First off, the pressure used to press down on your dermaroller needs to be relatively light, maybe a similar pressure to applying a deodorant stick or using a paintbrush. You don’t want to draw blood or damage your scalp from the pressure, and if you see blood pinpricks, you are pushing too hard. The pressure should be firm enough for the scalp to turn a little pink after a few seconds, but nothing too painful. To prepare your hair you will want to apply water to your scalp to matt down any current hairs and prevent them from getting caught in the roller. Then, roll the clean and sanitized dermaroller from front to back (or back to front) applying a light pressure to the scalp, and then pick the roller up at the end. You want to avoid going back and forth as you may snag some hairs in the roller. Go over the whole scalp front-to-back in lines, rerolling over each area 2-3 times in the same direction. After you have completed the front-to-back lines, you can complete the same steps going from one side to the other across your scalp, making sure to pick up the roller after each pass and rewetting the hair as needed. You will want to comb any hair in the direction of the roller’s motion before starting to help things go smoother. At this point, you can stop using the dermaroller for the session, or you can use the same technique to go over the scalp diagonally. If at any point your scalp is feeling painful and irritated, stop and apply pressure more gently next time.

These microneedles in the dermaroller will be slightly puncturing your skin, so you need to take extra care to ensure that your dermaroller is very clean. Before each treatment, be sure to clean and disinfect to prevent infections, dipping the device in alcohol and allowing it to dry is a good way to disinfect your dermaroller. For sanitary reasons, you should also never share a dermaroller with another person. After using a dermaroller, it is normal to see a slight pinkness or redness to the skin, or to feel a little inflammation, itching, or stinging. However, if your scalp is feeling very irritated, is bleeding, or very inflamed, the pressure was too much or the needle was too long. See a doctor if pain, inflammation, or infection occurs with dermarolling. Bruising, oozing, redness, and swelling can also occur. Not everyone is the best candidate for microneedling for hair loss. Women who are pregnant should not use a dermaroller. Also, people who are on blood thinners or who have hemophilia may bleed too much with microneedling and should avoid this practice. Those who have conditions like diabetes that may inhibit proper wound healing should also avoid using a dermaroller.

Yes! For more information, we encourage you to read through the following articles and watch the demonstration video on our blog: How to Microneedle for Hair Loss: Plus What Needle Size Is Best, Microneedling for Hair Loss: Does It Work & What Do the Studies Say, and Dr. Alan Bauman: How To Use Strut Dermaroller for Hair Growth (Video). If you have any further questions regarding the Strut Dermaroller, feel free to reach out to our support team.