Dermarollers? No, thanks. The SkinPen? Absolutely. Here’s why.

I remember the moment dermarollers suddenly took over the internet – from respectable beauty webshops to those selling absolutely everything, from unverified serum “elixirs” to gadgets of very questionable quality. It was the pandemic era: we were spending endless hours in front of the mirror, inventing overly long skincare routines and convincing ourselves that if we couldn’t master sourdough, we could at least master skincare optimization.

Skin salons and dermatology clinics shut down overnight, and finding an aesthetician became a kind of urban legend. In that vacuum, webshops stepped in as saviors, offering anything that might replicate a salon treatment at home. Among LED masks for boosting collagen and microcurrent devices promising at least a temporary facelift, one tool stood out like something straight out of a medieval torture kit: the dermaroller.

But unlike technologically advanced devices that can somewhat mirror professional treatments – and here I especially stand by LED masks – the dermaroller created far more problems than benefits.

Courtesy of Onitsuka Tiger

Why professional picroneedling is excellent — and why I avoid the at-home version

Professional tools like the SkinPen, DermaPen, and other medical-grade devices work with precision: the needles enter the skin vertically, at a controlled depth and speed, creating micro-channels that stimulate collagen production, smooth texture, reduce fine lines, and give the skin a rejuvenated look. This vertical angle is crucial for achieving an even, consistent result.

A dermaroller, on the other hand, works diagonally — a rolling cylinder covered in needles that drag across the skin. Even in professional settings, this design can lead to uneven needle penetration and therefore less effective results compared with a SkinPen. It also increases the risk of micro-scarring which can leave the texture uneven rather than smooth. In other words, a dermaroller isn’t a cheaper copy or a substitute for the SkinPen — it’s an entirely different tool with serious limitations. And once you add at-home use into the equation, those limitations become even more obvious.

1. Questionable hygiene and disinfection

A dermaroller contains dozens, sometimes hundreds, of tiny needles that cannot be replaced. While professional devices use sterile, single-use needle cartridges, an at-home dermaroller is typically a metal roller that users rinse with alcohol and put back in a drawer. The issue is that alcohol doesn’t necessarily sterilize all types of bacteria, the needles dull over time, and each reuse increases the risk of infection — especially considering how uncertain the cleanliness of its storage space usually is.

Courtesy of Westman Atelier

2. When you should never use a dermaroller

Did you know there are specific skin conditions in which you should never use any microneedling tool — especially not an at-home one? You should avoid dermarolling if you have:

• active acne, comedones, inflammation, or breakouts

• rosacea or dermatitis

• a damaged skin barrier (and do you even know how to recognize it?)

• open wounds or fresh scars

• a tendency to develop keloids

• very thin, reactive, or sensitive skin

These are actually the conditions in which people most often try to “save themselves” with microneedling, which can worsen everything. A professional will warn you about all of this; under your bathroom light, you might not notice the full picture.

3. Microneedling isn’t a universal treatment

Marketing loves to say microneedling is suitable for “all skin types.” In reality, things are far more nuanced. In professional settings, the treatment is adjusted to your individual needs: depth, speed, and targeted areas vary from person to person. How much of that can you realistically control with a dermaroller? Most at-home tools don’t even come with customizable needle options.

4. The wrong serum can have long-term consequences

One of the most common problems with at-home microneedling is pairing the tool with the wrong serums. The treatment makes your skin extremely permeable, which means pre- and post-care are crucial. You should avoid using:

• retinol

• AHA/BHA/PHA acids

• vitamin C

In a professional setting, you can expect proper skin disinfection, a simple hyaluronic acid serum as the base for the treatment, and an antibacterial cream or soothing balm afterward. Using the wrong ingredients at home can lead to chemical burns, long-lasting hyperpigmentation, or serious reactions that may take months to heal.

Courtesy of Westman Atelier

5. Uneven results and the risk of micro-scarring

Here’s the main reason I don’t prefer dermarollers even in professional settings: because the needles enter the skin at an improper angle, a dermaroller can leave your skin:

• texturally uneven

• inflamed

• prone to micro-scarring

6. At-home dermaroller vs. professional microneedling

The essential differences between a professional treatment and the one you might want to do in the comfort of your home are significant. A professional dermatology office provides:

• a sterile environment (even the air ventilation often meets medical sterilization standards)

• single-use, sterile needle cartridges

• individually tailored needle depth

• controlled speed and pressure to ensure optimal results

• medical supervision — crucial, because microneedling quite literally creates controlled wounds in the skin

None of these conditions can truly be met at home. And while microneedling can deliver incredible results (especially for reducing scars and fine lines), the safest way to achieve them is to trust trained dermatologists.