Updated January 20, 2021
Warning: After many big profile celebrities have said they use derma rollers as part of their skin and hair routine, some manufacturers have seen an opportunity to mass-produce and flood the market with many cheap low-quality derma rollers just to make a quick buck. So make sure to read this article to find the few derma rollers that are good.
I have had hair loss since my late teens and proactively fighting hair loss throughout my twenties. Microneedling is perhaps the most important part of my hair restoration solution, and I have spent a lot of time researching derma rollers.
If you want to boost blood circulation, rejuvenate your scalp, promote hair growth, and perhaps even grow new hair (the result people see varies quite a lot), then check out these derma rollers!
The Top 4 Best Derma Rollers for Hair Loss – Review 2021
If you are looking for a quick overview of the best rollers on the market for hair regrowth, we have made this top 4 reviews list for you. No advanced, cutaneous and aesthetic surgery required.
#1 – Koi Beauty Microneedling Derma Roller 192 needles, 1.0 mm (Best Overall)
The Koi Beauty Derma Roller is a real titanium microneedling instrument that comes with a free storage case. By the name of it, you may think it’s a roller for acne scars, but it works just as well for hair growth stimulation.
The roller has 192 real individual needles. Compared to typical derma roller discs which have 540 needles, this type of roller makes it easier to penetrate the skin, creates rounder smaller wounds and are better disinfected, and works more effectively. Also comes with a protective cover.
The roller comes in several needle types and depths:
- 0.5 mm
- 1.0 mm
- 2.0 mm
- derma stamp with adjustable depths: 0.25 mm, 0.3 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.75 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.25 mm , 1.5 mm, 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, and 3.0 mm.
We personally like the design, color, and quality feel of this derma roller.
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#2 – Koi Beauty Microneedling Derma Roller, 200 needles, 1.0 and 1.5 mm
Another product from Koi Beauty. This microneedling roller also comes with a free storage case.
Overall it has most of the same features as the product above, but the material and design are a bit different, having a transparent handle.
Koi’s Derma Roller comes in several sizes:
- 0.25 mm
- 0.5 mm
- 0.75 mm
- 1.0 mm
- 1.5 mm
- 2.0 mm
We generally prefer 1.0 mm, but a 1.5 mm can also be used for even more effective microneedling for those with higher pain tolerance.
#3 – Angel Kiss Real Needles Derma Roller (Budget Pick)
The derma roller from Angel Kiss have 192 stainless steel real needles with a depth of 1.0 mm.
This derma roller claims to have real needles compared to many other rollers that are simply metal disks with spikes.
We like the handle of this derma roller. It’s easy to use, the quality is decent and it doesn’t have to be any more high-end considering a micro roller should be replaced every once in a while, and it gets the job done.
Basically it’s a decent derma roller at a low price. Good value for your money.
#4 – Koi Derma Stamp, 140 needles (Alternative)
If you are not a fan of a derma roller and prefer a derma stamp instead, then your best option is this microneedling stamp from Koi Beauty.
The benefit of a derma stamp is that the tiny needles are inserted onto the skin vertically at a 90-degree angle and thereby is a gentler treatment with faster wound healing and less skin irritation, compared to a derma roller which is sloped-curved and will be inserted at an angle and rolls around in the wound before exiting at a different angle, causing more trauma and bigger wounds. There is also reduced pain.
This derma stamp comes in different depths:
- 0.25 mm
- 0.5 mm
- 1.0 mm (usually the recommended length for hair treatment)
Overall this is a decent derma stamp if you want an alternative to a derma roller.
Microneedling for hair loss FAQ
What is microneedling?
Microneedling with a derma roller has been studied several times and showed that it can definitely help to regrow hair, even after conventional treatments have failed or showed a minimal effect.
It is important to know how to use a derma roller properly, or else you risk causing damage to your scalp. It’s also important to have a good derma roller or derma stamp that does minimal damage to your scalp while hitting deep enough to activate the stem cells.
You should speak to your doctor before adding microneedling as a treatment for hair growth.
There are also professionals and clinics that perform microneedling as a service. tiny wounds, stimulate cell production, increases blood flow Skin improvement will show 3-4 weeks after a session of microneedling, but collagen maturation needs more time to transform into a more elastic collagen type.
Other types of scars like burn scars may need months before any improvement is visible.
Microneedling improves the skin because of the induced cell proliferation by electrical signals. The reduction of hyperpigmentation could be affected by the expression of MMP (Matrix-Metallo-Proteinases), but more research is needed to understand which mechanisms are involved in this process.
Microneedling for acne: Acne is caused by androgens that promote the proliferation of keratinocytes that cause a block in the sebaceous gland ducts.
After a few treatments, the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes seems to down-regulate. Microneedling seem to balance cell proliferation.
To elicit the desired response, about 200 needle pricks are created by a square centimeter of skin. So if the area of 1 square centimeter is hit with a derma stamp with 10 needles, it should be injected 20 times in the same square centimeter.
Remember to never share dermarollers with others
How does microneedling with a derma roller work?
Almost 50% of people experience pattern hair loss before turning 50 years old. Some people just leave their hair loss to fate and accept it. Others try to find ways to treat it. There are a few known ways of treating hair loss, but most are preventative and no treatment will regrow all hair lost.
Microneedling or skin needling is commonly being used in cosmetic treatments to treat various skin conditions. The increase in collagen production and the rejuvenation of the skin has many desired effects, such as making wrinkles and scars less visible.
When used on the scalp, microneedling stimulates several growth factors in the hairs by piercing the scalp with many small needles, approximately 1 mm deep into the scalp, in order to start the healing process which increases the blood flow to the scalp and the hair follicles.
This rejuvenation and additional blood supply can induce weak hairs to start new hair growth.
Weak follicles along one’s hairline that only holds thin and vellus hair may suddenly start to grow thicker hair, especially if they are partly miniaturized hairs.
This microneedling treatment stimulation may also keep the hair in the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle and continue holding and growing the hair for longer periods of time than it normally would.
Is microneedling with a derma roller an effective hair loss treatment?
Microneedling on the scalp is believed to help induce hair stem cells in the scalp, but it is also commonly used in combination with minoxidil in hair loss treatment as it increases the absorption of minoxidil.
One study published in 2014 saw that patients with alopecia areata, a condition where there are patches of hair loss on the scalp, in many cases completely restored their hair growth with a combination of microneedling and topical treatments of triamcinolone acetonide.
In these cases, previous attempts of injecting triamcinolone acetonide, minoxidil solutions and topical steroid creams had failed.
Should you use a dermaroller or a dermapen for hair growth?
The downside of using a derma roller is that the needles are on a roller. When it’s rolled over the skin, all the needles will pierce the skin at a slight angle, and they will move while they are in the skin and exit the skin through the opposite angle, creating a wider wound.
A derma pen on the other hand will pierce the skin at a 90-degree angle. The needles go straight down and straight back up.
Why Use a Derma Roller?
Derma rollers have the following benefits:
- tiny punctures in the skin increase blood flow and other growth factors that cause faster hair growth.
- increases the absorption of other products by quite a lot. Some claim up to 80% increase, whereas other microneedle treatments claim up to a 5x increase in absorption. The wounds caused by the needles create small microscopic channels that make the topical products come closer to where the hair follicles sit and do their work. Either by (1) binding to androgen receptors and blocking DHT (the main cause for male pattern baldness) from doing further damage to the hair, or (2) working directly to stimulate hair growth such as minoxidil/rogaine.
- may activate stem cells deep in the scalp for growing new hairs.
- people have also used it for beard growth
- can be used in conjunction with a topical treatment
- can be used to reduce acne scars
How to use a derma roller to revitalize hair follicles?
- Always sanitize the derma roller using a disinfectant such as isopropyl alcohol
- Wash your face and scalp thoroughly
- Very gently roll 4-8 times in each direction on a specific area. If an area of the scalp or skin becomes red, move on to another area.
- Be careful when you apply pressure. You don’t want to force it
- After finishing a session, rinse the roller in warm water and then sanitize it
- Wait at least 24 hours before you apply any products such as topical finasteride or minoxidil
- Wait at least 1-2 weeks until your next microneedling session, depending on your needle depth.
- Replace the roller or roller head every 1-2 months depending on how often you use it.
- Always store the roller in a safe place, ideally in a case if you were provided one.
- Remember: Safety first. Don’t use these products if you are not able to perform a session with 100% concentration and focus
Always keep in mind when using a derma roller:
- Keep needles sharp and sterile. If you look at them through a microscope you can see how they become disfigured at the tip after only a single injection, and after a few injections, they will start to bend at the tip. The tip of the needles will also become less sharp after being used, which causes more harm to the skin in the form of micro-trauma. This is one of the reasons why diabetics change insulin needles often
- If you use a dermaroller, replace them often. If you use a derma pen, replace the cartridges after every session.
- Keep your needles sterile. This is very important so one does not inject one’s own skin or scalp with bacteria.
- Don’t use a dermaroller on acne, inflamed, or infected skin. You don’t want to risk spreading bacteria or infections and injecting it into other areas of your skin or scalp.
What to look for and consider in a derma roller?
A derma roller is a disposable product
When considering purchasing a microneedling device, the first thing one should keep in mind is that the needles of these devices are supposed to be used temporarily and changed every once in a while. Some might only be meant to be used for single use. Similar to a disposable razor, the needles will get less sharp after it has been used a few times. When needles bend or become blunt they can cause unnecessary damage. You always want sharp needles.
Needle quality
Because the roller is disposable, quality is not always the most important factor to consider when looking for a roller. If you buy a high-quality roller, you may not want to replace it after a short while because you spent some money on it and feel the sunk cost of your investment.
However, needle quality is very important. Many rollers have needles made from titanium.
Amount of needles
Many rollers come with 540 needles on a single roller which we don’t recommend because the density is too high. Too many needles touch the scalp at the same time, so needles may not penetrate as deep as the length of the needles, or it requires more pressure in order to reach that depth.
We prefer rollers with 192 needles.
Needle length
There are many needle depths to choose from. The needle depth depends on the way you want to use your roller.
For skincare and if the roller will be used often, 0.25 mm may be enough. But for hair loss, most often we hear 1.0 to 1.5 mm are being used, and a longer time between sessions. At least 2 weeks. A famous hair loss study used 1.5 mm every second week, but longer needles penetrate deeper and hurt more.
We personally use a 1.0 mm roller or stamp every second week.
The price
As mentioned above, since the roller is a temporary product and disposable, derma rollers are usually quite affordable compared to other microneedling products, but there are some differences in price.
Summary
Microneedling is one of the “big four” (or big five depending on who you ask) of hair loss treatments and is one of the ways to stimulate one’s hair growth process to grow thicker and longer hairs.
If you are looking for a quick comparison of the best derma rollers on the market, our updated top five list above can help you choose the one that fits you.
You can start fighting androgenetic alopecia today with derma rolling. If you want to increase hair growth results you may use it together with conventional therapy such as topical minoxidil.
This article is not meant as professional medical advice. Please consult your medical professional or healthcare provider. I hope you found this article helpful.