Can Derma Roller Help Self Harm Scars? Learn How To Do It!

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Scars draw unwanted attention. And when it’s due to self-harm, no matter what, people will ask questions regarding this, and you’ll end up in an uncomfortable situation. So if you’ve self-harm scars, you’d obviously love to get away with them.

Most people use derma rollers to remove acne marks or other unwanted marks on their bodies. They have micro needles that penetrate the skin’s upper part, help blood flow, and help get rid of the acne marks.

As they can remove the acne marks, can derma roller help with self-harm scars as well?

Yes, Derma Roller can help to remove or vanish self-harm scars from blades or knives from any part of the body in most cases. For removing self-harm scars, derma rollers with 1-1.5 mm rollers will be the best for you. And on top of that, you should apply silicone and Vitamin A creams on the scars timely. Following this can improve the result by 30-40% after 4-6 sessions.

Using derma rollers to treat self-scars at home can be tricky without a proper guide.

But don’t worry. Today we’re with this guide where we’ll cover everything related to derma rollers for removing or vanishing self-harm scars.

So let’s begin…

What is a Derma Roller?

Derma roller is a skincare device also known as a skin needling device. The reason for such naming is that the rollers contain numerous needs to prick your skin’s surface. Besides, there’s a long handle to hold or use the roller on to your skin.

The needles remain attached to a roller. So when it’s rolled, the needles roll as well and end up pricking your skin. The length of the needles can vary depending on the usage and from type to type.

There’s a common misconception about derma rollers about injuries. Some people believe that using derma rollers on your skin might injure your body parts. But the fact is, it’s partially true. There are micro-needles attached to derma rollers. But they can’t penetrate deep into your skin.

Derma rollers just cause a micro-injury that speeds up your body’s collagen and elastin production. It increases blood circulation at the same time. This results in treating any scars on that specific part.

Can Derma Roller Help With Self-harm Scars?

Do you have self-harm scars from blades or knives? Are you looking to get rid of them but don’t know how to do this? If yes, you’re at the right place.

Derma rollers are infamous as skincare tools. They are highly effective and proven to help acne marks on your skin.

But what most people don’t know is that derma rollers can help with self-harm scars as well. Yes, you heard it right. If you’ve deep cuts from knives or blades, you can use derma rollers with 1-1.5mm needles to get rid of those marks.

But treating self-harm scars with derma rollers is slightly different from acne marks. And the main difference is the needle size.

In general, knives or blades cause deeper cuts in your skin cell compared to acne marks or pimples. As acne or pimple marks can be treated with only 0.2 to 0.3 mm needles, you’d at least need 1-1.5mm needles for treating self-harm cuts.

How Do Derma Rollers Help Scars?

Derma rollers are extremely famous for treating acne or any kind of scars on your body, including your face. So you might question, how does a derma roller work?

Well, for your information, derma rollers first create a micro-injury. Suppose you want to treat an acne scar on your face. So for this, all you need to do is, use the derma roller on that specific part. Upon usage, a micro-injury will occur, and this will accelerate collagen production and blood circulation.

Finally, your skin will begin to heal naturally due to blood circulation and collagen production. And this will ultimately vanish the acne marks and provide beautiful-looking skin.

Although derma rollers are effective for treating acne or unwanted marks on your body, there’s a catch. Normally, derma rollers come with different-sized needles. The most common sizes are 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3 mm needles. If you’re looking to use derma rollers at your home for treating acne marks or accelerating blood circulation, we’d highly recommend using needles between 0.2 to 0.3mm.

However, if you want to treat self-harm marks from knives or blades, you’d at least need derma rollers with 1-1.5mm needles. In that case, it’d be risky to use them at home alone as there’ll be a high chance of deep cuts.

How to Choose Derma Rollers

Whether you want to treat acne marks or self-harm scars, choosing the perfect derma roller is very crucial. But as a beginner, it’s normal not to know how to choose the right derma roller.

So if you’re confused while buying a derma roller and don’t know what to look for, this part is for you.

Here are a few things that you should consider while buying a derma roller-

1. Needle Size

This is the most important and crucial part of choosing a derma roller. If you want to use derma rollers for regular skincare treatment, you should opt for rollers not more than 0.3mm needles. You’ll need to use long needles to treat self-harm scars or wrinkles.

·        0.2-0.3 mm Needles: They cannot stimulate the production of collagen. Best for daily usage

·        0.5 to 1.0 mm Needles: Best to use for treating moderate-deep scars and wrinkles.

·         More than 1.5 mm Needles: Suitable for treating self-harm scars from knives or blades. Numbing cream might be essential as using these needles can be painful.

2. Features

The price of derma rollers varies due to needle size and features mostly. By features, we mean some derma rollers come with interchangeable heads. That means you can use different-sized needle heads on that same derma roller.

As a result, you can use the same roller as a regular skin care item (0.2-0.3 mm needles) and treat deep scars (1-1.5 mm needles) just by changing the heads.

3. Budget

Derma rollers can come in different price ranges depending on quality, needle size, and features. Normally, derma rollers with interchangeable heads cost a little more than fixed ones.

Talking about the price range, derma rollers come at a price between $10  to $100. The price can go up to even $400, depending on brand value and features.

How to Use Derma Rollers to Treat Self-Harm Scars

As derma rollers come with long cylindrical handles, they’re pretty easy to use at home. If you’re looking for the perfect ways to use derma rollers to treat self-harm scars at home, you’re at the right place.

For better understanding, we’ve made a step-by-step guide for you. Here’s how to treat self-harm scars with derma rollers-

·   Choosing Your Derma Roller

First, you need to choose a derma roller that has 1 or 1.5 mm needles. While choosing a derma roller, don’t go for cheaper ones as they can have adverse side effects.

·   Disinfecting Your Derma Roller

Most of us avoid this important part of unconsciousness. Well, disinfecting your derma rollers, specifically the needles, is extremely important to avoid any infections.

For disinfecting, you need to soak the derma roller in 70% isopropyl alcohol for around 10-15 minutes.

·   Applying Numbing Cream

Using derma rollers can cause bleeding and hurt your skin. So to avoid this, you can use an anesthetic or numbing creams. But this part is really optional.

Mostly, numbing creams become necessary if you’re using rollers with needles more than 1.0 mm. Before applying the numbing creams, follow the instructions on its body properly.

·   Begin the Rolling

At first, it’ll hurt a little, and in some cases, blood can come out, too, as you’re using comparatively long needles. But don’t worry, it’s part of the treatment.

Rolling your self-harm scars is a very sensitive task. So firstly, you should roll in the same place in the same direction about 8-10 times. Once done, repeat the same process but this time from the opposite side.

After rolling parallelly, next, you should roll perpendicularly on the scars for the same time period. Keep in mind that derma rollers SHOULDNT BE ROLLED DIAGONALLY. Doing so, you’ll create uneven patterns and lines on your skin, which can result in wrinkles.

·   Clean the Wounds

After using the rollers on the self-harm scars, use a clean and dry cloth to clean the outer layer of your skin. And after that, clean the wounds with fresh water only.

Alongside derma rollers, you’ll also need silicone and Vitamin A creams to treat self-harm scars. So after cleaning the scars, apply silicone and Vitamin A creams and leave them to get absorbed by the skin.

·   Clean the Rollers

Derma rolling results in creating little pores on your scars. And blood can come out from them. So after using the rollers, disinfect them in the same way, dry them and store them safely.

That’s it. According to Laser Dermatologist Dr. David Lim, using the above method can improve the condition to 30-40% after applying the method 4-5 times. So can derma roller help with self-harm scars? Surely, it can

Although derma rollers are effective in treating self-harm scars, the problem is that it’s really risky to use 1-1.5mm needles at home without prior experience. So if you’re looking to treat self-harm scars with derma rollers, we’d highly discourage you.

Do Derma Rollers Have Any Side Effects?

Like any other skincare product, derma rollers also have quite a few side effects. And as they use micro-needling, the side effects cannot be avoided as well.

The most common side effect of derma roller is skin irritation, skin burn, and inflammation. As derma rollers contain needles, after using, the particular area can irritate due to pricking and can turn reddish.

Alongside skin irritation, derma rollers also cause bleeding, bruising, infection, and peeling. Although derma rollers with 0.2 to .25 mm needles don’t cause these serious issues, if you use the ones with 1-1.5mm needles, there’s a high risk of injuries.

Considering this, doctors recommend not using thick needles at home alone.

Besides, if you’ve active acne or open cuts, you cannot use derma rollers on them directly. Moreover, if you’ve psoriasis or eczema, avoid using derma rollers at all costs.

If you’re expecting a child or pregnant, you should contact your gynecologist before treating any scar with derma rollers.

FAQs

·   Do scars come back after microneedling?

Ans: No, scars don’t come back once they vanish completely. After using derma rollers regularly, in some patients, the scars are gone after two or three sessions. But for some patients, it can take around 6-8 sessions to completely vanish the scar marks.

·   Can derma rollers make scars worse?

Ans: No, derma rollers don’t worsen scars if used properly. Applying derma rollers on your skin by following proper guidelines won’t worsen the issue. However, overusing derma rollers or using the wrong needles can definitely worsen the situation.

·   How often should you microneedle a scar?

Ans: For best results, micro-needling or derma rollers should be used every 4 to 6 weeks or once a month. You shouldn’t overuse derma rollers at any cost. It’ll worsen your scars as well as your skin if done so.

Conclusion

Finally, there’s a common myth that using derma rollers at home isn’t effective. Well, it’s totally wrong. Derma roller is highly effective for treating any marks on your skin. And for this, choosing the right derma roller is essential.

So can derma roller help with self-harm scars? Undoubtedly, yes! But it’s a lengthy process as it takes months. Also, for safety purposes, it’s not recommended to use derma rollers with 1-1.5 mm needles at home for treating self-harm scars. 

So Good Luck treating your self-harm scars. Let us know your experience. Thank You!