Why You May Want To Reconsider Microneedling Your Lips At Home

Microneedling is a procedure that many love when it comes to improving their skin. The Cleveland Clinic explains that it works by using tiny needles to create holes in the top layer of your skin, triggering it to produce more collagen. People often use it on their legs, back, and face. However, many of those looking for a hack that gives the appearance of fuller lips have turned to microneedling to achieve their goal.

While stimulating the collagen in our lips sounds like a great idea, it is not the best idea to attempt to microneedle at home. The skin on your lips is not the same as the skin on your face, so you are not likely to get the glowing results that you expect — especially when doing it yourself. While you might see influencers or celebrities claiming this can help someone get the perfect pout, it is best to leave microneedling to the professionals.

When we break down the anatomy of the lips, attempting to microneedle your lips by yourself does not make sense. PMU Hub points out that the top layer of your mouth — unlike your face — is much thinner than on your skin. Once you add a dermaroller to the mix, you are hitting more blood vessels and glands, which can't produce the same level of collagen as the rest of the skin. Instead of getting the smooth lips you want, you might be left horrified and disappointed.

New York dermatologist Dr. Judith Hellman further explained in an interview that the lips can end up worse than you imagined. "If someone microneedles their lips, the result would be tremendous swelling and a widely distorted look, which would look horrible for two to three days, then for another two to three days would look very swollen, after which the lips would go back to exactly the same size as before," Dr. Hellman told Glamour Magazine. She added that this could lead to a temporary asymmetrical look.

If you choose to go to the salon, you'll have a better experience than doing it yourself. PMU hub explained that professionals use a derma pen with specific needles to suit the lips' sensitivity. The pen injects a tinted lip serum that creates a subtle bee-stung look that will look better than anything that could be done at home. 

Given the dangers of microneedling your lips yourself, it's best to look for safer options for creating fuller lips at home. According to Healthline, one of the easiest ways to get a bigger pout is by creating an at-home lip plumper. To do this all you have to do is add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper to a tablespoon of olive oil. The cayenne irritates the lips to create the look of bigger lips. From there, place the mixture on your lips and leave it on for a few minutes. Once you start to see them get plumper, wipe the mixture off, apply a lip balm or moisturizer over your lips, and enjoy the new results. It's important to note that, like using a derma roller, this will also not give you permanent results. However, you'll be able to rock a beautiful pout while you're out on the town.