Microneedling For Hair Loss At Home

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Considering microneedling for hair loss at home?

Or perhaps you just want to know more about the data surrounding microneedling and its effects on hair count and hair thickness...Either way you've come to the right place. In this post we'll be discussing both.

If you'd like to know exactly how I microneedle along with the other treatments I've used to regrow my hair then check-out my e-Book HERE.

In case you're not at familiar with this treatment here is a little background:

This therapy is also referred to as: “needling”, “skin needling” “microneedling”, “micro needing”, “needling dermabrasion”, and collagen induction therapy” (1).

Microneedles are…Get ready for it…

Micro-scale needles. They have a typical length from 25 to 2000 μm (2).

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure where physical trauma from needle penetration is induced to the outermost layer of the epidermis (3).

Besides just being used as a treatment for androgenic alopecia, microneedling has also been used as a treatment for things like: melasma (which is a pigment disorder), stretch marks, atrophic scars, alopecia areata and more (3).

I think I first learned about it when people started posting photos to their social media from vampire facials. (If you’re not familiar, during that procedure microneedling is done on the face and is paired with PRP (platelet rich plasma).

The images of people having vampire facials performed were pretty spooky with everyone looking like Carrie White after she won prom queen. You know I love Stphen King... So naturally I was intrigued lol… Little did I know I’d end up owning my own micro-needling device and going to town on my own scalp.

You can find the device I use to microneedle for hair loss at home linked below which is different from the dermaroller in the picture above. But more on why I prefer this tool linked below later...

But how does it work when it comes to treating hair loss? Let's talk mechanism...

The exact mechanism of action for how microneedling works is unknown but some thoughts are that once you’ve created these micro wounds from the microneedling procedure a wound healing cascade occurs in the treated areas that leads to things like collagen formation, new blood vessel formation, and growth factor production (1).

Another proposed mechanism for how microneedling for hair loss may work is by helping hair loss medications penetrate better thanks to the micro-scale channels that are created when you're doing the procedure (2).

For example, in lots of the studies that I’ve read microneedling is being paired with minoxidil and PRP…etc.

Let's talk devices....How would you microneedle for hair loss at home?

First some background on microneedles:

Microneedles can reach a skin depth of 70 to 200 mm and they are made by reactive ion etching techniques of silicon or medical-grade stainless steel (1).

Some microneedling devices you may have heard of are: the dermaroller and the dermapen.

The dermaroller is a hand-held device which has a cylindrical roller. So you roll this device over the desired area and it creates micro punctures.

I've linked below a dermaroller with depths of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. In the studies we will review later the depths being used are between the ranges of 0.6mm up to 2.5mm.

Another device used for micronnedling for hair loss at home is the dermapen. I've linked the one I use HERE and a more updated version below. But I think my device works great.

The dermapen is a hand-held electrical device that well.. basically looks like a pen. This device utilizes a stamping technique as opposed to the rolling method of the dermaroller and also has different speeds you can select.

You can adjust the depth manually and you can also switch out the needle cartridges. I've linked some refill cartridges HERE.

Why I prefer the dermapen as opposed to the dermaroller for microneedling for hair loss at home...

When I use the dermapen it's bascially stamping my scalp and creating channels. I would think that when you roll a dermaroller the needles are entering your scalp at an angle and then coming out an an angle.

My fear is that the dermaroller may cause tearing as opposed to creating channels like the dermapen. But many clinical trials use the dermaroller. ( I don’t have any evidence to show that supports one method being more effective over the other. This is just my personal preference).

I also dispose of my needle cartridges after every use and order refills HERE.

With the dermaroller I would think if you're re-using this device like once a week over and over some of the needles may become bent or damaged? My fear is that a bent needle could cause tears to the scalp as opposed to channels? Again... I don't have evidence to support this thought...I'm sure you could potentially bend a needle while using the dermapen as well but I like that you dispose of it after one use. In my opinion that minimizes the risk.

Then if you use a new dermaroller every week and dispose of it after every use then I would think this could get pretty costly as opposed to just purchasing a dermapen once and buying refill cartridges.

In regards to needle depth I think it’s also important to consider the amount of pressure being applied to the device.

For example…When I’m microneedling with the Dr. Pen device I’m just making passes over my scalp. I set the depth manually and I'm ready to go. I'm not pushing down forcefully.

When microneedling with a dermaroller you're having to apply pressure to the device as you manually roll it across your scalp. If I apply more pressure I see more bleeding. So I may be actually penetrating deeper than the needle depth of the dermaroller all due to the amount of pressure I’m applying to the device.

Things you may want to consider before microneedling for hair loss at home...

There aren’t a ton of studies that have examined this therapy as a way to treat hair loss.
These studies are small. Many of the studies were conducted in men only. We also need more studies in diverse populations.
I think it can be painful…But the pain is totally tolerable. I don’t know what your pain tolerance is but mine is low…I get the fear sweats before I even start the treatment. To me it feels like a rubber band being snapped against my scalp. I notice I’m especially sensitive when microneedling around my temples.
Microneedling has been successfully paired with other hair growth promoting therapies like minoxidil, PRP, and other topicals, and has been shown to stimulate hair follicle growth (4).
Some studies evaluate microneedling for hair loss as a monotherapy (so just by itself) while other studies are evaluating it used in combination with other treatments. One example would be pairing microneedling + minoxidil.
This may be a treatment option for someone who doesn’t want or cannot take systemic treatments (1).
It may be a treatment to try if someone has been unresponsive to other therapies (1).

Talk data to me...What do the studies show regarding results and treatment protocol?

Keep in mind I’m just pulling a few of the studies and I encourage you to also do your own research. I have bolded the needle depths in case you just want to skim.

You know I’m about to start us off with a study that actually included women…Wooooo!

In this study Starace et al assessed microneedling for hair loss in 36 females, (29 with androgenic alopecia, and 7 with telogen effluvium, and 14 males with Aandrogenic alopecia (5).

You can stalk the study HERE

Patients were all treated with 3 sessions of microneedling at an interval of 4 weeks, over a total period of 6 months.

Patients used a dermaroller with needle length 1.5 mm over the affected areas during the procedure for about 20-25 minutes. They rolled over the area until mild redness was seen along with pin point bleeding. All patients were instructed not to apply minoxidil on the day of the procedure and to resume its application only 24 hours after the microneedling.

Results showed: All the patients reported a partial or complete reduction in hair loss. The hair density and thickening of the hair shaft diameter were confirmed by clinical iconography and trichoscopy.

In this study Faghihi et al, aimed to investigate the effect of microneedling with 2 different depths of penetration on promoting hair growth in patients with androgenic alopecia (6). You can stalk the study HERE.

3 groups total:

Control: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion;

Group A: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion and biweekly microneedling with a depth of 1.2 mm

Group B: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion and biweekly microneedling with a depth of 0.6 mm during 12 weeks.

The authors concluded: Microneedling with a depth of 0.6 mm in combination with minoxidil is more effective than just minoxidil alone in patients with androgenic alopecia in terms of hair count and hair thickness. This depth of penetration tended to be more beneficial than depth of 1.2 mm.

Dhurat and colleagues carried out a study on the use of microneedling combined with minoxidil lotion (7).

You can stalk the study HERE.

There were a total of 94 patients with the following treatment groups:

Control Group: Minoxidil lotion alone (1 ml, 5%, twice daily; for 12 weeks)

Treatment group: Microneedling with (twice daily 1 ml 5% minoxidil lotion for 12 weeks).

For the micro-needling protocol, the 1.5 mm dermaroller was used. Topical minoxidil use was not recommended the day of microneedling and for 24 hours later.

The treatment group (minoxidil plus microneedling) showed statistically significant superior results in all the efficacy outcomes: hair counts, patient and investigator assessment.

In this study Bao et al. conducted a randomized trial where the topical minoxidil was used in combination with electrodynamic microneedling (8).

In electrodynamic microneedling the needles oscillate at a high frequency, thus decreasing pain and increasing drug delivery (8).

You can stalk the study HERE.

There were a total of 60 patients with androgenic alopecia recruited into the following groups:

Group 1: Minoxidil alone (5%, 1 ml, twice daily)

Group 2: Microneedling alone

Group 3: Microneedling and minoxidil solution

The depth of electrodynamic microneedle treatments were between 1.5 to 2.5 mm.

Microneedling was applied every 2 weeks for a total of 12 sessions with the total study duration coming to an end at 24 weeks.

The total hair density was assessed and was significantly different in the 3 groups with moderate improvement observed in:

Group 1 Minoxidil alone: 44.4% of the patients

Group 2 Microneedling alone: 27.8%

Group 3 Microneedling and minoxidil solution: 60%

The authors concluded that treatment with microneedling plus topical 5% minoxidil was associated with the best hair growth.

Any side effects?

The most common side effects are redness to the area or pinpoint bleeding, which are expected (8).

Some other possible risks include seborrheic dermatitis, itching, infection, granulo-matous reactions, or lymph node enlargement (8).

Sum it all up...When microneedling for hair loss at home...What depth should you use and what should the treatment frequency be?

For exactly what I do for this procedure check out my e-Book linked in the image above where I walk you through everything step-by-step.

So what's the best way to microneedle? Should you microneedle more frequently (like daily or every other day) at a shallower depth and add topicals to promote better absorption to the scalp? Even though it's likely that at these shallower depths (like 0.5 mm) you likely aren't getting those growth factors to the hair follicle where they can promote hair regrowth?

Or is it best to microneedle at deeper depths (like 1.5 mm) less frequently (like once or twice a week) where you likely are causing enough inflammation to result in these growth factors acting on the hair follicle?

I wish I had the answer for you. But we just don't have enough data to support the use of one method over the other yet...

I think the data clearly shows a benefit of pairing microneedling with minoxidil to bolster hair growth results. Since I'm needling at a deeper depth I wait 24 hrs to apply minoxidil after I've microneedled. I wait this long because I worry about the minoxidil going systemic. Additionally, waiting this long was what I saw in many of the other scientific journal articles I read as well.

I microneedle at a depth of 1.5 mm. (Keep in mind I'm not a medical doctor and I am not giving medical advice). Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your treatment regimen.

As seen in the “talk data to me” section, there is no standardized treatment protocol. The protocols being used in clinical trials use different microneedling devices set at different depths, and at different treatment frequencies.

Regarding needle length…No clear needle length has been established. Studies using a shorter needle length generally showed less promising results compared to those utilizing longer needle lengths (1).

The sweet spot with needle length…The needle length should be long enough to penetrate through the cutaneous barrier for enhancing drug delivery or stimulation to the hair follicle, but short enough to produce minimal pain and skin injury (9).

But when microneedling for hair loss normally a 0.5 to 2.5-mm-length needle is used (9).

I hope that after reading this you have a few different ideas of what you might like to do if you are considering microneedling at home. I wish there was a straight answer I could give based on a protocol recommendation but until that happens I'll be sure to keep checking the literature and update this post accordingly.

Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to subscribe to make sure you never miss a post!

References: Microneedling For Hair Loss At Home:

1. Ocampo-Garza SS, Fabbrocini G, Ocampo-Candiani J, Cinelli E, Villani A. Micro needling: A novel therapeutic approach for androgenetic alopecia, A Review of Literature. Dermatol Ther. 2020 Nov;33(6):e14267. doi: 10.1111/dth.14267. Epub 2020 Sep 28. PMID: 32882083.

2. Bok, Moonjeong et al. “Effective Dispensing Methods for Loading Drugs Only to the Tip of DNA Microneedles.” Pharmaceutics vol. 12,10 954. 10 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics12100954

3. Iriarte, Christopher et al. “Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology.” Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology vol. 10 289-298. 8 Aug. 2017, doi:10.2147/CCID.S142450

4. Fertig RM, Gamret AC, Cervantes J, Tosti A. Microneedling for the treatment of hair loss? J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018 Apr;32(4):564-569. doi: 10.1111/jdv.14722. Epub 2017 Dec 21. PMID: 29194786.

5. Starace M, Alessandrini A, Brandi N, Piraccini BM. Preliminary results of the use of scalp microneedling in different types of alopecia. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Mar;19(3):646-650. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13061. Epub 2019 Jun 29. PMID: 31254437.

6. Faghihi G, Nabavinejad S, Mokhtari F, Fatemi Naeini F, Iraji F. Microneedling in androgenetic alopecia; comparing two different depths of microneedles. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2021 Apr;20(4):1241-1247. doi: 10.1111/jocd.13714. Epub 2020 Sep 29. PMID: 32897622.

7. Dhurat R, Sukesh M, Ganesh A, Ameet D, Anjali P. Poonam P. a randomized evaluator blinded study of effect of microneedling in androgenetic alopecia: a pilot study. Int J Trichology. 2013;5:6-11.

8. Bao L, Gong L, Guo M, Liu T, Shi A, Zong H, Xu X, Chen H, Gao X, Li Y. Randomized trial of electrodynamic microneedle combined with 5% minoxidil topical solution for the treatment of Chinese male Androgenetic alopecia. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2020;22(1):1-7. doi: 10.1080/14764172.2017.1376094. Epub 2020 Jan 7. PMID: 29028377.

9. Kim YS, Jeong KH, Kim JE, Woo YJ, Kim BJ, Kang H. Repeated microneedle stimulation induces enhanced hair growth in a murine model. Ann Dermatol. 2016;28:586-592.

Considering microneedling for hair loss at home?

Or perhaps you just want to know more about the data surrounding microneedling and its effects on hair count and hair thickness...Either way you've come to the right place. In this post we'll be discussing both.

If you'd like to know exactly how I microneedle along with the other treatments I've used to regrow my hair then check-out my e-Book HERE.

In case you're not at familiar with this treatment here is a little background:

This therapy is also referred to as: “needling”, “skin needling” “microneedling”, “micro needing”, “needling dermabrasion”, and collagen induction therapy” (1).

Microneedles are…Get ready for it…

Micro-scale needles. They have a typical length from 25 to 2000 μm (2).

Microneedling is a minimally invasive procedure where physical trauma from needle penetration is induced to the outermost layer of the epidermis (3).

Besides just being used as a treatment for androgenic alopecia, microneedling has also been used as a treatment for things like: melasma (which is a pigment disorder), stretch marks, atrophic scars, alopecia areata and more (3).

I think I first learned about it when people started posting photos to their social media from vampire facials. (If you’re not familiar, during that procedure microneedling is done on the face and is paired with PRP (platelet rich plasma).

You can find the device I use to microneedle for hair loss at home linked below which is different from the dermaroller in the picture above. But more on why I prefer this tool linked below later...

But how does it work when it comes to treating hair loss? Let's talk mechanism...

Another proposed mechanism for how microneedling for hair loss may work is by helping hair loss medications penetrate better thanks to the micro-scale channels that are created when you're doing the procedure (2).

For example, in lots of the studies that I’ve read microneedling is being paired with minoxidil and PRP…etc.

Let's talk devices....How would you microneedle for hair loss at home?

First some background on microneedles:

Microneedles can reach a skin depth of 70 to 200 mm and they are made by reactive ion etching techniques of silicon or medical-grade stainless steel (1).

Some microneedling devices you may have heard of are: the dermaroller and the dermapen.

The dermaroller is a hand-held device which has a cylindrical roller. So you roll this device over the desired area and it creates micro punctures.

I've linked below a dermaroller with depths of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5. In the studies we will review later the depths being used are between the ranges of 0.6mm up to 2.5mm.

Another device used for micronnedling for hair loss at home is the dermapen. I've linked the one I use HERE and a more updated version below. But I think my device works great.

The dermapen is a hand-held electrical device that well.. basically looks like a pen. This device utilizes a stamping technique as opposed to the rolling method of the dermaroller and also has different speeds you can select.

You can adjust the depth manually and you can also switch out the needle cartridges. I've linked some refill cartridges HERE.

Why I prefer the dermapen as opposed to the dermaroller for microneedling for hair loss at home...

When I use the dermapen it's bascially stamping my scalp and creating channels. I would think that when you roll a dermaroller the needles are entering your scalp at an angle and then coming out an an angle.

My fear is that the dermaroller may cause tearing as opposed to creating channels like the dermapen. But many clinical trials use the dermaroller. ( I don’t have any evidence to show that supports one method being more effective over the other. This is just my personal preference).

I also dispose of my needle cartridges after every use and order refills HERE.

Then if you use a new dermaroller every week and dispose of it after every use then I would think this could get pretty costly as opposed to just purchasing a dermapen once and buying refill cartridges.

In regards to needle depth I think it’s also important to consider the amount of pressure being applied to the device.

For example…When I’m microneedling with the Dr. Pen device I’m just making passes over my scalp. I set the depth manually and I'm ready to go. I'm not pushing down forcefully.

Things you may want to consider before microneedling for hair loss at home...

There aren’t a ton of studies that have examined this therapy as a way to treat hair loss.

These studies are small. Many of the studies were conducted in men only. We also need more studies in diverse populations.

Microneedling has been successfully paired with other hair growth promoting therapies like minoxidil, PRP, and other topicals, and has been shown to stimulate hair follicle growth (4).

Some studies evaluate microneedling for hair loss as a monotherapy (so just by itself) while other studies are evaluating it used in combination with other treatments. One example would be pairing microneedling + minoxidil.

This may be a treatment option for someone who doesn’t want or cannot take systemic treatments (1).

It may be a treatment to try if someone has been unresponsive to other therapies (1).

Talk data to me...What do the studies show regarding results and treatment protocol?

Keep in mind I’m just pulling a few of the studies and I encourage you to also do your own research. I have bolded the needle depths in case you just want to skim.

You know I’m about to start us off with a study that actually included women…Wooooo!

In this study Starace et al assessed microneedling for hair loss in 36 females, (29 with androgenic alopecia, and 7 with telogen effluvium, and 14 males with Aandrogenic alopecia (5).

You can stalk the study HERE

Patients were all treated with 3 sessions of microneedling at an interval of 4 weeks, over a total period of 6 months.

Results showed: All the patients reported a partial or complete reduction in hair loss. The hair density and thickening of the hair shaft diameter were confirmed by clinical iconography and trichoscopy.

In this study Faghihi et al, aimed to investigate the effect of microneedling with 2 different depths of penetration on promoting hair growth in patients with androgenic alopecia (6). You can stalk the study HERE.

3 groups total:

Control: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion;

Group A: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion and biweekly microneedling with a depth of 1.2 mm

Group B: treatment with minoxidil 5% lotion and biweekly microneedling with a depth of 0.6 mm during 12 weeks.

The authors concluded: Microneedling with a depth of 0.6 mm in combination with minoxidil is more effective than just minoxidil alone in patients with androgenic alopecia in terms of hair count and hair thickness. This depth of penetration tended to be more beneficial than depth of 1.2 mm.

Dhurat and colleagues carried out a study on the use of microneedling combined with minoxidil lotion (7).

You can stalk the study HERE.

There were a total of 94 patients with the following treatment groups:

Control Group: Minoxidil lotion alone (1 ml, 5%, twice daily; for 12 weeks)

Treatment group: Microneedling with (twice daily 1 ml 5% minoxidil lotion for 12 weeks).

For the micro-needling protocol, the 1.5 mm dermaroller was used. Topical minoxidil use was not recommended the day of microneedling and for 24 hours later.

The treatment group (minoxidil plus microneedling) showed statistically significant superior results in all the efficacy outcomes: hair counts, patient and investigator assessment.

In this study Bao et al. conducted a randomized trial where the topical minoxidil was used in combination with electrodynamic microneedling (8).

In electrodynamic microneedling the needles oscillate at a high frequency, thus decreasing pain and increasing drug delivery (8).

You can stalk the study HERE.

There were a total of 60 patients with androgenic alopecia recruited into the following groups:

Group 1: Minoxidil alone (5%, 1 ml, twice daily)

Group 2: Microneedling alone

Group 3: Microneedling and minoxidil solution

The depth of electrodynamic microneedle treatments were between 1.5 to 2.5 mm.

Microneedling was applied every 2 weeks for a total of 12 sessions with the total study duration coming to an end at 24 weeks.

The total hair density was assessed and was significantly different in the 3 groups with moderate improvement observed in:

Group 1 Minoxidil alone: 44.4% of the patients

Group 2 Microneedling alone: 27.8%

Group 3 Microneedling and minoxidil solution: 60%

The authors concluded that treatment with microneedling plus topical 5% minoxidil was associated with the best hair growth.

Any side effects?

The most common side effects are redness to the area or pinpoint bleeding, which are expected (8).

Some other possible risks include seborrheic dermatitis, itching, infection, granulo-matous reactions, or lymph node enlargement (8).

Sum it all up...When microneedling for hair loss at home...What depth should you use and what should the treatment frequency be?

For exactly what I do for this procedure check out my e-Book linked in the image above where I walk you through everything step-by-step.

Or is it best to microneedle at deeper depths (like 1.5 mm) less frequently (like once or twice a week) where you likely are causing enough inflammation to result in these growth factors acting on the hair follicle?

I wish I had the answer for you. But we just don't have enough data to support the use of one method over the other yet...

I microneedle at a depth of 1.5 mm. (Keep in mind I'm not a medical doctor and I am not giving medical advice). Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your treatment regimen.

As seen in the “talk data to me” section, there is no standardized treatment protocol. The protocols being used in clinical trials use different microneedling devices set at different depths, and at different treatment frequencies.