Who knew that massaging your face with hundreds of tiny needles might cause health problems? Hong Kong’s Consumer Council has released a public warning about the popular new Microneedle Therapy System, also known as the Dermaroller, which could be causing a lot more medical issues than it’s worth.
The idea behind the system is that the the needle-covered rollers stimulate collagen production and blood flow by creating hundreds of micro-wounds which heal over. Sounds believable. Angelina Jolie is reported to be a fan of the treatment, as well as Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, while the Rachel Ray Show brought the treatment to the masses in a review earlier this year:
However, as anyone who’s a fan of salon manicures can tell you (and yes, every so often you hear about cases of infections from everything from staph to flesh eating bacteria from salon manicures), sometimes it’s nearly impossible to get equipment entirely clean, especially if it’s not entirely stainless steel. Add the presence of blood to a beauty treatment and you begin to see the risk of HIV and hepatitis rise if a new roller is not used with every separate appointment. Which sometimes, in a bid to cut costs at non-reputable salons, there isn’t. Therefore, if microneedle sounds like something you’d like to give a go, the best way to protect yourself from a bad treatment is to take some time to visit the salon beforehand and make sure they have proper hygiene procedures in place.
Image via Gage Skidmore
For that matter, no studies have actually been done on the microroller’s effectiveness. While users tend to come back with rave reviews, Hong Kong alone has reported 43 bad reactions to microneedle rollers, deteriorating skin condition being the main one. And let’s not forget that invasive beauty treatments tend to turn up bad reactions years after the initial therapy too. Just look at Botox, which it turns out interferes with the user’s ability to read emotions on other people or liposuction, which encourages the same amount of fat as before to return, but on a different, usually more awkward, part of the body.
Despite the health risks, Hong Kong beauty professionals are reporting that the warning has not decreased demand for the treatment.
Would you give microneedle therapy a try despite all the medical drawbacks if it was proven it actually worked? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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August 17, 2011
Health and Fitness