Dermarolling for Stretchmarks
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Sat Mar 26, 2011 1:50 pm

Hello! New here but have been insanely reading for about a week. I have my first dermaroller on it's way, should have it by Monday. I know that most are treating stretch marks with vit A and Vit C after rolls and have a few questions. I only use natural products on my body due to severe allergies. Sooo, I've been pretreating all areas that I plan on dermarolling with Lemon Juice for the last week, since vitamin C builds up in the skin cells and lemon juice contains high amounts of natural vit C. I plan on making my own after treatment cream to apply which will be all organic and contain one other very special ingredient (one that I developed and is patent pending) and it's a Pueraria Mirifica infusion that I use for my autoimmune disorder (severe allergy to progesterone). The reason I'm adding this to the cream I make is that the body, especially the female body, needs a significant amount of estrogen to produce collagen and elastin along with the proper vitamins. I've never seen estrogen mentioned for formation of collagen and elastin. That's one of the reasons we age so quickly after menopause. Pueraria Mirifica contains a potent bioidentical estrogen that is strong enough to keep me in remission from my autoimmune disorder, grow/enhance breasts, get rid of acne, balance hormones, control menopause symptoms, repair damaged /aging skin...I have noticed a lot of questions about the vit A (retinol) and what kind to use. Has anyone considered using cod liver oil for vit A absorption instead of retinol creams and lemon juice for vitamin C absorbtion? Just food for thought since all these manufactured skin care products are so blasted expensive and most are not even good for our skin because of chemicals and preservatives. Would be much cheaper and easier for people to use with treatments. Especially those treating large areas of their body like I will be doing. I'm going to use it on my rear (SM), belly (loose skin only, no SM), face (acne scars, wrinkles, hyperpigment), legs (SM), and breasts (SM an inch wide!). My stretchmarks are 10-13 yrs old. Anyway, would love feedback on the cod liver oil and lemon juice idea. Let me know if there are any questions about the Pueraria Mirifica, I have tons of info on it and I've been using it for treatment for over a year. Thanks for all the wonderful posts and information you have here on the forum!!!

Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:28 am

Sorry, another thing I wanted to add/ask, as well. Everyone that asks about using Emu oil is usually advised against it. Their reason being is that Emu oil is an anti inflammatory, but it is also excellent for pain. Why are most advising against using Emu oil or any type of anti inflammatory???

I am going to be using Emu oil regardless, because it is the best carrier oil known on the planet and has the ability to deliver vitamins, minerals, nutrients... into the skin, completely thru all layers of the skin, and into the blood stream. Isn't one of the uses of the dermaroller to help with penetration of nutrients and absorption into the skin? The main reason I'm using the dermaroller is to trigger a production of new collagen and elastin to fill in and repair damage to my skin. The micro puncture wounds alone will trigger this process but the inflammation, especially prolonged inflammation can be a HUGE enemy! Inflammation is an initial reaction where the immune system immediately sends signals to the damaged area, Yes. BUT!!! Inflammation is NOT a good thing in the healing process and actually disrupts the production of new cells, collagen, and elastin. This is why doctors prescribe anti inflammatory drugs after surgery or injuries and we use ice packs to reduce swelling ASAP. Inflammation can be a very destructive part of the healing process. It will even begin to destroy healthy cells, cause swelling and fluid build up, thus restricting blood flow to the area until swelling subsides. This initial inflammatory reaction causes further damage to undamaged cells. Another reason we are supposed to roll more infrequently, rather than frequently because of running the risk of unseen micro inflammation causing damage instead of repair of skin. Ultimately causing other issues like hyperpigmentation, worsening of SM, wrinkles, and scarring.

The micro punctures that the Dermaroller will create for product penetration probably only stay open for a matter of a few hours, if that! Probably more like a few minutes. I've had punctures from nails that have closed and healed in a week and they were by far deeper than the micro punctures from a dermaroller. Soooo, although the punctures are closed fairly soon after rolling, the emu oil can still carry the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, into the skin that are needed for continued collagen, elastin production and skin repair.

Seems to me, all we want to do is roll to slightly damage the skin and trigger a skin repairing response. If we allow the inflammation to run it's course causing more damage and we don't continue to repeatedly get the vitamins, minerals needed to the area after the punctures close,when collagen/elastin production is at it's highest, we are defeating the whole point of stabbing ourselves with hundreds of needles repeatedly.

I've done my homework, I'm a biology/chem nut (had to be to save my life and develop my AIPA treatment), and I definitely plan on using the Emu oil as a carrier of nutrients in my before and after treatment care and for pain. I will not be using any kind of topical, like EMLA, for pain because it affects the nerves in the area and can disrupt the bodies own natural healing response.

Inflammation is BAD!!!

free skin care · Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:19 am

Quote:

cause swelling and fluid build up, thus restricting blood flow to the area until swelling subsides.

It is the opposite.The redness, heat and swelling
that are all signs of inflammation are due to the increased amount of blood in the area. The blood vessels dilates and are more permeable during inflammation. It is a sign that the wound is being repaired and cleaned of microbes and debris.

I agree that prolonged or chronic inflammation is not good but if you heal normal, the inflammation after dermarolling will be gone within hours.

Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:34 pm

Sherah wrote:

I am going to be using Emu oil regardless, because it is the best carrier oil known on the planet and has the ability to deliver vitamins, minerals, nutrients... into the skin, completely thru all layers of the skin, and into the blood stream.

so using Emu oil is best after rolling?

just rolled last saturday (march 26) without any numbing cream, it hurts indeed, thus, i didn't put much pressure on it. just, i think, right amount of pressure. it bleed, on some parts, but the rest, it was just like insect bites, and the whole area was red, like sun burn (ARE THESE NORMAL?).

the morning after i rolled, it was inflamed! then i put on rosehip oil and emu oil (IS THIS OK?). that same night it got back to normal, aside from the redness and insect-bites-like(IS IT NORMAL?).

today (march 28 ), it is still red like sunburn with all the insect bites like all over the skin. I am just putting rosehip oil and emu oil every morning and evening. (WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THIS? IS THIS NORMAL? AND IS IST OK IF I AM JUST USING THOSE 2OILS?)

TIA!

Mon Mar 28, 2011 6:32 am

Yes, I agree that the initial immediate inflammation that occurs within the first few minutes is good. I want the dermaroller to mainly breakup scar tissue, and trigger new healthy collagen production. Since I'm severely autoimmune from having a constant high histamine due to my own bodies progesterone, I am hyper inflamed and my immune system over responds. This is my concern so I'm wanting to use the emu oil as a carrier of nutrient thru the skin and also to control unwanted "bad" inflammation. After what I've researched, vasodilation occurs within 10-20 minutes after injury. Where the capillaries expand and bring extra blood supply to the injured site. If continued swelling occurs after the 30 min. I do not want the inflammation to restrict extra blood flow. I will swell for days like most women I've read about, which to me, is abnormal because histamine is lingering and not being dispersed by the body quickly enough for efficient repair of tissue. Too much histamine is a very bad thing as well, but one thing I do know for sure, due to diet, lack of vitamin/mineral intake,environmental pollution/exposures, reduction in proteolytic enzymes from aging...most of us have at least a slightly heightened immune system hindering production of healthy collagen and elastin. Heat and redness from extra blood flow is great but I do not want to reduce the blood flow with continued swelling beyond a few hours.

I've used Emu oil for years and am very familiar with it's benefits and healing abilities. Soothes, reduces pain, and slightly reduces inflammation but not enough to completely stop a natural inflammatory response to impair proper healing. Everyone that I've read about, that did decide to use Emu oil post roll, has had remarkable results, especially with acne scarring (including ice pick scars). This does not surprise me because of Emu oils ability to continue to absorb thru all layers of skin carrying nutrients with it after the punctures have closed from rolling. Since I'll be using this for SM mainly, emu oil also has the ability to reach all the way to the blood stream and soften very deep scar tissue which is essentially what SM are. If the skin supplements of choice, ie. vitamin A, E, C, D, copper peptides, are applied first and then emu oil after, the emu oil will carry the supplements to the deepest parts of the skin for proper healing. This is just my opinion and based on tons of research, of course.

I'm so glad you mentioned the rose hip oil, bujhoy. I've been using lemon juice for vitamin C pretreatment but highly doubt I will apply it after rolling, OUCH, lol. That is a perfect bioavailable Vit C post roll treatment and shouldn't cause further irritation/ inflammation. One of issues with the water soluble Vit C is that it can cause an unwanted reaction with iron in the skin. Rose hip oil also contains essential fatty acids that promote proper cell regeneration and speeds it up. The insect bite marks 2 days post roll are histamine lingering at the site of injury, just like mosquito bites form. This is exactly what I want to avoid because you can see the swelling which causes blood constriction at the sites of puncture. I personally would definitely keep using the Emu oil to reduce the bite looking marks because to me, 2 days seems like it's too long to still have swelling from micro punctures. Maybe your sensitive to rose hip oil after you roll due to increased penetration??? Honestly don't know but the bite marks are definitely prolonged histamine reaction at the site of injury like what occurs during an allergic reaction. Using Emu oil in conjunction with any other topical will make it much, much more enhanced.

I'm completely new to this and very excited, hoping to do my first roll today. I'll try and get before/after pics and I will certainly keep everyone updated since I'm going about before and after treatment much differently than most.

free skin care · Mon Mar 28, 2011 12:07 pm

The redness after dermarolling usually disappears in one day in my case but when I single needle my stretch marks , it stays red up to two weeks. Single needling helped very much. My stretch marks are not gone, just much less visible. I am not so embarrassed to be in a swimsuit as I used to be.

Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:45 pm

Ive been using emu oil for over a year with the dermaroller. All the research points to this being the best product to use... I also add a pure copper peptide solution to the oil. I roll with a 2.5mm, without any EMLA .. mind you it does hurt and is hard to push the needles in even more than half way. So far I am very happy with the results it has given me so far and I dont think I will ever switch products (unless something better is discovered)

Mon Apr 04, 2011 6:03 am

OUCH, Kudos with no EMLA and the 2.5! Brave Soul!!! I've thought about getting the 2.5, I only got the 1 and I was also thinking about single needling on a few of my really wide stretch marks. I rolled for the first time, 6 days ago with 1mm. I ended up with very tiny pin point bleeding in some places. I showered with Hebistat (not organic but had to)and used scrubby gloves to exfoliate my entire body. Scrubbed until my skin was pink and to also help desensitize my skin. Towel dried and then rubbed alcohol on the areas I rolled, let it dry and then rolled in sections. Didn't hurt near as bad as I thought it would and I was actually relieved when the tickling stopped and it became stinging. Almost couldn't handle the tickle! I did notice that after rolling lightly a few times my skin would desensitize even more and I was able to press quite a bit harder to draw a bit of blood. Applied my cream immediately after and then smeared a triple antibiotic ointment on the areas for the rest of the day and the next day. MRSA is everywhere and very BAD news, had 5 cases in our family last year and my 29yr old sister in law passed away from it a few years ago. So I wasn't taking any chances. I still inflamed pretty good especially on my breasts and felt super sunburnt the rest of the day. I continued to apply the cream 2-3 times a day. I was itchy and my skin felt rough for a few days. I can say this, just after one roll, I'm VERY impressed. Especially with the hyperpigmentation on my face and other scars on my body. I have surgical scars from surgery 3 months ago that were really dark and the color is almost completely gone. My face looks amazing!!! Not much difference on my deep crows feet or SM yet but I'm still amazed at the difference. I've never had such a beautiful glow on my face. I had some SM on my breasts that were dermabraded, still healing, and I even rolled those which some thin ones are already skin color. Just AMAZING! I think I'll be able to almost completely get rid of my SM. The cream I used is all organic and has my Pueraria Mirifica infusion in it. I also added a few caps of cod liver oil, rose hip oil, grapeseed oil, emu oil, and safflower oil (vit E). It made my rolled areas look and feel so good that I had to start applying it to my whole body after a shower, lol. I think this will be the routine I stick with since my results are so wonderful already. I do have some before pics (not so great) and I'll try and get some after pics today but not sure how to post them?!

Wed Apr 06, 2011 2:02 am

I never bleed at all!! .. Why not? Do I just have really thick skin or something. Maybe the needles on my roller are too thin? :S I dont know.. but it makes me think Im not doing it good enough. I first had a 1.5mm I rolled with and it didnt seem like it was deep enough so I got the 2.5 and I still dont bleed.

Maybe its because I dont really follow a pattern... perhaps Im not going over the areas enough.. sometimes I think I overdo it though. I think Id like to try single needling. I am atleast getting good results rolling though, so thats good! And ofcourse blood doesnt mean its gonna give the results.

Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:07 pm

PapayaWhip67 wrote:

Maybe its because I dont really follow a pattern... perhaps Im not going over the areas enough.. sometimes I think I overdo it though. I think Id like to try single needling. I am atleast getting good results rolling though, so thats good! And ofcourse blood doesnt mean its gonna give the results.

going over the same area multiple times is the best way to do it because each stroke softens the skin up and allows the needles to penetrate deeper and more smoothly

the best technique for advanced rollers is to pick out a mark, roll over it until it bleeds, wipe the blood off w/ water or w/e, towel dry, then repeat that a few more times for the same mark.

when you are done you should see basically nothing but red tissue where the mark was. Ive made entire marks completely skin colored within one roll by doing this. Unfortunately a significant amount of the indentation still remains, which is I think the most unappealing aspect of stretchmarks in general.

Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:21 am

I agree! I'm only using 1mm and do get some minor pin point bleeding but I don't stop rolling the same area until it's all bright red and pretty painful. I didn't roll in any specific manner just rolled, rolled, and rolled, took forever. My first time results are outstanding. The second time I rolled I got a bit more pinpoint bleeding and pushed quite a bit harder till my skin was all the same very sunburnt red color. My rear was on fire for 2 days, lol. I'm very thin because of my health and my skin is SUPER soft/smooth like butter because of my pueraria mirifica treatments and eating organic coconut oil. Maybe that's why I get very minor bleeding from the 1mm. I've read that you don't have to bleed for results?! I just rolled my 2nd time a few days ago so my face looks really tan, a bit crispy like it's healing from sunburn. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's healed.

Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:52 pm

well I rolled again last night and tied to pay more attention to any pin point bleeding and there was a little.. maybe I just never noticed it before. I go over it really well and my stomach does get really red... though I have seen videos of professionals doing it and they go alot rougher then I do. Bit hard to go really rough with a 2.5 though lol

Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:04 pm

PapayaWhip67 wrote:

Bit hard to go really rough with a 2.5 though lol

especially on the stomach

that area is so sensitive youd probably need to use something to numb it before rolling to be able to apply sufficient force

I only use that technique for the hips/legs and glutes. I single needle the arms since you cant really roll your arms well

Fri Apr 15, 2011 8:04 pm

hey everyone its been a while since ive posted but ive kept up my rolling and needling.now, i have some pretty optimistic news i have managed to about 80% remove a group of stretch marks on my right inner thigh that in a way bothered me the most even though i have worse on my buttocks.i managed to do this with religious needling with the needles from the owndoc website.i have seen pretty reasonable results elsewhere on my body as well with a combination of rolling and needling.
HOWEVER i realized that rolling with a 1.5mm roller is rather pointless on most areas of the body so i wanted to get some input as to how everyone can increase the efficiency of every roll.From what i gather when you have it done professionally they roll rather aggressively and with longer needles like 3mm so why is it we cant roll with 3mm on just say the buttocks and thighs?stretch marks in this region seem to always be deeper through the dermis for most people than most and therefore i think we should use a 3mm roller.
Any input is greatly appreciated thank you

Wed Apr 27, 2011 8:11 pm

I have just bought the 1.0 and 1.5 dr. roller for stretch marks over my belly from pregnancy. I have an olive skin tone, and i have white stretch marks all over my tummy along with a lot of wrinkles which are about 9 years old, and I am 28, it looks horrible due to me being about 80-85 lbs when I was pregnant and I ended up losing the weight and my stomach ended up having a lot of stria and wrinkles. Even though it doesn't bother my boyfriend I wanted to lessen the appearance and didnt know if this would help. Also, I didn't know what would be best with using the roller, like what serums, lotion, etc would I use and I was wondering if I used trilastin with it would that cream be effective in reducing all my stretch marks and would they be removed with the dermaroller permanently. Sad

Fri Apr 29, 2011 12:54 am

^^^^ missy honestly to get results you are gonna have to ramp up the efficacy of each needling/dermaroll and also make some changes to your diet and lifestyle if need be.First off that 1 and 1.5mm rollers arent gonna do much i would adivse to use the 1.5mm for the first time and then upgrade to a 2mm and if your brave a 2.5mm.Use a numbing cream so you can roll longer and deeper.Its gonna take alot of determination on your part to see results BUT the results are worth it.

Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:05 am

Stephen1001 -- How long have you been rolling/needling? Have you been applying topicals like RetinA religiously, or not so much? It seems that the people who claim to have great improvement in their stretch marks used fewer topicals, judging from this board at least. Your improvement gives me some hope!

I have been lurking for months (late January). I began dermarolling in February and single-needled for the first time last month (March). I do think there is a difference in my stretch marks, which are primarily on my breasts. I have sort of been working harder on my left breast, which has worse marks. My stretch marks definitely blend in with my skin better and seem less noticeable on that side. I would really like the skin texture to improve more than anything else. I have some larger marks where the stretch mark tissue seems to have broken up a bit. I'm hoping this is a good sign. I am in my early 30s and my stretch marks are 11 years old. I also dry brush and use MSM lotion between needling. I have not been very consistent with Retin A because of the irritation factor. I also have copper peptides, which I have not really used.

What is everyone doing internally? Has anyone taken MSM or heard of using DMSO on stretch marks? DMSO is a strange sulfuric solvent that can supposedly break up scar tissue. If anyone has a diet/supplement routine, I would appreciate you sharing it! Anyone else have progress/lack of progress to share?

Sat Apr 30, 2011 4:38 pm

I haven't recieved my rollers yet and I am waiting on them in the mail, but what type of numbing cream would i use and where do I buy it. Also, I already eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, because I am vegetarian. Another question I had what else do I apply with the dermaroller after rolling can I use trilastin or the st ives collagen and elastin cream, would that help?

Sun May 01, 2011 7:20 am

Stephen1001 -- Do you follow the star pattern while rolling? How long do you roll in one session?

Mon May 02, 2011 8:46 am

i have been dermarolling and needling since last august but it took me until the beginning of this year to really figure out the best most efficient way to get results.I started last year with a 1.5mm with some results but not the results i wanted so i start single needling and using numbing cream then i saw results which really gave me hope then i studied it researched it even made a folder with everything useful i found (it helps being a year 4 medical student also i have an insane amount of books from biochem anat and physio endocrine integumentary etc).but getting back to it single needling works the best for precise areas but dermarolling is the only realistic thing for areas like the but.i realised that with single needling i could not get as much needling done in an area before it started to insanely hurt so i glued 3 needles together as close as possible so everytime i stuck it in i stuck 3 times this way i got 3 times as much needles in. say i do 10 stabs its really 30... just another way of how i increased the efficacy of each session and this gave me the best results i dont even look at my inner thighs anymore simply because the marks are barely visible to the point where they are gone to me.
Numbing creams to use is EMLA use religiously cover with saran wrap to increase absorption, leave on for more than an hour and dont do more than a 20cmx20cm area per day.the longer you leave it on the more numb your skin is gonna be and therefore longer and deeper you can roll... increasing efficacy of each roll.Dont worry the instructions said its safe to leave it on for up to 5 hours but i leave it on for 2hrs max.
BUT you'll are gonna have to suck it up and upgrade the needle length to at least 2mm which looks intimidating but its completely safe AND also pinpoint bleeding is a good thing it means that specific wound is gonna completely get filled with blood and all its regenerative factors that are gonna start the wound healing.
YES the star method is the best i practiced rolling an old roller on a piece of paper to observe the pattern of holes and sure enough it does offer the closest even distribution BUT remember whenever possible use single needles (the ones from the own doc site) as it for some reason works better to me its like having laser surgery done.

Alright topicals to me is a pretty questionable area i think and the best all round system which you really cant go wrong with is spraying the skin with a fresh batch of vit C serum DAILY and using a RETINOL not RETIN A based cream every other day 10 min after applying the serum.Then after another 5 mins moisturize with your fav moisturizer.Concerning topicals you dont want to over do with anything crazy just give your skin what it naturally wants and that is vit a+c.

Another major part of dermarolling is a lifestyle change i use to smoke occasionally,drink had a horrible diet and sleep pattern. I have successfully cut all my bad habits implemented moderate exercise everydat and honestly i feel great,much more confident.You have to want it and trust me its so worth it right now at least to me im on top of the world.Good luck everyone! if you have any more questions please feel free i have so much more to share.

Mon May 02, 2011 8:58 am

Kris-my threshold for pain is horrible so i roll until i cant take it anymore which really isnt that long pretty much until the numbing cream has worn off but i think the star method should be the
right amount of time maybe a couple more back and forths if you could take it.

Missy your diet needs protein in it ...collagen is made up of amino acids monomers which you can only get from protein so you definitely need protein in there.Also the st ives collagen cream and any other cream for that matter than has collagen in it is not gonna do anything for your skin... its not gonna add collagen to your skin... the only collagen your body can use is whatever it makes and this is a FACT. Think about it like blood types say im a blood type O then only O which is my type is gonna work my body would just reject the other types.hope it helps.

Wed May 04, 2011 2:16 pm

Hi! Stephen 1001 how long it was since you saw results after you start single needling? Did you see it after one,two,tree... treatments? And how do you mean you glue needles together?

Mon May 09, 2011 9:32 am

This sounds VERY promising. I tried to needle a stretch on my breast with a regular ol' threading needle....it didn't help, it just left a small dark scar that is now fading and I can still see the stretchmark Crying or Very sad

I was on the SkinBiology website, and over there they are saying you need to use lactic acid peels and copper peptides. Once I dermaroll my stretch marks...do I apply the copper peptide afterwards? And do I use an acid peel before or after I roll? also how many times a week should I derma roll? Sorry for so many questions..

Wed May 11, 2011 3:18 am

stephen1001 wrote:

Kris-my threshold for pain is horrible so i roll until i cant take it anymore which really isnt that long pretty much until the numbing cream has worn off but i think the star method should be the
right amount of time maybe a couple more back and forths if you could take it.

Missy your diet needs protein in it ...collagen is made up of amino acids monomers which you can only get from protein so you definitely need protein in there.Also the st ives collagen cream and any other cream for that matter than has collagen in it is not gonna do anything for your skin... its not gonna add collagen to your skin... the only collagen your body can use is whatever it makes and this is a FACT. Think about it like blood types say im a blood type O then only O which is my type is gonna work my body would just reject the other types.hope it helps.

Thank you Stephen! One more question, how do you do your needling and for how long?

Sat May 21, 2011 7:59 pm

^^^^ sorry about the late reply... with single needling i suggest needling as close as possible within the scar and trying not to reneedle the same area. also i found some positive results when needling the edge of the scar... i call it edging the scar and from what i noticed it helps melanocytes from the immediate surrounding skin to move ever so closely into the scar.i am gonna open a flickr account and upload pictures of what i meant by joining 3 needles together which honestly is the best damn thing for stretch marks.

On a side note concerning the single needles from owndoc does anyone think that her prices for 5 needles are ridiculous? i saw on ebay pretty much similar needles 100 for 10bucks! i mean i cant complain cause her needles are perfe ct for the task but i wish she would at least double the amount for the price.

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