Messed Up Your Skin With At-Home Microneedling? Here's How To Fix It

Living in the DIY era means that many of us take on home beauty projects as a means of saving money or simply picking up a new hobby. YouTube has helped many master midtone blushing, while TikTok and Instagram have introduced us to henna contour as part of our makeup routine. Though there is nothing wrong with teaching yourself something new in the beauty world, several more complex procedures should be left to the professionals. This is especially true for anything that involves harsh chemicals or devices on your skin.

One skin regimen that has steadily risen in popularity over the years is microneedling. This procedure uses thin needles to make small holes in the top layer of your skin, and the goal is to reduce the appearance of scarring due to acne and other issues. Microneedling is highly effective and can be performed at home using a dermaroller. Unfortunately, when doing this yourself, there is a lot of room for error. Luckily, there are several ways to repair your skin if you do happen to do some damage during your bathroom microneedling session.

Since microneedling involves puncturing the skin, one common mistake people make when doing it themselves is applying too much pressure. Another is needling the same spot multiple times in the same direction. These errors can lead to inflamed skin with deeper open wounds that are more severe than the normal tiny microneedling pricks. Additional hyperpigmentation may occur, which is the very issue many people use microneedling to remedy. It would be best if you allowed your skin to heal fully before covering it up with foundations and concealers.

Adding makeup to microneedling damage that is still recovering can lead to painful side effects. Many cosmetic products contain a variety of chemicals, such as phthalates and parabens. These can not only irritate your skin, but can cause an infection too. Once makeup containers are opened, keeping the contents 100% sanitary is difficult. Tubes are often passed back and forth from makeup kits to purses, picking up bacteria along the way. Now imagine all that gunk touching your raw and overly needled face. Yikes.

The time it takes to mend after an unfavorable DIY microblading session can take six to 12 weeks. However, it will ultimately depend on the extent of the damage. The Naked Chemist advises using lightweight barrier-repairing products to help with this process.

One great serum to help you heal is Maelove Hydrator B5 Gel. Though pricier than many other serums on the market ($32.95 for one ounce), this gel contains hyaluronic acid, which can help to quickly repair your skin, and add volume and moisture. Another great benefit of this serum is that it is free of inflaming components such as fragrances and parabens. Another promising barrier-repairing serum is the EltaMD Skin Recovery Serum. Like Maelove's formula, EltaMD's option is free of harsh ingredients and contains vitamin B5, which is essential to the restoration. However, the cost starts at $59.85 for just one ounce.

As a best practice, seeking out a professional to perform your microneedling may yield the best results. This is especially true if you're new to microneedling. If you have taken the leap toward self-sufficiency in your beauty routine, be prepared for errors. You may find comfort in knowing that most microneedling disasters are fixable.