Dermarolling for Loose Skin: Is it Real Magic?

January 26, 2020 32 Comments

Have you heard of dermarolling for loose skin? This post will guide you through how it works, how to do it, and what to expect.

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My body wasn’t really the definition of tight and toned before having kids. Now, after having children and losing weight, my stomach has a bit of sagging and loose skin.

The worst part is right above my belly button, and I tie this to the fact that I didn’t remove my belly ring while pregnant.

Here’s the thing. I don’t hate my body or my stomach. In fact, I have no complaints about having stretch marks or the obvious signs of having children.

However, when I’ve worked so hard to tailor the body of my dreams, sometimes the loose skin can be a bit discouraging. I think many women can relate to this.

Even if you haven’t lost a lot of weight since having children, and even though you love your children and wouldn’t take anything back, loose or sagging skin can be discouraging.

And unless you have thousands of dollars and a week spend on recovery from a tummy-tuck/mommy-makeover, most of us have to accept our stomach skin for what it is.

But, a while back I read a story about a woman who tried dermarolling for loose skin on her stomach, and it made a noticeable difference. I figure, what the hell? I’ll give it a try.

I’ve only been using the dermaroller on my stomach for around a month. Here’s what I have learned so far.

**I will continue to update this post with dermarolling before and after pictures, progress, and thoughts.

RELATED: 7 Ways to Tighten Loose Skin After Pregnancy

What is Dermarolling?

Dermarolling, also known as microneedling is a process of rolling a dermaroller tool with hundreds to thousands of tiny needles across your skin, usually face, to stimulate collagen.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and it provides strength and structure to the skin. Over time, as you age, collagen production in the body decreases, which results in wrinkles.

And because most people want to keep the wrinkles at bay as long as possible, dermarolling has become a popular method of manipulating the skin to produce more collagen.

Microneedling works by creating a bunch of puncture wounds in the skin. In turn, the body responds to these tiny wounds by producing more collagen and elastin. And this leads to healthier, younger-looking skin.

When we apply this theory to loose skin on the stomach, it’s easy to see how it could be beneficial and work to tighten the skin. Loose skin is very similar to facial wrinkles. The skin has lost its elasticity which prevents it from returning to its original size or tightness.

In theory, dermarolling should make the loose skin on the stomach produce more collagen and elastin, which would make the skin tighter and firmer.

Dermarolling at Home

One of the main benefits of dermarolling over other cosmetic procedures for tightening skin is that it can be done at home.

You don’t need to be a professional to use a dermaroller. That being said, there is some basic knowledge you should know before you start.

Picking a Good Dermaroller

The first step in the process is to pick a good dermaroller for home use. Making this decision will include a few different factors, like how much money you want to spend and what size needles you want for your concern areas.

Remember, dermarolling is great for a number of skin issues including acne scars, hyperpigmentation, large pores, sun-damaged skin and wrinkles, stretch marks, and even surgical scars.

With this in mind, you will need to know the needle length that is appropriate for what you want to accomplish. For this post, we are focusing on dermarolling for loose skin on the stomach.

For this area, the best length is 0.5mm to 1.5mm. A combination of both lengths is the most ideal and effective. Do not buy or use a dermaroller on your own that has needles longer than 1.5mm.

With the above information you can begin shopping for your dermaroller. You will quickly find out that many of them go for upwards of $100-$200, which seems crazy in my book.

I found my dermarollers on Amazon and paid around $35 for two.

The first one I purchased was from Zust Beauty and includes a dermaroller with three different heads, Vitamin C + Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and Collagen cream. The needles in this set are 0.3mm long.

I chose this length to start with because I was a little frightened of the pain and because this length is good for use on the face.

The second one I purchased from Amazon was from YMR Beauty and it only contains one head that has 540 needles with a length of 1.5mm. I fully intended to work my way up to this length, but it was under $10 and I felt it was well worth the money.

I would recommend both of these rollers for someone who is new to dermarolling. Both rollers make for a nice beginner set and are perfect for different areas of the body.

So far, I have been impressed with both rollers and feel like the quality has been well worth the cost. That being said, I have not used the serums or creams inside the YMR Beauty set. I am rather particular about my skincare and stick to brands I know and trust.

How to Use a Dermaroller

Before you get started, it’s important to know how to use a dermaroller. Don’t just go in all willy-nilly with it or you’ll end up with irritated, red skin.

1. Disinfect your roller. Rinse your dermaroller with hot water and then allow the head to soak in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol for 5-10 minutes. Never skip this step.
2. Clean and prep your skin. I use a clean washcloth with hot water, followed by a sterile cotton pad with rubbing alcohol to clean my stomach area. After this, you can optionally apply a Vitamin C serum or cream. You may also want to use a numbing cream for longer needles.
3. Start Rolling. This part gets a little more intense. Look at the area of your stomach that you want to improve.
   1. First, hold your skin taut, perpendicular to where you will be rolling. So if you are rolling vertically first, you will need to stretch the skin horizontally.
   2. Start by rolling the dermaroller without any added pressure vertically in one place. Go over the same path 6-8 times.
   3. Then move the dermaroller over and repeat in the vertical section next to the one you just did.
   4. Continue with with this pattern of going over each vertical section 6-8 times until you have covered your entire desired area.
   5. Now, adjust the dermaroller to roll horizontally. Roll the dermaroller horizontally across the stomach in the same line 6-8 times.
   6. Now, move down/up and repeat with 6-8 horizontal rolls.
   7. Once you have reached the end of your area you will have rolled over each area a total of 12-16 times.
4. Wash your roller with dish soap. Fill a small dish with warm water and a little dish soap. Move the head of the roller around in the water without touching it to the sides or the bottom as this will dull the needles.
5. Disinfect again. Repeat step 1.

Also, consider adding some serums to your aftercare. I created a post with the most beneficial skincare products to use after dermarolling.

How Often Do You Need to Dermaroll Your Stomach?

If you are using a longer needle, like a 1.0mm or a 1.5mm, you only need to do this once every three to four weeks. For shorter needles, you can roll 1-3 times a week. Start slowly so your body can get used to the process and recover healthily.

What to Expect Immediately After Dermarolling

This is one of the questions that gets asked a lot. There are a few things you will likely notice immediately following and the days after dermarolling your stomach.

• Your skin will likely be red, although this should fade in less than 24 hours.
• It may feel irritated and hot. You can apply a cool, damp washcloth to your skin afterward. Avoid any products that may cause irritation to open skin.
• The following days your skin might be itchy. Much like if you have ever gotten a tattoo or scraped your knee, when the wound begins to heal it will be itchy.
• Your skin may have initial plumpness to it that makes it seem smoother. If this happens right away, the results are not lasting, unfortunately. But don’t get discouraged, the real results are coming.

How Long Will It Take to See Results?

This is entirely dependent on the severity of your loose skin and how effectively you are dermarolling.

For example, if you use your dermaroller with a quality Vitamin C serum, you are more likely to see results faster. If you are using longer needles on your stomach, this will also speed up the time in which you will see progress.

However, science tells us that most of the collagen in our skin is located in the dermis, below the epidermis. Hence why the longer needles are often more effective. So, in order for the collagen to reproduce and then have a visible impact on the epidermis can take weeks.

Most estheticians agree that it takes around six weeks to notice a difference in the skin after dermarolling. The continued improvement of the skin can be seen for around six months to a year with continued treatments.

Another thing to consider is your diet. Drinking plenty of water helps your skin stay hydrated and youthful. Also consider adding some nutrient-dense smoothies or meals to your day to ensure you are getting proper vitamins and minerals.

And lastly, dermarolling is sadly not the cure-all. If the severity of your loose or saggy skin is a lot, this likely won’t give you a model’s stomach. But, if you are looking for a way to tighten up some of your loose skin, this is an effective and scientifically proven method to help do so.

Check Out These Results from Others

Since I’m only a month into my treatment, I wanted to share some of the videos I initially found and was inspired by when I started dermarolling.

Astonishing Results from Dermarolling for Loose Skin

Mom of 6 Dermarolling Results

My Experience with Dermarolling for Loose Skin

Keep in mind, my results are only one month old. I will continue to update this post with before and after pictures and details as time progresses.

I have had my belly ring since I was 15 years old. And now I’m 29, so it’s been with me for a long time. But, because I didn’t take it out until around my 37th week of pregnancy with my first-born, that part of my stomach never bounced back and continued to be saggy.

In this photo, you can see the severity of the sagging skin around my belly button. You can also see that I have light stretch marks running up to around where my belly button is.

The leaner I am, the more noticeable the loose skin is around my belly button. To get the most out of this treatment, I did remove my belly ring. I figure the less weight pulling down on that area, the easier it will be for my skin to tighten back up. However, I do plan to put my belly ring back in after a couple of months.

This is approximately one month after my first treatment with my belly button ring removed.

The results are not staggering or shocking at this point, but I’m happy with the progress since nothing else seems to work.

Some Things I Noticed Personally:

• I have a decent pain tolerance. However, dermarolling with the 1.5mm needles is definitely uncomfortable and edging on the side of painful.
• The pain dissipates within minutes of finishing a treatment.
• The first couple of days my skin looked significantly more plump and tight. But, this faded shortly after and my skin reverted back to what it looked like before the treatment.
• Even though the actual treatment is uncomfortable, the itching that follows drives me the craziest. It reminds me of having a sunburn that is starting to peel or a tattoo that is beginning to heal.

Have you tried dermarolling before? I’m curious about your experience. And if you haven’t tried it, is it something you would consider, given the information? Fire off in the comments below or on Facebook or Instagram.