Think you don’t have time for radiance-boosting, skin-plumping therapies? Think again! Editor Trudi Brewer tries the all new Dermapen 4 and discovers a facial treatment that packs a powerful beauty punch into just five minutes.
Makeup-free post treatment my skin was glowing.
“The fact Dermapen 4 is so fast and effective puts it right in my lane when it comes to skin therapies. I might just have a new addiction.”
I have never really worried about fine lines around my eyes, my bugbears are brown spots and uneven skin texture. So, when I heard about the latest skin treatment that promises to kick-start collagen production and give your complexion instant radiance, it went straight to the top of my must-try list. I headed to About Face as soon as I could to experience the new Dermapen 4 treatment first-hand – and I was not disappointed. Here's how it works.
What is Dermapen 4?
Microneedling (aka collagen induction therapy) is nothing new, but the Dermapen 4 is. This pen-like device looks a bit like a digital thermometer and works by stimulating a wound-healing response in the skin. Its 16-needle cartridge head passes over the skin leaving minuscule holes (just one millimetre deep), creating more than 1 million tiny channels during the five-minute treatment.
How does it transform your skin?
Dermapen 4 is designed to treat a whole host of skin concerns, including wrinkles, loose skin, acne scarring, brown spots from sun damage, and even stretch marks. The way it works is genius – not only is it a speedy skin service (once the Dermapen 4 starts it only takes five minutes to treat the entire face), but it stimulates your skin’s own healing response to produce new collagen and elastin, the skin cushion that slowly declines with age. The result is plumper, more youthful and more radiant-looking skin.
Who can have this treatment?
One of the biggest advantages of the Dermapen 4 is that it offers a more natural alternative to invasive anti-ageing treatments and can be used on all skin types. Better yet, it works equally effectively on the face and on other parts of the body to treat scarring or problematic loose skin.
Here’s what to expect from a Dermapen 4 treatment
Step one: Skin is double cleansed and an alcohol wipe is passed over the face before treatment begins. This essential step ensures skin is thoroughly clean and bacteria free (you don't want to risk opening the skin up to infection or pushing makeup and grime deep into the skin, which can cause tiny raised bumps called granulomas).
Step two: A gel containing moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, in addition to zinc and vitamin B5 to help the regeneration and repair process, is applied before the hand-held Dermapen 4 is passed over the skin. Treatment starts at the forehead and moves to the cheeks, jawline, around the nose (to reduce the look of redness from broken capillaries) and around the lips (to smooth those pucker lines). Finally, it passes underneath the eye area and across the brow bones. I won’t lie, it is not a pain-free experience, but the fact I had my morning coffee before treatment won’t have helped, according to my therapist, who also advises against taking ibuprofen because it can cause bleeding.
Step three: It's a quick treatment (just five minutes to be exact, though you should allow 30 minutes for pre and post-treatment care) so any discomfort is brief and immediately alleviated by the heavenly chilled cloth mask that is placed over my face afterwards. This Hyla Active mask is infused with vitamin B, hyaluronic acid and copper peptides to cool and hydrate the skin, and speed up the healing process.
Step four: Finally, a hydrating peptide serum is applied. This sinks into the tiny wound channels created in the skin by the Dermapen 4 and works to boost radiance and firmness. An essential layer of sunscreen (Elta MD tinted sunscreen in my case) is applied before I’m up and dressed and back to the office. This is one of those swift, effective lunch-time procedures no one would ever notice you’ve had.
The results?
A little blood spotting was visible immediately after the treatment but this had gone after the Hyla Active mask was applied. The next day the skin under my eyes looked slightly pink (no surprises there as this is a sensitive area of the face) but it was nothing a layer of mineral powder would not cover. By days three and four my skin was glowing and I could see a renewed look of radiance and firmness. Apparently, though, the best is yet to come – over the next month my skin will continue to look firmer and brighter. To build on the good work, three to five treatments one month apart are recommended (however you can have Dermapen 4 every fortnight at a more superficial level to boost skin radiance if you’re short on time and planning a special event). Personally, I can’t wait for my next treatment. The fact Dermapen 4 is so fast and effective puts it right in my lane when it comes to skin therapies. I might just have a new addiction.
Any dos and don’ts?
Following treatment your skin has thousands of tiny holes in it, so for the next 24 hours be careful what you put on it. No active AHA skincare, self-tan or makeup (unless it's a natural mineral makeup). I used the soothing Pure Fiji Anti-Aging Booster Dilo Oil, $65, recommended to help speed up the repair process. You should keep out of the sun for 24 hours and after that always use a broad-spectrum SPF50 sunscreen on your face.
The Dermapen 4 introductory offer at About Face costs $999 for three treatments. Allow 30 minutes. Find out more here