Who has time for in-office appointments anymore? Not us. Which is why we created the patented, award-winning GloPRO® Microneedling Tool, so that we can achieve pro-level results, that include brighter, firmer, healthier-looking skin, from the comfort of home.
But results don’t have to stop at our hairline. Many, if not all people during their lifetime, suffer hair loss, breakage, thinning, patchiness and hairline recessions due to any combination of aging, stress, lifestyle, genetics or major life events like pregnancy. But how do we regrow healthy, shiny, fuller hair without sacrificing time, budget or comfort?
If microneedling works on our faces and bodies, shouldn’t the same logic be applied to our scalps? As Women’s Health writer Chelsea Traber Burns asked, “While Botox can help wrinkles and makeup can create other skin magic, hair loss or thinning doesn’t have as quick a solve. Or…does it?” Hair loss treatment must address the underlying causes of hair loss to be effective.
Meet the future of hair regrowth – at-home scalp microneedling for fuller, thicker hair (and more of it). Similarly to the benefits microneedling achieves on our facial and body skin, scalp microneedling replicates that experience on an often-over-looked area that requires just as much care as the rest of our skin. After all, scalp skin is skin.
First, let's revisit microneedling for hair loss, what it is and how it benefits the skin.
Microneedling is the process of using needles to lightly and invisibly penetrate the skin in order to stimulate a natural regenerative process and promote cellular turnover to create new, bouncy skin cells. When needles glide over the skin, they cause tiny micro-injuries, igniting the skin cells to produce new structural proteins, such as collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans, which form the structural matrix that keeps skin tough, taut and flexible. This helps to provide your skin with improved access to oxygen and nutrients, meaning cell volume is restored from the inside out making skin look plumper and younger.
Microneedling treatment stimulates the skin’s natural healing response, similar to how our skin regenerates to create new, bouncy skin until a papercut disappears. Therefore, each time we microneedle, we’re stimulating skin’s natural healing response. New skin is likely to be more radiant, bouncy and younger-looking. It’s basically the closest we can get to rewinding the clock without invasive surgery.
What is Scalp Microneedling?
Scalp microneedling is a minimally invasive cosmetic treatment that uses tiny needles to create micro-injuries on the scalp, stimulating collagen production and promoting hair growth. This treatment is particularly beneficial for individuals suffering from progressive types of hair loss, such as androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). By creating these micro-injuries, the body’s natural healing process is triggered, leading to the activation of growth factors that are essential for hair regrowth. This innovative approach not only helps in promoting hair growth but also strengthens the hair follicles, making it a promising solution for those struggling with hair thinning and hair loss.
Definition and Explanation of Scalp Microneedling
Scalp microneedling is a non-surgical treatment that uses a device equipped with tiny needles to create micro-injuries on the scalp. These micro-injuries stimulate the body’s natural healing process, leading to increased collagen production and the activation of growth factors that promote hair growth. Typically performed using a sterile mechanical microneedling pen, the procedure is designed to be minimally uncomfortable, often with the application of a topical anesthetic to ensure a pain-free experience. The result is a rejuvenated scalp environment that supports the regrowth of healthy, strong hair.
How Scalp Microneedling Devices Work
Scalp microneedling devices work by creating micro-injuries on the scalp, which in turn stimulate the body’s natural healing process. These micro-injuries cause the release of growth factors, such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which are crucial for collagen production and promoting hair growth. Additionally, the treatment increases blood flow to the scalp, ensuring that essential nutrients and oxygen are delivered directly to the hair follicles. This enhanced circulation not only supports the health of existing hair but also encourages the growth of new hair, making it an effective method for combating hair thinning and hair loss.
Understanding Hair Loss and Scalp Microneedling
Hair loss is a common problem that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be caused by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Scalp microneedling is a treatment that can help promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. By stimulating collagen production and increasing blood flow to the scalp, this treatment creates an optimal environment for hair regrowth. Whether you are dealing with androgenetic alopecia or other forms of hair thinning, scalp microneedling offers a promising solution to help you regain fuller, healthier hair.
Causes of Hair Loss and How Scalp Microneedling Can Help
Hair loss can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, hormonal imbalances, and environmental influences. Scalp microneedling can help promote hair growth by addressing these underlying causes through several mechanisms:
- Stimulating Collagen Production: Collagen is essential for the strength and elasticity of hair follicles. By boosting collagen production, scalp microneedling helps to fortify the hair follicles, promoting hair growth and reducing hair thinning.
- Increasing Blood Flow: Enhanced blood circulation ensures that hair follicles receive the necessary nutrients and oxygen, which are vital for healthy hair growth.
- Activating Growth Factors: The micro-injuries caused by microneedling trigger the release of growth factors like PDGF, which play a crucial role in collagen production and hair regrowth.
- Reducing Inflammation: Chronic inflammation can contribute to hair loss. Scalp microneedling helps to reduce inflammation, creating a healthier scalp environment conducive to hair growth.
Overall, scalp microneedling is a safe and effective treatment that can help promote hair growth and reduce hair loss. It is a medication-free approach that can be used in conjunction with other hair loss treatments to enhance their effectiveness. Whether you are dealing with male pattern baldness or other forms of hair thinning, scalp microneedling offers a promising solution to help you regrow hair and achieve enhanced hair growth.
So how does this translate to our scalps to promote hair growth?
Our scalps have a lower barrier function than the rest of our bodily skin, which means it’s less able to naturally hold hydration. This lower-functioning barrier creates a unique skin environment that’s more prone to problems like dryness, itchiness, oiliness, and can affect new hair growth.
On top of that, our scalps contain thousands of follicles that accumulate sebum buildup that’s often further exacerbated by too aggressively, or too gently, shampooing our hair. The combination of clogged follicles, irritation, dryness and oiliness can result in breakage and dormant hair follicles that hibernate under an unbalanced scalp.
Microneedling the scalp helps break up the stagnant sub-dermal tissue and surface-level gunk. It frees the way for oxygen to reach skin cells, helps break up clogged follicles – targeting the root of the problem – and improves microcirculation to reduce itchiness and redness.
Scalp microneedling also improves the absorption of any scalp care topicals. The tiny needles create painless and imperceptible pathways in the skin that allow skincare to absorb more deeply rather than stopping at the epidermal layer. We recommend microneedling 2-3x a week minimum for maximum results and immediately applying targeted skincare, like our Healthy Scalp Serum, right after a GloPRO® session. Topicals can absorb more deeply into skin, helping to rebalance the nutrient and hydration levels our scalps require in order to become the ideal environment for healthy hair, and dormant hair follicles to thrive.
The best part? You can microneedle your scalp from the comfort of home and avoid the expense and downtime of potentially risky in-office procedures. With multiple clinical trials over the past decade, microneedling has been shown to be quite effective in managing a range of dermatological conditions. Their consensus has been that microneedling is the safe beauty trend that keeps on giving. As with any needle-based device, if you have any skin ailment histories or highly sensitive skin, consult your dermatologist before regular use or perform a patch test on an area of skin before using all over your body.
Scalp Results: Hair Regrowth
