With all due respect, fang, I understand from your other posts that you love your roller from ClearSkincare and enthusiastically recommend it. But to say that all the other rollers are disposable and the one from ClearSkincare is the only one that is reusable (for a year) is just misinformation, as far as I am able to tell from my research.
From dermaroller.de
QUOTE
It can be used repeatedly for about one hundred times and will last about 2 years.
From dermaroller.com (aka nova)
QUOTE
Q. How long does the dermaroller last.
A. Our skin roller is very high quality so with care of the roller, and with continual use, it will last six months - the needles don't wear out as such as they are medical grade stainless steel, but with continual use they will eventually become
So, for me, it looks like the ones which seem to be popular with the folks on this forum are all reusable, but that ALL models will have to be discarded at some point as with time and use the needles will all get dull. Please correct me with the proper site references if I am wrong.
As for the 1.5mm selection, I am going off Nova's recommedation of 1.5 length for acne scars and the stuff that was posted on Nova's site (
http://www.dermaroll...om/medical.html) and the following from their Q&A section:
QUOTE
Q. What about scientific testing?
A. In 2006, Dr. Laaff, a dermato-pathologist, evaluated 20 blinded biopsies from a study performed by Dr. M. Schwarz, a plastic surgeon from Freiburg, into the effects of the Derma Roller on collagen and elastin formation. Biopsies were taken by Dr Schwarz from various parts of the body of 10 patients undergoing elective cosmetic surgery. A first 'control' biopsy was taken adjacent to the site that was needled with the Derma Roller (1.5 mm needle). Six to eight weeks later, another biopsy was taken from the needled skin. New collagen and elastin fibre formation was obvious and quite dramatic. On average, an increase of new fibres of 206% was observed by the pathologist and in one case a 1,000% increase was recorded. In the absence of any signs of overt tissue damage, a new hypothesis for a possible mechanism of action of CIT is proposed. See also Medical Stuff page on this web site
As well as the following information from dermaroller.de's old website, which has a ton more information than the new site (or at least it was more easily available)
QUOTE
DermaRoller™-MODELS
Model: C8 (Homecare Dermaroller)is designed for home-use for the infiltration active substances. It is equipped with 192 stainless steel needles in 8 rows. Their length is only 0,13 + 0,02 mm. The diameter at maximum penetration level is only: 0,07 mm. Roller-width: 20 mm.
The needle-tips are so fine they hardly can be seen with the bare eye, and only penetrate the epidermis and cannot reach the dermis. The infiltration channels are closed in less than one hour after the treatment. The use of the C-8 is not limited, its needles stand several hundred applications. It should be used only and exclusively by the same person.
The treatment is free of pain. Negative side-effects are unknown.
This Dermaroller model is NOT suitable to treat scars and acne scars!
Model: CIT8, also called the MESOROLLER
CIT8 was developed for a less invasive Collagen-Induction-Therapy (CIT).
The model CIT8 can be used on face, neck and décolleté. It is equipped with 192 fine needles from stainless steel in 8 rows. It is 20 mm wide. Its needles penetrate the skin with 0,5 mm and induce body-own collagen in the dermal layers.
IMPORTANT
Re-sterilization of the Dermaroller in an autoclave (steam or dry) or an ultra-sonic bath is PROHIBITED.
The needles will loose their sharpness and detach from the roller potentially causing an injury!
Do not store the Dermaroller in alcohol or sterilization solutions!
The treatment requires a topical anaesthetization. This model is a disposable, single use device, and only supplied to professionals!
Model: MF8
MF8 for induction of body's own collagen production. Its needles have a length of 1,5 mm and according to the applied pressure they penetrate the skin from 0,1 to 1,3 mm. The needles induce body own collagen (CIT) in deeper skin layers to strenghten the connective tissue and to minize the typical "orange-skin-apperance". It is equipped with 192 stainless steel needles in 8 rows. Needle diameter: 0,25 mm. The model MF8 has a width of 20 mm.
IMPORTANT
Re-sterilization of the Dermaroller in an autoclave (steam or dry) or an ultra-sonic bath is PROHIBITED.
The needles will loose their sharpness and detach from the roller potentially causing an injury!
Do not store the Dermaroller in alcohol or sterilization solutions!
The treatment requires a topical anaesthetization. This model is a disposable, single use device, and only supplied to professionals!
Model: MS4
MS4 is a special design for scars, acne-scars and burn scars. The special steel has a tensile strength of > 2.200 N
The MS-4 is 10 mm wide, equipped with 96 needles in 4 rows. They have a length of 1,5 mm. Needle diameter: 0,25 mm. According to the applied pressure they penetrate the scar tissue between 0,1 and 1,3 mm.
IMPORTANT
Re-sterilization of the Dermaroller in an autoclave (steam or dry) or an ultra-sonic bath is PROHIBITED.
The needles will loose their sharpness and detach from the roller potentially causing an injury!
Do not store the Dermaroller in alcohol or sterilization solutions!
The treatment requires a topical anaesthetization. This model is a disposable, single use device, and only supplied to professionals!
If anyone has any thoughts they'd like to add to this, I'd appreciate it. Especially since I've not actually used the Dermaroller yet; just done a bunch of reading and research on it. I'd also like to hear people's thoughts on what topicals would work best to stimulate collagen reproduction and scar healing.
Thanks!