Review: The Derminator (Microneedling Machine)

(*Please note I don’t get any referral fees for this review or associated links in this article. Sometimes I do.)

(*Also please note that I am not a doctor and none of this is medical advice. Always consult with your doctor first.)

The first time I heard about microneedling, I was (understandably) dubious. Why on earth would I want to pierce my skin with tons of needles? I dismissed it at the time and that was that.

A few months later I ran across it again (can’t remember where) and decided to look into it a little more. What I found out was that when done correctly and safely, it’s actually *very cool* and a highly effective way to reduce lines, plump skin, and address scars, in addition to other added anti-aging and skin care bonuses. I wanted to give it a shot! I spent hours and hours researching it and finally purchased a “roller” online for about $30. I was a little freaked out about doing it but finally sucked it up and gave it a shot. It was time consuming and slightly painful, but I could tell a bit of a difference over the next few weeks. From my research I knew that it would take several months and a few treatments to really be able to tell a difference.

Because of all the prep time and such, I didn’t get back to it for some time. Many many months later, during one of my compulsive research sessions, I ran across The Der-mi-nator (you have to say it in an Ahnold Schwarzenneger voice;). No, it’s not a weapon of destruction. The Derminator is a Microneedling Machine developed by Sarah Vaughter. She has a website with a forum that has TONS of information about how to use the machine and answered customer questions. Fascinated, I poured over the forum and the website, absorbing as much about this fascinating contraption as I could. The forum stopped being active in 2014 because of regulatory issues but you can find all you need to know from the previous posts and answers.

The Derminator machine is automated and works much faster and more accurately than a derma roller. It is, of course, more expensive, but it is very reasonable at $190 with free shipping and needle cartridges included. You will need to buy new needle cartridges occasionally, but those are very reasonable as well and if you were to use a derma roller consistently, you would need to buy a whole new one after a few uses as well. The owndoc.com shop also offers sanitization options and high-quality facial care products at a fraction of the cost of comparable high end products.

I truthfully haven’t used the Derminator consistently enough yet to be able to say whether it performs miracles, but after the two times I’ve used it thus far I can definitely say that it is faster and easier to use than a roller and I definitely recommend it. Make sure to read up on the forum and study the instructions and videos before you use it (or any other rolling device). The main things to remember: sterilize, sterilize, sterilize, and only do deep rollings every 4 - 6 weeks at the most. Have fun and let me know how it goes!