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Koko Hayashi — a celebrity face yoga instructor whose clients include Kim Kardashian — let her 741,000 TikTok followers watch as she ran a microneedling pen over her red, serum-slicked face.
“I think I did too much, so it’s bleeding a little bit,” she lamented as she drew the pen close to the corner of her eye.
The redness eventually subsided, but Hayashi later wondered if moving the Amazon-purchased device too slowly had caused the reaction.
“Slow stamping can increase the risk of scarring,” she told The Post. “I’ve continued microneedling at home with more awareness and caution.”
The popular procedure uses tiny needles to create controlled micro-injuries that stimulate the production of collagen and elastin for smoother, firmer skin.
With professional microneedling treatments costing $200 to $700 per session, it’s no wonder that people are taking a stab at it themselves with at-home dermapens and rollers. Just look at the legions of beet-faced women showing off their efforts on TikTok.
But these blood-speckled results are concerning skin experts, who warn that DIY devices can cause infections or lasting damage.
“Microneedling devices at home are not regulated in any standardized way and what to put on afterwards has not been made clear to consumers,” Dr. Kseniya Kobets, director of cosmetic dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care, told The Post.
Here’s everything you need to know about at-home microneedling kits before you add them to your holiday wishlist.
Cosmetic vs. medical-grade devices
Microneedling devices are classified as medical or cosmetic — the key differences are needle depth and intended use.
The Food and Drug Administration has cleared certain medical microneedling devices with needles longer than 0.3 millimeters for professionals to treat acne scars, wrinkles and stretch marks. They’re not for home use.
Devices with needles under 0.3 millimeters are for superficial purposes, like improving skin texture or enhancing absorption of serums and moisturizers.
These tools are typically not deep enough to penetrate the dermis to spur significant collagen production. That’s why the FDA doesn’t generally regulate at-home microneedling kits.
“Most at-home tools are very shallow, usually around 0.2 to 0.3 millimeters, which can’t cause ‘real’ collagen remodeling,” Limor Weinberg, a board-certified nurse practitioner and an aesthetic injector at SkinSpirit Miami, told The Post.
“Shallow at-home needling might help skincare absorb a bit better and give a short-term glow,” she added, “but it will not deliver the same collagen building, scar improvement or tightening that people see in professional treatments.”
What are the different types of at-home microneedling tools?
There are three main categories of DIY devices — stamps, rollers and pens.
A derma stamp, which can cost $15 to $30, features a small head equipped with fine needles. Users push the stamp onto the skin for targeted treatment.
Derma rollers ($10 to $25) are designed to cover larger areas. Tiny needles cover the wheel that’s rolled across the skin.
Dermapens — which tend to be more expensive, at $80 to $200 a pop — are like the stamps, but they have a high-speed motor to create rapid, vertical punctures.
Weinberg warns that cheap pens can cause “the kind of texture issues people end up trying to fix for years.”
“Professional pens cost thousands because they deliver precise, controlled injuries that rebuild collagen,” she said. “If all pens were equal, believe me, every injector in the country would save the money.”
What can go wrong with DIY microneedling?
Some of the red-faced women on TikTok got off easy. Inflammation usually subsides within 24 to 48 hours, but scarring can occur if the needles went too deep or the pressure was excessive.
“Bad technique can absolutely leave a mark,” Weinberg said. “You can create track marks, widened pores, chronic redness or even scarring if you are dragging the device or going too aggressively.”
Aggressive microneedling can also overstimulate melanin, causing dark spots (known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH) in medium to darker skin tones.
PIH is “much harder to fix than a wrinkle,” Weinberg said.
Infections are another major concern because achieving medical-grade sterility at home is very difficult.
Improper technique can create entry points for bacteria, especially if devices are reused, shared or applied to existing infections.
Pus-filled red bumps, pain, warmth, oozing and spreading redness are classic infection symptoms, Kobets said.
She pointed out that you can be allergic to the metal in needles, most commonly nickel, causing redness, itching, swelling and blisters. People with sensitive skin should also be cautious.
“I see a lot of contact dermatitis because people needle in active ingredients that are too harsh, like strong acids, retinoids or fragrance-heavy products,” Weinberg said.
Tips if you decide to microneedle at home
If you’re still willing to take the plunge, Weinberg and Kobets have some pointed suggestions for avoiding disaster.
- Consult a dermatologist beforehand. “A big part of why in-office microneedling works so well is the consultation,” Weinberg said. “We are looking at your skin type, past treatments, pigment risk, active conditions, medications and how your skin heals. Sometimes the best choice is not microneedling at all, and that is something a device you bought online will never tell you.”
- Avoid use if you have active acne or inflamed or infected skin, Kobets said.
- Do your research. “Look for a reputable brand, clear instructions, single-use or easily replaceable heads,” Weinberg said. “Avoid anything that looks cheaply made, has needles that bend or feel rough or bundles in very harsh serums.”
- Clean the skin properly and never needle over makeup or self-tanner, Weinberg said. “Use light, non-irritating products after, think gentle hydrators, not acids and retinoids,” she added.
- Go slow. “People tend to think the more aggressive you are, the better, when in fact, the opposite is true,” Weinberg said. “My personal philosophy is ‘be gentle and kind to your skin.’”
- Stop if you experience severe burning, significant oozing, spreading redness/warmth or signs of infection like fever.
- Don’t share devices.
