Dermarolling for Beard Growth

For many men a beard is a potent symbol of masculinity. In some cultures a luxurious beard has come to signify wisdom, experience, and real leadership qualities. A good healthy beard can also protect your skin from harsh UV sunlight and it cuts down on the expense and skin irritation involved in shaving.

Many men struggle to grow a good even beard. This can be due to scarring and skin damage or hormonal reasons and even dietary choices. But Dermarolling is a new innovative tool that promises to deliver improved beard growth as well as a healthier skin. A growing body of research supports Dermarolling as a treatment of choice.

What is a Dermaroller?

In simple terms a Dermaroller consists of a wheel attached to a handle. The wheel’s surface is covered with dozens and dozens of tiny needles. The needles are designed to penetrate to a very shallow depth into the dermis layer of skin hence the name Dermaroller. This dermis layer sits underneath the outer layer of skin (epidermis) and contains key blood vessels, glands and the all-important hair follicles that are so essential for hair growth.

Using a Dermaroller is fairly straightforward; simply rolling the Dermaroller back and forth over the area where you want to encourage beard growth. But before we look in more detail at how to use a Dermaroller let’s examine the exciting scientific discoveries that support the Dermaroller as the ideal way to encourage healthy beard growth.

Can Dermarolling contribute to beard growth?

Yes, Dermarolling can encourage beard growth and help restore a healthier skin. You may have heard of Dermarolling in association with Microneedling or Collagen Induction Therapy. These all began as popular cosmetic treatments for reducing wrinkles, skin damage and other signs of aging including scarring.

The realisation that Dermarolling (a form of microneedling) can also stimulate hair growth is just another exciting benefit that science has recently discovered. Many people are disappointed with the effectiveness of the drug treatments available for hair loss. But Dermarolling, either used on its own or in conjunction with a recommended drug treatment such as Minoxidil, is offering a real solution for those wanting a healthy beard.

How does it stimulate beard growth?

Medical science has known for some time that using needles to penetrate the skin at a superficial level stimulates healthy cell tissue regrowth without leaving any scarring. The tiny wound created by the needle triggers a minor inflammation and the body responds by increasing blood circulation and speeding up healthy cell regeneration.

This explains the outstanding success of microneedling in the treatment of acne and burn scarring. Dermarolling uses this same trigger effect to stimulate the blood circulation to hair follicles and promote renewed beard hair growth.

The science behind needling and hair growth

Facial hair is androgenic hair. This means its growth rate is affected by the androgen hormones testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). These chemical signals initiate and regulate the hair growth cycle.

Dermarolling is thought to create a polarised electromagnetic field in the dermis almost literally sparking the androgens into a state where more vigorous hair production takes place naturally.

A growing body of research indicates the effectiveness of Dermarolling as an invaluable tool for encouraging beard growth. A recent study compared the effectiveness of traditional hair loss treatments including Minoxidil with the use of a Dermaroller.

After 12 weeks the men who used the Dermaroller experienced significant new hair growth in terms of mean number of hairs. The Dermaroller subjects also rated their new hair growth much higher on a 7 point visual scale as well as well as a subjective self-assessment scale. Some 82% of the Dermaroller users reported more than 50% hair improvement compared with only 4.2% of the Minoxidil group.

The Dermaroller subjects experienced no adverse reactions or side effects. Faster and earlier hair growth was noted for the Dermaroller group as early as week one in the trial. Follow-up surveys 8 months after the trial ended showed that the improved hair growth for all the men who used the Dermaroller was ongoing and sustainable.

Dermarolling with Minoxidil

Minoxidil has been approved and used for treatment of hair loss since the late 1980s. There are some potential side effects with Minoxidil including burning and skin irritation but Minoxidil is generally safe for short-term use.

Studies show that using Minoxidil on its own tends to deliver around 20 to 40% more hair growth. Adding the Dermaroller to your beard growing regime will increase new hair growth significantly. Not only does the Dermaroller promote significant new beard growth but it appears to increase the absorption of the Minoxidil solution thereby making it more effective.

Every person will respond differently to treatments but in general you will gain the greatest benefit from combining Minoxidal with the Dermaroller. But if you’re only going to choose one hair regrowth solution then the Dermaroller will definitely outperform all the other options.

Should I use a Beard Oil?

Beard oils can help support your beard regeneration programme. Good oils will stimulate your blood circulation, promote skin health, and make the hair you do produce healthier, stronger and shinier but they will not cause an increase of beard hair regrowth on their own.

Some good oils include:

• Castor
• Jojoba
• Almond

Some oils and foods actively block the action of DHTs so you should choose a beard oil very carefully. Oils to avoid because of their DHT inhibiting action include: Rosemary, Safflower, Sesame, and Lavender.

Does Castor Oil Work for Beard Growth?

Castor oil contains a range of nutrients that will help you produce lush healthy hair. It’s rich in ricinoleic acid and promotes blood circulation. It also contains healthy proteins and omega acids. It will add moisture and shine to your beard hair but it won’t actually do much to stimulate hair growth where those androgens are not working.

Yes, add castor oil to your Dermaroller regime but it’s that microneedling that will do the real work of growing your beard.

What’s the Best Needle Length

Dermarolling relies on the body’s rapid response to minor skin wounds. You want a needle that is long enough to provoke the body’s skin repair mechanism without leaving the skin open to scarring or infection. For beards and the facial area that ideal needle length is from 0.25 to 1.0mm.

Always check with your health professional before using a Dermaroller if you have a medical condition such as haemophilia or you take medication that prevents your blood from clotting.

How much pressure should I apply?

You only need to apply sufficient pressure to press the needles into the skin. You may feel some tingling but if there is any discomfort or bleeding you’re pressing too hard. Generally facial skin is fairly sensitive so go easy. The needles will do the work for you.

How to use Dermaroller with a beard

Roll the Dermaroller over your beard focusing particularly on the areas where you want to see more hair growth. Use short vertical and horizontal strokes—around 2 or 3 times for each direction. Roll with a gentle speed and remember to focus especially on those places where the hair growth is sparse. Roll backwards and forwards ensuring you cover each area at least 2 or 3 times.

If you find your beard is getting entangled in the Dermaroller try rolling in the direction of the hairs and use shorter strokes. Make sure you clean your Dermaroller with an antibacterial solution or soap to avoid any infection.

How often should I use the Dermaroller?

Ideally, you’ll want to use your Dermaroller once or twice each week. You need to allow time for the skin to repair itself so make sure you have at least 48 hours between rolling sessions.

If you make a habit of using the Dermaroller at night before you go to bed your skin will have the entire night to go through the inflammation stage. That means by morning any redness should have faded away.

Obviously, the size of the needle you use will change how often you can roll. With a small 0.25mm needle you can roll every 3 days. Remember though the recovery period is vital for your skin and beard growth so don’t think that more is necessarily better.

The Aftermath of rolling your beard

It’s normal for your face to look a bit red and sore – this is simply the normal and appropriate skin response. In fact, it’s a sign that the Dermaroller is working. The redness will be most visible on light Caucasian skin. For most fair skins the inflammation will diminish by 50 % within 4 to 6 hours. All signs of the inflammation usually fade away completely within 48 hours.

Your skin may feel a little tingly and in rare cases some slight burning sensations. For a fast-acting cool relief you can use a face mask containing hyaluronic acid. You can expect almost immediate relief from any redness and burning.

Avoid using skincare lotions that contain aloe Vera. Aloe Vera is a known DHT inhibitor and will most likely undo the good results you’re wanting to achieve.

Before and After

Does Dermarolling always work?

That will depend on a range of factors including your physiological makeup and the reasons why your beard growth isn’t as full as you would like it. Success also depends on how consistent you are in your application.

You may also need to experiment with things like needle length but remember the Dermaroller needles should never exceed 1mm.

How long does it take to work?

Again, each person is different but usually you can expect to notice results very quickly maybe even within a week or two. You can expect to see more hairs and they will be thicker, stronger and often richer coloured too.

Before and after examples

A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Trichology demonstrates the dramatic improvement the Dermarolling offers. The below before and after images show typical improvements experienced by the subjects in the study.

If you’re not happy with your beard it may be time to try the Dermaroller; the results will speak for themselves.