This a relatively new skin treatment, and in fact not a very well known, so I'll talk a bit about it, in hope of shedding some light on the matter.

After the initial shock of looking at what seems to be a medieval torture instrument, you are indeed looking at a skin roller, that consists basically in a plastic cylinder with a large amount of thin needles (similar to acupuncture).

There are several derma rollers out there, but essentially their function is the same, the only important variation is the size of the needle, that can go from 0.15mm to 1.5, depending on the target skin zone.

I have three words for you Collagen Induction Therapy (CIT), this type of treatment is achieved with micro-needling using a derma roller. This is simply using a natural body method of self regeneration, using the micro needles the skin is pierced very lightly not damaging it, but with enough depth to trigger the "nerve-stimulus", this promotes the regeneration of the skin around the area where the puncture occurred, promoting the release of collagen. If you multiply a puncture by hundreds you will have all the skin covered with collagen, that eventually will create a new ticker layer of skin that will fill wrinkles, stretch marks ... and most skin imperfections, doing it in a very natural way.

Apart from the collagen that is crucial in this, the derma roller also acts as a catalyst to any skin cream that you are using, since it will be absorbed in a much deeper level, its results will be largely increased with this method.

Don't think of this a miraculous gadget, but still the derma roller will work to a really wide range of skin problems, everything that is related to skin imperfections, to irrigation problems, even baldness can be minimized using this method, here is a comprehensive list of known applications:

• Acne Scars Removal and Treatment
  
• Stretch Marks Removal and Treatment
  
• Anti-Wrinkle Treatment
• Anti-Aging Treatment
• Hair Loss Treatment
• Hair Restoration
• Receding Hairlines
• Cellulite Treatment and Reduction
• Scar Removal

If you have already did some research on the matter, you will find that there are several brands of derma rollers out there, most of them are very similar, but you should not go for the really cheap ones, and always look for a FDA approved and gamma sterilized products with good reviews and instructions manual, a good example of this is the Scientia Derma Roller.

Now take your time to choose the proper needle size, anything above 1.5mm should only be used by professionals, and all other sizes are related to specific conditions:

• 0.5mm - light acne scaring, mild chicken pox, mild ice pic scars, anti-age and thinning hair,
• 1.0mm - light stretch marks, deep acne scars, chicken pox scars, ice pick scars, light celulite and extensive hair loss.
  
• 1.5mm - very deep scaring, deep stretch marks and severe celulite
  

This product is starting to have some feedback in the media ( as you see in the video to the right ), there are even some rumours (source) that the popular Jolie-Pitt couple have been using this product for a while, and we all know how they look like, and what celebs do to keep young. Surely in the future we will see much more talk shows, going trough this issue and enlightening more and more people to this method.

Also you can have a look at videos in YouTube where this treatment is addressed, and you see for yourself how to use it and the effects it can have on you skin. Most of them are really from clinics using needles over 1.5 (not suitable for home use) that need numbing creams, but there are also some from everyday people like you and me that use the smaller safe needles at home;  I'll just add a few to ease your up work, but if you do plan on getting one, by all means get all the feedback you can.

The usage is generally very simple, for the face and body just use the roller 4 times in each direction (vertical/horizontal and both diagonals), do not roll on the lips or eyelids, there are smaller more specific rollers for those areas. A common question is, how much pressure to apply, you can do it both ways, if you press lightly you can do it everyday and there is no need for a numbing cream, as the trauma is significantly low, if you press a bit harder, it is best to use a numbing cream, and the skin area can be become reddish for the next couple days, so you will need to let it rest. Both ways achieve the same results, so i would go for the low pressure method, because there is less trauma, and no visible redness the following days.

There is only a slight difference when using the derma roller on the scalp, you must use it in a unique direction and don't go backwards, do it after washing and drying the hair.

There is a lot more info out there, that i will surely add in the future, but now you have a good ideia on what this is all about, if you want to try it out i suggest to go for the smallest possible needle, and then move up if you feel the need to, since this is relatively cheap you can try it out easily. A good source of information can be found also at the derma-rollers website, also don't forget to use a proper cream for each application, you can find these at popular websites (such as amazon), use minoxidil for hair loss issues, and for the face and body a good cream with vitamin C, E and aloe vera is enough to improve results.

Feel free to drop feedback on the matter or question, i am not by any means an expert, but will try to answer all questions.

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