I've been a fan of microneedling for years, but while I was scrolling through TikTok I saw a new craze deemed 'Microneedling in a bottle' or liquid microneedling made popular by k-beauty brands. I was curious on how it worked so I did more research on liquid microneedling and how it compares to regular at home microneedling, especially in terms of the skin benefits.
What is Liquid microneedling?
Liquid microneedling is the process of using a serum that is infused with micro spears called spicules. They're made from Silica and depending on the formula, some are coated in exosomes which are little proteins with RNA, and some are coated in Cica otherwise known as centella asiatica. Popular liquid microneedling products come from Medicube and VT reedle.
How Is it Used:
Liquid microneedling serums are massaged into the skin where the micro spicules create microchannels in the skin. Supposedly, it has similar effects to microneedling but we found the evidence is more mild benefits compared to actual microneedling.
What the Evidence Says:
There is not that much research on spicules, but there is some evidence that shows that it can increase delivery of skincare ingredients to the skin like hyalauronic acid to increase hydration in the skin.
How it feels:
The process can feel a little uncomfortable with users saying it's like rubbing sandpaper all over their face, and some people note that it feels like there tiny glass shards in the skin. The Spicules remain in the skin after they're applied and they take up to 24-74 hours to fully dissolve.
Pros: It can be a way to try microneedling without the actual needles. It offers some benefits like smoother skin, plumper skin, and perhaps some redution in pigmentation, although the results seem to be temporary or don't last as long compared to physical microneedling.
Cons:
The Spicules made from silica could cause redness and irritation while they remain in the skin up to 72 hours
Potentially it could cause micro tears in the skin since the spicules are embedded into the skin instead of the precise injuries that certain home microneedling devices do.
Since the spicules or micro spears are smaller than 0.2mm , theres no evidence they penetrate deep enough to stimulate collagen compared to microneedling.
The spicules could migrate near the eyes which can cause eye irritation and generally there aren't many long term studies on the safety of liquid microneedling and the skin benefits aren't as long term.
Next we'll discuss regular home microneedling and how it compares to liquid microneedling.
Regular Microneedling
How it's used
Traditionally it's been done in office but now it can also be done at home. Home microneedling uses a tool that contains several tiny micro needles that puncture the skin's surface. Benefits include increasing skincare absorption, reducing acne scars, fine lines, and enlarged pores.
How it feels
Since there are different lengths of microneedling needles, longer needles do tend to be more painful compared to shorter lengths. With at home tools, it can feel like a mild skin prickling, but it's not too uncomfortable.
Science Behind It:
Microneedling is based off mesotherapy and has been used in office for several years since the 1990's.
There are a lot more studies on the effects of microneedling for the skin and microneedling's high safety factor compared to liquid microneedling.
Microneedling with thin needles at 0.5mm are deep enough to stimulate collagen in the skin which can provide more long term benefits for acne scars, skin texture, fine lines, hair growth, and hyperpigmentation.
Physical microneedling is also more controlled espeically when using a stamper tool like the Banisher 3.0 which stamps the needles straight into and out of the skin so the microinjuries heal quickly and produce collagen without causing excess trauma or inflammation.
You can also use any skincare or serum you choose to apply on top after microneedling, while with liquid microneedling you have to use the serum it comes in.
Cons:
Microneedling at home may not be as effective for extreme cases of deep scarring such as severe ice pick scars.
Microneedling tends to be a little more expensive than the liquid microneedling serums, but the tradeoff is better long term results with regular at home microneedling.
Recommendation
Based on all the studies behind microneedling, doing physical microneedling has more proven benefits for the skin that last long term compared to liquid microneedling.
When it comes to physical microneedling, you can also choose what serums to use on top so it is more customizable too.
Microneedling at home may be a little more costly $100 average range compared to $50 average than liquid microneedling serums, but because of the better results and benefits we think it is well worth it to invest in a home microneedling tool instead.
Recommended At Home Microneedling Tool
Banisher 3.0 - With gold plated 0.5mm needles and 2 replacement heads. - $125
References:
Luo Z, Weiss DE, Liu Q, Tian B. Biomimetic Approaches Toward Smart Bio-hybrid Systems. Nano Res. 2018 Jun;11(6):3009-3030. doi: 10.1007/s12274-018-2004-1. Epub 2018 May 22. PMID: 30906509; PMCID: PMC6430233.
Zhang, Chi & Zhang, Keda & Zhang, Jia-Liang & Huilong, Ou & Duan, Jiwen & Zhang, Saiman & Wang, Dexiang & Mitragotri, Samir & Chen, Ming. (2019). Skin Delivery of Hyaluronic Acid by the Combined Use of Sponge Spicules and Flexible Liposomes. Biomaterials Science. 7. 10.1039/C8BM01555D.
Ismail ESA, Patsatsi A, Abd El-Maged WM, Nada EEAE. Efficacy of microneedling with topical vitamin C in the treatment of melasma. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2019 Oct;18(5):1342-1347. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12878. Epub 2019 Feb 15. PMID: 30770637.
Adam G. Harris, Catherine Naidoo, Dedee F. Murrell,
Skin needling as a treatment for acne scarring: An up-to-date review of the literature,
International Journal of Women's Dermatology,
Volume 1, Issue 2,
2015,
Pages 77-81,
ISSN 2352-6475,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.03.004.
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