Our Blog RSS

Microneedling Aftercare – Which Products? Exercise? Alcohol? After the treatment, your skin is more sensitive because the tiny punctures are in the process of healing. For this reason, you can't follow your usual skincare routine, and some products need to...

The Dermastamp We are repeatedly being asked what the difference is between the derma stamp and the derma roller. People want to know when it is better to use the stamp compared to the roller and if the derma stamp can achieve the same results as the derma roller. What is the dermastamp ? The Dermastamp is quite a simple device involving a plastic handle and plastic stamp on the end with several hundred micro needles projecting from the end. The dermastamp differs from the dermaroller in that it does not have the rolling mechanism which automatically inserts the needles as you roll across the skin. Instead the dermastamp is simply ‘stamped straight down perpendicularly onto the skin to insert the needles. How did the dermastamp develop? The earliest use of devices similar to the dermastamp was in ancient China where devices called 7 star needles or plum blossom needles were used largely for aesthetic purposes such as the dermastamp is used for today. These have been refined in recent decades by the improved technology of microneedles which has allowed the attachment and use of far smaller needles which cause less macro trauma to the surface of the skin while still stimulating collagen production to produce results. The first rather simple example of a more modern dermastamp was by Dr Fernandes in 1996 (1). Since this time the dermastamp has generally been forgotten in a rush of positive scientific data about the dermaroller but the dermastamp does have a couple of distinct advantages for certain treatments over the dermaroller. What can the dermastamp be used to treat? The dermastamp can be used to treat basically the same conditions as the dermaroller. Its microneedles can penetrate the skin to induce collagen production just like the dermaroller and it has the ability to increase transdermal absorption extensively and has been the subject of numerous studies into this. Particularly in the USA several major studies have focused on the ability of a variety of dermastamp’s to increase the absorption of pharmaceutical drugs to benefit those with impaired digestion. Its ability to induce collagen also means it can effectively assist many types of scarring, wrinkles, cellulite, stretch marks and other signs of aging. Possible advantages of the dermastamp over the dermaroller. Generally speaking the derma roller is easier to use on large surface areas as its rolling action automatically inserts the needles making it easier and often less painful to use. There are however several areas where the dermastamp is the better choice. Hair Loss with longer hair The dermastamp is often more useful for people with hair loss who have longer hair. This is often women or men suffering from thinning hair rather than men treating retreating hair at the front of the head. In this case the roller of the derma roller will often become tangled with the hair and actually tear some out. This can be quite disconcerting when you are already suffering from some hair loss and makes the dermastamp the better choice in these cases. Always use at least 1mm needle length in this case as the padding provided by the hair will mean the needles do not insert to their full length. Scar Treatment We have found the derma stamp to be more effective at scar reduction in clinical treatments. We suspect that this is because of its more rough action of direct perpendicular insertion which makes it better at breaking up the existing scar structure. As yet there has not been any scientific evidence comparing the two for this purpose but it was a repeated observation we made of better results with the derma stamp on scars in clinic. Interestingly scar was one of the main uses of the 7 star needles in ancient China where it was considered highly effective. As you can see although not as famous as the dermaroller there can be definite advantages in using the dermastamp in preference or together with the dermaroller. Remember always purchase a dermastamp with needles at least 0.5mm long as any shorter than this will not be long enough to penetrate through the epidermis into the dermis and therefore induce collagen. We hope this helps if you have any questions about the dermastamp please do not hesitate to contact us and let us know.

1. Fernandes D. Upper lip line treatment. Paper presented at the ISAPS Conference. Taipei, Taiwan, October 1996.