Last year, microneedling was the beauty treatment that many were obsessed with. The act of running through hundreds of tiny needles on your skin may sound scary, but it can actually be beneficial for the skin. It aids in collagen production, which heals the skin once it’s pricked, and dermatologists also use this method to insert healthy nutrients in your face.
Meanwhile, many are opting to get dermarollers to do microneedling in the comfort of their home. While this method may have safety precautions when done wrong, there are still those who take the risk all in the name of beauty. The most recent trend we discovered was using the needle-filled roller on the lips.
Based on the video above, it seems that beauty gurus are using micro needles to plump up their lips. Allure also featured a dermaroller that “may be an at-home alternative to lip fillers.” If you’re curious or iffy about the idea of microneedling your lips, we asked Dra. Vicki Belo for an in-depth explanation.
Claim: Microneedling is a lip filler alternative
Dra. Belo tells us your lips will indeed plump up if you microneedle them. “There’ll be a little swelling. Because [the lips] are traumatized, blood will go there so it will become thicker,” she says.
However, unlike lip fillers which will last you months, this won’t last very long. “It may last for only three hours and then the next day, you have to do it again.” You may think that it’s not so bad to do it daily but Dra. Belo advises, “They will eventually develop callouses na din. They won’t react so much anymore to things like that.”
This may also dispel Michelle Phan’s claim that your lips will look fuller after two days because the collagen is doing its thing. Keep this in mind before investing on your personal lip dermaroller.
Claim: You should do it before applying any lip product
As mentioned, microneedling your lips daily to give you a lipstick-worthy pout isn’t ideal. Now we go to the question of whether it’s advisable to do it before applying any lip product. Dra. Belo says it is, if you’re just applying products packed with nutrients. “In a way, it’s good. Especially if it’s a product that makes your lips softer,” she says.
Aside from lip balm, the best product to use before microneedling your lips are serums. Dra. Belo suggests that it doesn’t have to be oil-based serums as long as it can penetrate the skin and nourish your lips so they won’t be dry. “[No] creams or ointments, or whatever solutions which are alcohol-based,” she adds. Just in case, we also have a list of lip oils and lip masks that could work for you.
You should also keep this in mind: “If you just do microneedling by itself, there might be blood rushing to the area to repair it and there will be some collagen deposit there. But it’s not the best way to make your lips fuller or make your lips healthier. There are many other ways,” Dra. Belo says.
But what about lipstick? She says it won’t give your lips added benefits because, obviously, it’s makeup. So it might not be a good idea to go straight to lipstick after getting your lips pricked.
Claim: You can do it at home, no problem
Dra. Belo says microneedling at home is okay as long as you do it properly. Just like with the skin, you should be light-handed when running a dermaroller over your lips, don’t be aggressive with it. You should use it with products and treatments to nourish your lips. She emphasizes that you should always clean your tool every time you use it. “You have to really wash the thing very well, dry it very well, right before—alcohol it pa, sterilize.”
Claim: You should stick to microneedling your lips to make them healthier
It’s not exactly ideal to microneedle your lips all the time. As mentioned, your lips might not react to it if done daily and might make product absorption more difficult. Dra. Belo says “there are many other ways” to make your lips healthier and fuller, meaning you shouldn’t just stick to this one method because it might not work well with you in the long run.
If you want to try it out, go for it. Ask a professional first on the best ways you can go about it and if they have other recommendations that will work for you. But if you want to skip the at-home microneedling treatment, it’s perfectly fine too!
Art by Marian Hukom
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