Microneedling is one of the hottest trends in the beauty industry right now.

At first glance, an at-home microneedling tool really isn’t all that intimidating. For all the hype about sticking needles into your face and the fear that strikes in some people’s hearts, they really are itty bitty. In fact, most at-home tools have needles that are only .25 mm thick. It’s hard to imagine much pain would come with their consistent use, and it would appear many women across the country are finding just that.

How does it work?

Dallas-based BeautyBio founder Jamie O’Banion created the first-ever personal microneedling tool with her father. “You’re creating painless micro-injuries in the skin, which triggers your skin’s natural healing response,” she says. “The little tunnels you’re creating stay open for about five minutes, so this is the time when you immediately apply your favorite beauty serums and creams.”

Now the bigger question: does it work?

According to Elle Magazine, a 2008 study showed “skin treated with four microneedling sessions spaced one month apart produced up to a 400% increase in collagen and elastin six months after completing treatment.”

And it’s not only effective for wrinkles; it can also reduce cellulite when used on problematic areas of the body.

Hair Growth

There’s yet another unusual use for at-home microneedling tools, sometimes dubbed derma rollers: hair growth. Rolling the tiny needles across your scalp with a tool like Foligain’s scalp roller, found at HEB and online, stimulates the follicles and helps leave-in products be more effective.

While med spa microneedling treatments can be intense and costly, consistent at-home use can provide numerous benefits at a fraction of the cost.

Most women have anti-aging skincare or hair care routines, but how frustrating would it be to know those creams and treatments might just be sitting on top of the skin and doing you little to no good? If microneedling can help those routines be 200x more effective, it would seem Texas-based BeautyBio and other brands will only continue to rise in popularity.

By Aquila Mendez-Valdez