At Home Microneedling: Don’t Do It

Although the risks and downsides are evident to skin specialists, dermatologists, and cosmetic surgeons, at-home microneedling continues to be promoted as a safe and effective home beauty treatment. “Recently, several microneedling kits have hit the market, allowing beauty fanatics to get perfected skin from the comfort of their homes,” a July 2022 online article on OK Magazine states.

Despite being a non-invasive procedure, board-certified dermatologist Morgan Rabach, M.D., warns that microneedling treatment “still needs to be done by a medical professional to decrease the chance of complications like skin infection.”

The face is one of the most important, delicate, and sensitive areas of the human body. Any sort of treatment involving puncturing the skin carries the risk of infection and is better left to professionals. Epidermal layers in the face, particularly the forehead and nose, are some of the thinnest on the body. In an article on the benefits of microneedling, Prevention cautions, “The risk of infection is also very high when using unregulated devices in an environment that is not clinical or sanitary.”

Additionally, in-office treatments are much more effective than any sort of at-home approach. “At home microneedling kits usually use a depth of 0.2mm and target the outer layers of skin,” Dr. Rablach explains. “In-office medical microneedling depth is around 2.5-3mm,” which penetrates deeper into the skin and stimulates the sought-after collagen production and skin benefits you’re likely looking for.”

Microneedling is best left to professional medical providers for many reasons, safety and effectiveness being the primary ones. According to Prevention.com. “When microneedling is left to the professionals, your skin, and everything that comes into contact with your skin, will be clean and bacteria-free.”