Microneedling is praised as one of the best skin treatments due to its versatility and highly effective results. However, it does have some contraindications – so is rosacea one of them? Or can microneedling with rosacea actually be helpful in calming down its symptoms?
Let’s delve into how microneedling and rosacea interact to answer these questions!
What Is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a very common chronic skin disorder that manifests itself as abnormal blushing and flushing of the skin and visible blood vessels on the face.
Since this is an inflammatory skin condition, people with it often experience periods of flare-ups, thanks to many potential triggers like certain chemicals in skincare products, medication, stress, or sun exposure.
These rosacea symptoms are manageable but also pose a limitation to a lot of skincare treatments. And while there’s no known cause or treatment for this skin condition, many people claim microneedling can help alleviate some of these symptoms.
Image source: Freepik
How Can Microneedling Help Rosacea?
In certain cases, yes, depending on the type and severity of the condition. But it is up to a dermatologist to decide.
Microneedling is a minimally invasive skin procedure that involves using tiny needles to create miniature wounds in the skin that will trigger the body’s natural healing process, resulting in a boost of collagen production.
This means that, by stimulating collagen production, this procedure can help strengthen blood vessels, and reduce their visibility. In other words, microneedling can significantly improve rosacea-related discoloration and provide a more even skin tone.
But there are also many other potential benefits of microneedling rosacea affected skin, such as:
- Improving rough and bumpy skin texture, thanks to the growth of new skin cells and collagen.
- Increased absorption of topical medications, such as anti-inflammatory creams or serums, which helps improve their efficacy in managing rosacea symptoms.
- Increased skin thickness, which can provide better protection against environmental irritants and reduce the likelihood of flare-ups.
Image source: Freepik
Can Microneedling Rosacea Make Things Worse?
As for the potential risks of microneedling rosacea, it should be noted that microneedling can worsen rosacea and cause adverse effects, especially if the client is suffering from an active flare-up.
In general, microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure with little to no downtime.
However, it does entail some side effects like redness, dryness, and tightness of the skin – but compared to more aggressive treatment options like laser therapy, these adverse reactions are pretty minimal.
Still, certain precautions need to be taken if you have rosacea. The most important thing is speaking to a dermatologist to determine the type of rosacea you have as there are different types – some of which aren’t suitable for this kind of skin procedure.
Usually, skin professionals recommend only microneedling on vascular rosacea.
On top of that, rosacea microneedling should be carried out by a board-certified dermatologist or licensed professional since needling already aggravated skin can result in adverse side effects.
What’s the Best Way of Microneedling Rosacea?
Nowadays, there are a few different methods of doing this treatment using different tools or crossing it over with other popular skincare treatments.
Let’s compare 3 different ways of microneedling with rosacea:
Dermaroller for Rosacea
While dermarolling can be effective at minimizing the appearance of rosacea symptoms and reducing inflammation, it’s not the best microneedling option per se.
Especially if you’re doing it at home, by yourself. Microneedling on rosacea should be done by a dermatologist or other skincare professional that will recognize signs of when it’s safe to microneedling over rosacea-affected skin and when it’s best to leave it alone.
Besides, the tool itself has one downside in comparison to other methods – the angle at which it penetrates. Compared to other tools it’s believed to be a bit more aggressive on the skin, which is something you should avoid if your skin is already sensitive.
Dermapen for Rosacea
Microneedling with a dermapen device is a more popular option since the device has adjustable needle length and doesn’t have to penetrate the whole region with the same depth, often unnecessary for certain areas.
This is especially beneficial for rosacea, seeing as the skin tends to be more sensitive, so avoiding any unnecessary irritation is preferable.
In comparison with the traditional rolling method, this one is considered to be gentler since it minimizes the damage caused to the skin’s surface – yet provides the same positive results.
@daninicholls defo keen to do this more often! thank you @pulselightclinic ✨ (gifted treatment) #microneedling #skincareroutine ♬ Roxanne - Instrumental - Califa Azul
RF Microneedling for Rosacea
RF microneedling, or microneedling with radiofrequency, combines the strengths of both these treatments. Radiofrequency utilizes energy waves to delegate heat into the dermis, which then creates controlled trauma and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
This means the benefits are stacked and the treatment’s effectiveness is increased. In fact, one research into microneedling with radiofrequency showed a reduction of redness by 13.6%.
You can read more about RF microneedling here.
So, Should You Do Microneedling with Rosacea?
While the evidence that microneedling is successful in improving rosacea symptoms exists, we can’t really answer this question – the answer depends on each individual case.
It’s best to consult with your dermatologist to confirm whether this treatment is a good option for your particular type of rosacea.
If they determine it’s not, look into alternative treatments like LED light therapies, that have also proven to be effective when it comes to this skin condition.
Cover image source: Freepik
