Dermatologist Dr. Sonia Batra is here to discuss some DIY skin treatments that have gone viral. But how safe are these trendy devices?
The Micro-Roller is supposed to plump lips by jabbing them with thousands of tiny needles as an alternative to fillers and collagen injections. “The little needles irritate the skin, and they also stimulate collagen,” explains Dr. Batra, who demonstrates the product on her own lips.
Watch: How to Get Better-Looking and Healthier Skin
Her concern? These are actual needles – on some of the rollers, they’re up to 2.5 millimeters long – piercing the skin. “That’s a great way to introduce bacteria, to really traumatize the skin, you could cause scarring, and you could trigger a cold sore … there are a lot of risks to this.”
Pore Vacuums are all the rage. Just like a vacuum cleaner, they use intense suction to pull clogs and blackheads out of pores.
“It’s probably fine if you have superficial clogged pores,” says Dr. Batra. But for deeper clogs or cysts, it will just irritate the skin and make the problem worse.
Speaking of irritation, Dr. Batra found that the suction was so strong it gave her some broken capillaries – it can also stretch out pores and scar the skin.
“Be aware that these things, if not done appropriately, can cause some damage,” concludes ER Physician Dr. Travis Stork. Sometimes it’s best to leave the dermatology to the dermatologists!
