Jessica's Blog

One of the biggest decisions you may ever make is the decision to have anti-aging treatment. On the one hand, you may be sick of dealing with discolored patches of skin, unusual hair growth, wrinkles, or other blemishes. On the other hand, you may be a bit leery of so-called clinical treatments. The hardest part is in picking the skincare method that is likely to work the best. Two of the contenders are lasers and Dermaroller (micro-needling/collagen induction therapy), but which one is better?
 

The Basics of How Skin Ages

To answer that question you have to start by getting to know the basics of how skin ages. I did some research online on this to find out more, so now I’m sharing what I found out. The primary reason that your skin could develop wrinkles and sags as you get older is that levels of collagen and elastin in your body will naturally drop with age. Those are proteins that give your skin its tight, stretchy appearance and feel. In fact, collagen is commonly referred to as a “building block” of cells. The natural passage of time causes the production of these substances to decrease gradually.

Of course, other things help this process along and can contribute to other skin issues, such as discolored spots and dry skin. For example, smoking can age the skin at a much faster rate. So can too much exposure to UV rays or harsh chemicals. So, the aging process doesn’t occur at the same exact rate for everyone.

How Dermaroller Treatments Helps to Repair That Damage

Dermaroller is a process that utilizes a tool covered in tiny needles. As the tool is moved over the skin, the needs create puncture marks. The depth of those marks depends on the size of the needles, which in turn depends on the type of Dermaroller treatment chosen. Larger needles tend to be better for treating more advanced skin problems.

The point of the process is to purposefully damage the skin. When your skin is damaged in such a widespread but mostly superficial way, it doesn’t do any long-term damage to you. What it does is simply encourage your body to send in the cavalry in the form of healthy proteins, including elastin and collagen. So, once the healing process starts, not only with the Dermaroller damage be repaired, but so will some of your previously existing skin damage.

The Differences Between That and Laser Treatment

Some types of laser medical equipment, namely fraxel lasers, work basically the same way. The only major difference is that they use a combination of light and heat, rather than needles. The lasers drill the tiny holes, causing similar damage to what you would see after Dermaroller treatment.

Other types of laser devices don’t work in the same way at all, even though they might produce similar results. Non-ablative lasers, for instance, stir up skin cells below the surface. Ablative lasers, on the other hand, focus almost exclusively on the skin’s surface and don’t penetrate to the lower layers, but they can all be used to encourage collagen production and reduce lines, wrinkles, and other skin issues.

Making Your Final Skincare Decision

Neither Dermaroller nor laser treatment is better in general, but one can be better than the other in an individual case. For example, you might not qualify for laser treatment if your skin is oily, but you might be a good candidate for Dermaroller. So, the final decision about whether to have one or the other might depend on a variety of factors. You might even find yourself choosing a completely different type of treatment, depending on your situation.

Personally, I do use Dermarollers at home during my home facials and I do have my occasional visits to Dermacare in Ion for laser treatments just to maintain my skin. 

XOXO

Jessica