as a possibility. It may not at all apply to your situation, especially with the way you described your skin after your last treatment. I often have that extreme dry skin and it looks worse for a while before it starts looking better. I would wait for at least three or four treatments before expecting results. It’s also sometimes so hard to see, even if you have had great improvements. I think we get used to how our face looks and we can forget so quickly about how it was before the treatments. So it helps to take before and after photos.
With nanoneedling, I use a pen called Deminuage and their cartridges are so small and non-irritating (the daily ones they sell) so I can use those anyday, even if I just had a treatment (a microneedling treatment) a week ago. It would be no problem. The Dr. Pen sells cartridges too for nanoneedling, but I find them irritating to the skin and too abrasive. Nano needling might help you with the ruddiness – if you have some good serums to use while you nanoneedle. Besides that, I would highly recommend glycolic peels for that also – you could try the lowest percentage sold. I buy them from Platinum Skincare and I think they have a 30% for their lowest. It can really help with pigmentation, but you have to wear sunscreen. And, just make sure you space it out so you don’t do a peel around the time of microneedling. It’s just too much to do to the skin around the same time. Last thing – sometimes the skin does look worse after microneedling (mine always does) before it gets better. I really hope you get some great results with it and possibly with peels too!
Holly…I am so incredibly blessed by the time you’ve taken to put into your response. Thank you! It is all so helpful! This is the link for the pen I bought. I actually bought the pen right before I discovered your site and started watching all of your videos where you recommended the Dr. Pen. I honestly think the pen I have is great. The needles are incredibly tiny and seem to work as they should. I think this next time around I will just dial it back to what I did the first time around and do .50 under my eyes and maybe a 1.0 everywhere else. Maybe at those depths my skin can handle me doing them as often as every 4 weeks. I have to remind myself that this is a marathon…not a sprint. I will look into your nano needle as I watched that video of yours and the biggest advantage it has over the nano option of the pen I own, is how tiny the head is. I can’t get close to the under / inside part of my eye with my current pen. It’s too big. I also will look into the glycolic peels. So it’s safe to assume that I will use those under my eyes as well? My under eye area is the area that bothers me the most. How soon after a micro needling session can I do a peel? Maybe halfway through the time till’ my next micro needling session? Anyways…excited for my third treatment. I’m giving myself an extra couple weeks this time around because I think I was just a little too heavy handed this last time. Thanks so much again for your time!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BH81QRKQ/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza
Hi Mama K! And, I am so sorry for my late reply here. I didn’t get any comment notifications like I normally do. I need to update my site settings for that. :) So, thank you for the kindest comment ever! And, thanks for the link to the Amazon product. I am so glad you like it. It does look great, based on the photos. It reminds me of the Dr. Pen A6S. I’m just glad it’s working well for you! It looks a lot better than this older one I bought prior to getting the Dr. Pen.
With the glycolic peels, you can use it under your eyes too. Just be careful not to get it in your eyes and you’ll be fine. I think you have the right idea to wait a couple of weeks after microneedling before doing a peel. That gives your skin time to heal quite a lot. Plus, you’ll learn really quickly what your skin can handle, when it comes to the glycolic peels. So you may end up being able to do them sooner or more often than you think. Also I think it’s smart to wait a bit longer if you think you were a bit heavy handed with the microneedling. I tend to wait quite a while too. I really hope you get some great results with all these things you’re doing!
Hi there! Just bought my doc pen m8 and I’m watching your videos to make sure I don’t do anything wrong. I’m planning to start with 0.25 just to see how my skin will react. I’m almost 38 and this last year my wrinkles under the eyes have escalated. But what I dislike the most is that my jawline seems to be losing contour. So, 2 questions. 1. Do you think microneedling can help with the jawline situation? And 2. After all these sections of microneedling, do you think it’s something you will do for life (or until something better gome up)? I’d love to know what are your insights for the long term. Kind regards.