Everyone has a guilty pleasure. Eating peanut butter from the jar or canceling plans to binge-watch The Real Housewives of Orange County is so much fun.
My guilty pleasure is the Kardashians. My DVR is full of Keeping Up, and I spend more time than I would like to admit scrolling through trashy online magazines with headlines like “Kim Kardashian Wears Skintight Dress as She Goes to Kanye’s Church Service.”
My fascination with them, however, does not prevent me from being wary of the products they endorse. Whether it be appetite suppressant lollipops or poop teas, I usually roll my eyes at any of their sponsored Instagram posts and continue scrolling down my feed.
That was until I saw Kim Kardashian with blood splattered all over her face, taking “beauty is pain” to a whole new level with a vampire facial.
Image via Instagram
A vampire facial involves getting your blood drawn and made into a supposedly rejuvenating serum applied (or injected) into your skin. To increase the absorbency of this serum, the esthetician will also use a technique called micro-needling. A device with tiny, millimeter-long needles is rolled over the skin, creating tiny punctures to increase the absorbency of the products you use. Micro-needling also claims to increase the collagen production of your skin and help heal acne scars.
At first, I didn’t think anything of it other than ew. But later, while I was buying some Korean face masks from Amazon, a familiar roller device in “My Recommended” caught my eye. With a remarkable 4 and half stars.
I was floored. I started reading some of the thousands of reviews available, pretty much all of which attributed the roller to a mind-blowing skin transformation. Before long, it was in my shopping cart, and thanks to the ingenuity of the Jeff Bezos, was at my door in two days.
What at Home Derma Rolling Is Like
My derma roller has .25 mm needles (the ones estheticians use have longer, medical grade needles that make deeper punctures in the skin.) While many derma rollers are priced in the hundred dollar range, I got mine for $19.99.
My roller came with instructions on how to roll the device across your face. To be clear, I never used the instructions, as many reviewers never did and reported still seeing amazing results.
My Derma Roller, Available on Amazon. Photo via Amazon.
I always sanitize my roller, soaking it in 70% isopropyl. Since derma rolling is somewhat invasive, killing microorganisms is extremely important.
After cleaning my device, I roll it across my face. For me, it painless, but I recommend those with more sensitive skin and lower pain tolerances to abstain. There is no particular method to my rolling, but I make sure to cover all the skin on my face (except the delicate skin under the eyes.)
After I finish rolling, I apply a serum to my face, usually hyaluronic acid.
I try to do this every other day. Emphasis on try.
Results
My skin after doing microdermabrasion
My skin before microdermabrasion
Here are some of the things I’ve noticed.
Acne Scar Reduction: Whenever I see a pimple, I dab it with my acne miracle cream- Clearasil 4 Hour Rapid Treatment Gel. The only downside to this pimple vanisher is the resulting acne scars. With derma rolling, I have noticed my scars fading significantly after just a few uses.
Absorbency of Products: Since derma rolling, I have noticed that my products are more effective. My skin is more hydrated then before, which I attribute to my skin better absorbing the serums and creams I put on it.
More Even in Texture: My skin looks more even in tone. Not so even that it looks like I am wearing foundation. But a BB cream? I think so.
Things I haven’t noticed:
Pore size: Some reviewers have claimed to see a reduction in pore size. As someone with big pores, I was hoping derma rolling would be the solution to my oily skin. That has sadly not been the case.
Firmer skin: While firmer skin is not really a concern (I am only nineteen), I can’t say my skin has been any tighter.
Conclusion
Derma rolling has definitely improved the quality of my skin and has become a necessary step to my skincare routine. While it has yet to prove itself to be the holy grail of skincare, it definitely comes with benefits.
Featured Image via RY.
Update: Recently, two vampire facial clients have been diagnosed with HIV. I would like to disclose here that it is the blood injecting, not the micro-needling, that officials claim is the cause of the HIV.
