Imagine if there was a treatment that could even out your skin tone, contour your face, give your cheeks a healthy rosy tone, and make you look like you’re wearing foundation without actually wearing foundation. And all this lasts for months!
Sounds great, right?
Well, the BB glow microneedling treatment is supposed to do just that. However, it seems to be falling short. A few years back, everyone seemed to be talking about BB glow, but then they just stopped. And nowadays, there are so many experts advising against this treatment clients are really torn between the promise of a perfect complexion and the fear of something going wrong.
Let’s see why BB glow microneedling is so controversial.
What Is BB Glow Microneedling?
BB glow microneedling is a crossover between microneedling and permanent makeup. Let’s explain both aspects.
The BB glow is supposed to be a long-lasting recreation of wearing a BB cream. It implies injecting tinted serums into the skin, where the pigments are supposed to stay and even out the skin tone from within. The idea is to inject a skin-toned color into the facial skin, so it can be considered a form of cosmetic tattooing, i.e. permanent makeup.
The technique of implementing the tinted serums in the case of BB glow is microneedling. It means using a derma pen to make tiny punctures on the skin and open up microchannels in it, which enable the serums to get into the epidermis. Microneedling is a form of collagen induction therapy, meaning it stimulates the production of collagen and thus improves the structure and appearance of the skin.
For more detailed information on the BB glow treatment, check out this guide.
NOTE
With BB glow, the microneedling is very shallow, since the serums are supposed to be injected into the epidermis, not the dermis. As many experts claim, it can be very difficult to ensure the dermis isn’t affected, which makes it almost impossible to do the BB glow treatment 100% right.
Image source: Freepik
Does BB Glow Microneedling Work?
It can be a really effective treatment, but not in the way you may think.
Implementing pigments into the skin may sound like you’ll get flawless skin instantly, but in reality, BB glow can give a slight improvement along the lines of a low-coverage foundation. It’s important to note that the tinted serums are not that highly pigmented, so it takes several sessions to build up the concentration in the skin and give a visible improvement.
Everybody’s skin is different and will retain pigment differently. After each application, a significant amount of the pigments will be extracted and won’t get retained. You will get an immediate brightening effect, but there’s no guarantee the effect will stay as intense once the skin closes up the microchannels.
The improvement you definitely will get is due to the application process – the microneedling. Microneedling works on the basis of stimulating the body’s natural regeneration processes. The body repairs the microtrauma inflicted on the skin by growing new, better skin. Repeating this process several times will bring about a visible improvement.
In fact, microneedling can help diminish or even eliminate:
- Hyperpigmentation
- Signs of aging
- Acne scarring
It energizes and revives the skin, giving it a healthy glow. It’s actually what puts the glow into BB glow!
The thing with BB glow microneedling, though, is that it’s done quite shallow. It’s not medical microneedling, but rather cosmetic, which means the needles are short and don’t go as deep into the skin, so you can’t really expect the major improvement more intense microneedling gives. Still, it will be beneficial for your skin.
Just be realistic with your expectations and don’t fall for marketing schemes which advertise BB glow microneedling as a magical treatment.
For more information on microneedling alone, check out this guide.
Image source: Freepik
All This Sounds Good, So Why Is BB Glow Microneedling Problematic?
If the treatment is done 100% right and no substances penetrate the dermis layer of the skin, there probably won’t be any issues, immediate or long-term, since the pigments will just get shed through skin’s natural exfoliation.
The problem lies in the fact it’s extremely hard to ensure the serums don’t get into the dermis and their formula not being suitable for the intradermal application.
Questionable Ingredients
Many, many of the BB glow serum formulas available on the market contain ingredients not entirely safe for intradermal application. They often contain non-biodegradable components meant to provide long-lasting effects.
1 treatment may not pose a risk, but as the treatments are repeated and the components accumulate in the skin, there’s a chance of allergies, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, formation of scars and granulomas.
Problematic Pigments
Then, there are the pigments themselves. Most BB glow serums contain titanium dioxide, a type of white pigment. This pigment does not behave well in the skin long-term. Its molecules are quite large, and they stay in the skin for very long. At some point, it’s possible the skin starts working very hard to extract them and “pushes” them towards the surface, creating a lumpy texture on the skin.
Plus, exposure to sunlight can cause it to turn yellowish or greenish.
Other Issues
One factor many clients don’t consider is the fact that, if they get a tan, the pigments will show up as light patches. Not a problem if you avoid sunlight at all costs and are consistent with wearing SPF, but it’s definitely something to bear in mind.
Another thing we should mention is the problem of lasers. When touched by a laser beam, titanium dioxide darkens. If the serum injected contains titanium dioxide (and it probably does), you cannot get laser treatments on that area, possibly ever.
For more information on the risks of the BB glow treatment, read this guide.
Image source: Freepik
So Is BB Glow Microneedling a Bad Treatment?
If you can find a skilled technician who knows how to perform the treatment right, and who uses serums that don’t contain potentially hazardous components, BB glow microneedling can turn out great for you. But be very careful with who you trust, and don’t expect magic.
Cover image source: Freepik
