How to Properly Clean Derma Rollers With & Without Alcohol

If you don’t clean and disinfect your derma roller correctly you risk developing serious infections, allergic reactions, rashes, irritation, and skin damage,

So that’s why in this article we are going to share with you different ways to effectively clean and disinfect your derma rollers.

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How Often Should You Clean Your Derma Roller

You should clean your derma roller after each use.

This is because when you use your derma roller on your face, debris, skin cells, and yes, bacteria too, are left behind on the roller’s head and needles.

You should also clean the case or your storage containers every time you use the derma roller or as often as possible.

Steps to Clean Your Derma Roller

To properly clean your roller heads, here is what you should do:

First, mix water and liquid detergent in a container.
Next, dip the derma roller into the soapy solution,
And then carefully brush any leftover substances off with a gentle toothbrush.

Don’t brush too vigorously while doing this to avoid damaging the delicate needles.
Until you are certain that there is no longer any residue, continue to rinse under warm tap water.
Finally, you need to disinfect your roller heads and needles.

How to Disinfect a Derma Roller

Disinfecting your derma roller is very important to get rid of bacteria that can cause infections.

To disinfect your derma roller you can use, 70% rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or even denture tablets.

Hand sanitizer can work in a pinch but it is not as effective as other more proven methods.

How to Clean Derma Rollers At Home With Alcohol

The best way to clean your derma roller is with 70% isopropyl alcohol.

It is currently impossible to completely sterilize a derma roller. However, disinfecting it with isopropyl alcohol will kill 99.99% of bacteria.

Isopropyl alcohol can be used as a spray or as a soak:

You can spray your roller heads with the alcohol and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.
Or, you can soak your roller heads in a container of alcohol for 5- 10 minutes and then take them out to air dry.

Do not rinse off the alcohol after you are finished. Instead, let the derma roller air dry.

Bonus Tips

1- Do not place the derma roller with the needles resting on the bottom of the container.

This will blunt your needles. Instead, place it lying flat so that the roller head is elevated.

2- The alcohol solution you’re using must be 70% concentrated.

Either higher or lower is not acceptable. Excessively concentrated alcohol might evaporate too soon, and a weaker concentration would not be strong enough for some bacteria.

Video How To Disinfect Your Derma Roller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0ACW7l0ds&t=192s

HOW TO DISINFECT DERMAROLLER THE CORRECT WAY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0ACW7l0ds&t=192s)

How to Clean Derma Roller Without Alcohol

There are 3 ways you can disinfect your derma roller without alcohol:

Hydrogen Peroxide (3% concentration will be very effective)
Hand Sanitizer – will help to kill off bacteria and germs but not as effective as alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

Denture Tablets.

1- How to Clean Derma Rollers With Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant that you can use to clean your derma roller.

A 3% concentration of hydrogen peroxide is safe and adequate to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

You can either spray your derma roller with hydrogen peroxide
Or you may soak your derma roller in the solution for 5-10 minutes.
Finally, Do not rinse off the hydrogen peroxide after you are finished. Instead, let the derma roller air dry.

2- Clean Derma Rollers With Hand Sanitizer

A sanitizer will reduce the number of bacteria on your derma roller, but it will not sterilize it.

While you may use a sanitizer on your rollers if you do not have alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, keep in mind that your derma rollers may not be as clean as they could be.

However, in a pinch, and if you do not think that your derma roller is very dirty, a sanitizer could be used to clean the roller.

Remember to use the ones that are thin or liquid and not the ones that have a gel-like consistency.

The thick sanitizers do not always dissolve and will leave their residue behind, coating the roller and the needles. This residue can get into your pores and cause problems.

If you do use a thick sanitizer, you may need to rinse the roller off under clean, warm water to get rid of the residue

3- Cleaning Your Derma Rollers With Denture Tablets

As strange as it sounds, you can use denture tablets to clean your derma rollers!

If for some reason, you do not have any of the other disinfecting agents we have talked about, but you do have denture tablets, you can use them.

Denture tablets clean retainers and dentures of buildup and destroy the majority of bacteria.

Therefore, you can also use them to clean your derma roller.

One tablet should be placed in a little basin of water.
The derma roller should then be inserted, with the head fully immersed.

Read the tablet’s usage instructions and leave the roller in the solution for the specified amount of time

Cleaning Your Derma Rollers At Home With Soap

Liquid soap can be used in the first step of cleaning your derma roller to get rid of any residue.

You may use dishwashing soap to clean your derma roller. This kind of soap is great for removing residue and any stuck particles.

You may combine this with a new, soft toothbrush that you can use to very gently brush between the needles.

Also, make sure that you rinse off the soap thoroughly as you do not want soap getting into your pores when you use the roller.

Now it’s recommended that you use something like alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or denture tablets to disinfect your derma roller after washing it with soap and water.

Cleaning Your Derma Rollers At Home With Hot Water

You should not use boiling or very hot water to clean your derma rollers. Instead, use warm water to rinse the rollers for a short time.

While hot water is great to kill some bacteria, many derma rollers are made of plastic or metal material that can melt or warp when exposed to very hot water.

Very hot water may also dissolve the glue that holds the needles in place. This will cause the needles to fall out or become loose.

If this happens while you are derma rolling your skin, you may be injured.

Can You Clean Derma Rollers With Dettol

It is not recommended that you use Dettol to clean your derma roller. While Dettol is a disinfectant, it contains chloroxylenol.

According to The Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, chloroxylenol is classified as a mid-range hazardous ingredient, can produce burning, itching, rash, redness, or swelling.

Additionally, Dettol may react unpredictably with the adhesive in the roller and may dissolve it, causing the needles in metal rollers to fall out.

This can cause the needles to fall out before, during, or after use leading to skin injury and a damaged roller.

Choose a Derma Roller That Is Easy To Clean

When choosing a derma roller, think ahead about the fact that you will need to clean it often and thoroughly.

Therefore, you will need a derma roller that can withstand the cleaning process that you will use without being damaged.

This means choosing a derma roller that will:

Not melt at the slightest application of warm water
Not lose needles easily from the glue dissolving

Not rust easily

BeautyBio GloPRO Regeneration Tools

BeautyBio GloPRO are a premium derma roller. What I love about them is that their heads are of great quality.

This allows them to be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol or higher to disinfect and sterilize the microneedles.

Click here to see the price for t he BeautyBio GloPRO on Amazon

DERMAROLL by Prosper Beauty Kit

The Dermaroll is also another good choice especially in the long run. Since the roller heads can be cleaned with 70% isopropyl alcohol or higher without getting damaged.

Also their titanium needles are 3-4 times stronger than stainless steel and will last longer and stay sharper.

Click here to view the DERMAROLL by Prosper Beauty on Amazon.

Microneedling & Derma Rolling for Large Pores – Full Guide

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Moisturizing After Microneedling – A Complete Guide

Sources:

A Scientific, DIY Guide to Dermarolling Away Scars and Marks

How To Properly Clean Your Derma Roller – Puruskin

3 Ways to Clean a Derma Roller – wikiHow

How to Clean Your Derma Roller? – Microneedling Tips

How to clean your derma roller?- Keeping a Clean Dermaroller

GloPRO® Facial Microneedling Tool