Is Microneedling At Home Dangerous? What You Need To Know

Is microneedling at home dangerous?  We have noticed there’s been a few myths circulating about microneedling, particularly microneedling at home. We’d like to clear up some of these statements by only referring to research studies. 

Microneedling is the process of creating controlled microinjuries on the skin to increase collagen.  It’s known for reducing acne scars, hyperpigmentation, fine lines, and enhancing skincare product absorption.  

Myth #1: Microneedling at home is ‘dangerous’

There has been no study that says ‘microneedling at home’ is dangerous. 

Only 1 reported case of infection is when a woman used a derma roller over active cysts and spread that onto her face.  

How Banish Prevents:

In all of our instructions, we always say never to microneedle over active acne or any rash, or any part of skin that looks like there could be a breakout.

The Banisher 2.0 was created so one can target areas AROUND a pimple, instead of derma rolling over the entire face.

Myth #2: Microneedling causes granulomas.

Granulomas  were reported in 3 cases of microneedling in med spas, two of which were done at the same med spa.

In 2 of the 3 patients, they continued to get professional microneedling even though they noticed adverse reactions from their skin-they started getting a rash.

 
Patients developed allergic reactions to the same serum applied afterwards. They looked at the ingredients in the vitamin C serum from Sanitas skincare and said “We hypothesize that the culprit allergenic chemical is one of the nontested ingredients or an unlisted ingredient of Vita C Serum, such as an unknownfragrance or preservative.”

How Banish Prevents:

Banish’s vitamin c serum doesn’t contain fragrance and the has the least amount of preservatives

Banish’s vitamin c serums are made fresh in small batches so they are non oxidized and not at an extremely high concentration so it’s least likely to irritate the skin. 

Myth #3: Vitamin C on top of microneedling causes Granulomas

Granulomas are tiny areas of inflammation. In these cases, the documented incidences were from professional microneedling done at a med spa and the 2 out of the 3 causes used the same brand of vita c serum applied afterwards. 

2 of the patients were getting professional microneedling when they already had symptoms of a rash from previous treatments. Continuing microneedling treatments when you are getting a rash or reaction is not recommended. 

One patient actually got microneedling the same day they got a fraxel laser treatment.  

For the 2 patients that developed granulomas, they developed an allergic reaction to the serum in a skin patch test. 

Due to the reaction on the patch test, the study believes they were most likely allergic or having a hyper sensitivity reaction to a fragrance or preservative compound in a vitamin c serum.  They were unable to contact the manufacturer of the serum. 

Because the serum happened to be a vitamin C serum, containing dozens of ingredients, some people think ‘vitamin c applied on top of microneedling causes granulomas’, which in fact, correlation does not equal causation. 

How Banish Prevents: 

We always advise to not do microneedling shortly after skin treatments such as laser, or peels 

We advise not to introduce a new skincare product with microneedling
Always patch test on the side of your jaw to check if you have an allergy to the serum 

We advise not to use microneedling if you are on prescription medications like isotretinoin. 

Myth #4: Lasers and chemical Peels work better than microneedling

Studies show that microneedling is a valuable alternative to more invasive procedures such as laser skin resurfacing and deep chemical peeling. 

Deep peels, laser treatments,  and deep in office microneedling also tend to have more downtime, and not everyone may be able to schedule a few days to stay inside while their skin heals and recovers. 

Microneedling overall is safe, minimally invasive and highly effective for several different types of skin concerns like texture, scarring, acne scars, melasma, and fine lines. 

 How Banish Prevents

Along with following the rules above, make sure not to go out into the sun and wear a mineral sunscreen daily like the Defender Spf 50. 

Should You Microneedle At Home?

In this day and age, not everyone has access to dermatologists and can afford professional microneedling treatments that run $500+ a session, especially if they still have active breakouts around their face.  However, if you can afford professional microneedling and like the results it gives you, of course you should go for it! 

At Banish, it is my priority to make sure all the products are ‘foolproof’ and are the absolute safest at home microneedling products out there.  When using the right home microneedle tool correctly and taking the right steps, yes you should try microneedling at home. 

Banish in fact uses the same manufacturer that all the plastic surgeons and dermatologists use for their professional microneedling tools.

Comparison of Banisher 2.0 with other Microneedling Tools such as Dr. Pen. 

1. You can see that the Banisher is the only one that is gold plated. Gold has anti microbial properties.
2. Banisher 2.0 ‘needles’ are much finer than all the rest. 
3. They are also much shorter, making it ‘foolproof’. You shouldn’t draw blood when used accordingly.
4. Patented sanitizing screw on cap protects the Banisher and cleans it thoroughly. 

Tips for using the Banisher 2.0 Microneedle Tool safely:

1. Never share your device with anyone else!
2. Never microneedle over active breakouts or rashes
3. Remember to replace your device after 8 uses, max!
4. Always use 70%-90% isopropyl alcohol to clean your device. Make sure the bristles are completely submerged in the alcohol. I like to take a soft brand new bristle tooth brush to scrub around the bristles.
5. Use 70% isopropyl alcohol pad or cotton ball dipped in alcohol to cleanse the skin before microneedling.
6. Wash your hands thoroughly or use sterile gloves before microneedling.
7. Make sure the serum you are using on top afterwards has few fragrance or preservatives. This is why the Banish serum is the freshest there is, using no fragrance and very little preservative. 
8. If using a serum you’ve never used while microneedling, do a patch test on the side of jaw to make sure there is no allergic reaction. Don’t apply anything else on until the next day.
9. Never touch the serum dropper to the skin.
10. Use the Banisher up to once a week 
11. Make sure to microneedle on thoroughly cleansed skin.
12. Always stay out of the sun the day of microneedling and use mineral sunscreen afterwards.

You can also read our microneedling aftercare guide for more indepth aftercare!

Again, all things are going to have these same risk of infection if you use them incorrectly such as shaving.  Things that people normally do daily like wearing contact lenses for the eyes can also have an infection risk when you don’t properly replace, care for, and keep sanitary.  

So we feel that the best method is to be able to provide the safest home microneedle tools and education on how to use it properly to eliminate the risks for people who are interested in microneedling at home! 

So if you are comfortable doing it yourself,  and can follow a few instructions like the ones mentioned above, then microneedling at home is perfectly fine and safe to do and will give you results! 

Source: Facial Allergic Granulomatous Reaction and Systemic Hypersensitivity Associated With Microneedle Therapy for Skin Rejuvenation

Biosynthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activity of gold nanoparticles

Microneedling: A Review and Practical Guide