Okay, I'm gonna be honest. When I first heard about derma rollers for hair loss, I thought: "What nonsense. You're not gonna tell me you're gonna prick yourself with needles, are you? '

But yes, here I am, two years later, with considerably more hair than when I started. And no, that's not a coincidence.

How it all started

My hair loss started somewhere around my 28th. At first you didn't notice it so much on .. .. some extra hair in the shower, a little loose hairline. But one day I looked in the mirror and thought, "Shit, this is really going the wrong way."

Like most men, I went to the doctor first. Finasteride was prescribed, but after reading about the side effects... no thanks. Minoxidil I tried, but that stuck like hell and made my hair look even worse than it already did.

Then I came across an American forum against a thread about microneedling. The first reaction was skeptical, of course it was. But the photos people shared were pretty convincing. So I dive in.

What is that Dermarolls actually?

Simply put: You roll a thing full of little needles over your scalp. Sounds crazy, too. But apparently it works.

The idea is that these little shots are gonna wake your body up. Your scalp thinks "Oh shit, something's going on here" and sends extra blood and all kinds of recovery stuff to your hair follicles. Those follicles that have been in hibernation for years will wake up again.

In science, they call it "controlled micro-trauma." I just call it poking yourself with needles. Anyway, it works.

That Study Who Everyone Quotes

There's a 2013 investigation that everyone's talking about. 100 guys with baldness, divided into two groups. One group only used minoxidil, the other did minoxidil plus weekly dermarolls.

The result? The dermarol group had four times as many new hairs. Four times! That's not a statistical error. That's just ridiculously much better.

What surprised me most was that they were using 1.5mm needles. That's pretty deep. I started with 0.5mm because I didn't feel like a scalp that looked like a meatball.

Dermaroller or Derma Pen?

There is a lot of discussion on this at forums. I started with a cheap $20 dermaroller from Amazon. Worked fine for a few months, but then those needles become bone and pull more on your hair than you prick.

A derma pen is more expensive .I finally paid 80 euros for it . The needles go straight up and down instead of crooked through your skin. Less irritation, better results.

Plus, with a pen you can control the pressure and depth much better. With a roller I rolled too enthusiastically and the next day I walked around with a head like a tomato.

My Protocol (After Much Trial and Error)

At first, I did everything wrong. Too often, too deep, too aggressive. My scalp was constantly irritated and I started to doubt if this was such a good idea.

Now I do it like this:

• Once a week, usually Sunday night
• 1.0mm needles (built up from 0.5mm)
• 5-10 minutes, slow down
• 24 hours no minoxidil (very important!)
• Then just continue with my normal routine

The funny thing is, sometimes you get more hair loss at first. Scared me to death the first few weeks. But apparently those are the old, weak hairs that make way for new ones. After about six months, I really started to see a difference.

That Needle Length Discussion

Every forum I go to is about needle lengths. Everyone has an opinion, few people have experience.

My experience: start small. I know that study used 1.5mm, but that's a lot. Especially when you're just getting started. I built it this way:

First month: 0.5mm . . . felt like nothing, little tingling Second month: 0.75mm .. now you feel it Third month: 1.0mm . . . . . . .

I tried 1.5mm, but that was too much. Bled like a cow and was irritated for days. 1.0mm works fine for me.

A tip I didn't see anywhere: don't go over dried blood or crusts. Makes sense, but I did it once. Not smart.

Combine With Other Stuff

Everyone wants to know what they can combine. I use:

Minoxidil ..but not on the day I dermarol. That burns like hell and I don't think it's good for your skin either. Just wait a day.

Ketoconazole shampoo twice a week. Has nothing to do with microneedling, but helps against DHT according to some studies. And it's cheap.

Biotin and vitamin D because why not? Can't hurt and aren't expensive.

I'm deliberately not trying Finasteride. Too scared of the side effects. My libido isn't great, I don't have to fuck up anymore.

What Does Not Work (Learned In The Hard Way)

Doing it every day . . your scalp needs time to recover. I did three times a week for a while. Result: constant irritation and I think less hair growth.

Too much pressure. The needles do the work. You don't have to push. All it did was damage it.

Immediately after showering, your skin is extra sensitive. Wait till everything cools down.

Using alcohol for disinfection just before you start... Do it in advance or use something less aggressive.

In the sun go the next day my head became one big blister. Now I plan it so I don't have to go out the next day.

Realistic Expectations

It'll take a long time. Really long. I didn't actually see anything for the first three months. Worse still, sometimes I felt it got worse.

Only after about five months I started to see those bald spots on the side of my forehead getting fuller. Not dramatic, but noticeable.

After a year, the difference was really clear. My crown is still not perfect, but much better than it was two years ago. And my hairline stopped going backwards, which in itself is a victory.

One thing that frustrated me: Everyone asks, "When do you see results?" Like there's a date when you wake up with a full bunch of hair. That's not how it works. It's so gradual that you won't notice until you look back at old photos.

Costs and Useful Purchases

I've probably spent a few hundred euros on stuff by now:

• First dermaroller: 20 euros (work but quickly broke)
• Good derma pen: 80 euros (still working after one and a half years)
• Spare needles: 30 euros per set
• Minoxidil: 25 euros per month
• Ketoconazole shampoo: 15 euros per bottle (takes months)

Sounds like a lot, but compared to a hair transplant (from 4000 euros) or those expensive laser caps (2000+ euros) it's not that bad.

The cheapest thing that really works is just a decent dermaroller of 1.0mm with minoxidil. No fancy stuff needed.

Forums and what I learned there

Reddit is a gold mine for this kind of info. /r/tressless mainly. A lot of young guys who have the same problem and really try everything.

What strikes me is that the success stories often come from people who last at least a year. The people who stop after two months because they "see nothing" often miss the boat.

You also see a lot of experiments with frequency. Some do twice a week with shorter needles, others do once with long needles. Doesn't seem to matter much as long as you're consistent.

A tip I picked up there: making photos at the same light, same angle, same hair length. Otherwise, you can never compare properly.

Side effects and When to Stop

Fortunately, I've never had any real problems, but I've had a few irritations that lasted for days. Mostly because I was too excited.

Normal reaction: Little redness pulling away in a few hours, light sensitivity the next day.

Not normal: Bleeding that doesn't stop, infection, scars, extreme pain.

One time I had little pimples after derma roll. Turns out I didn't clean my pen properly. Now I always rinse with alcohol before and after use.

Questions I Get Constantly

"Does it hurt?" A little, but no big deal. Less than the dentist, more than cutting your nails.

"Can evil be done?" Theoretically, you can damage your scalp, but if you do it normally, it's not that bad.

"Does it also work for women?" My girlfriend also does it (other reason "anti-aging") and according to her.

"How long do you have to do it?" Forever, actually. If you stop, you'll go backwards.

"Can you overdo it?" Yeah, sure. I did it. Less is often more.

My Current Situation

After two years of microneedling, I didn't go from bald to full forest. But I did go from "fuck, I'm getting bald" to "okay, this is managed."

My hairline is stabilized, my crown has become fuller and generally my hair simply looks better. Not perfect, but better.

The important thing is that I don't worry about my hair all the time. That's more restful than you think.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely. Even if I had known in advance that it would take two years to be satisfied with the result.

It's not a miracle cure, but it works. And compared to the alternatives (expensive treatments, hair transplantation, or just balding) it is an easy choice.

My advice: try it, but don't assume you got a new hairdo in three months. Be patient, be consistent, and give your scalp time to react.

And if someone tells you that it doesn't work because it sounds "too simple" then send them to that study from 2013. Sometimes the best solutions are simple.

Ontdek alles wat je moet weten over dermarollen en haaruitval door een van de onderstaande boeiende artikelen te lezen:

The Beginner Guide to the 3 Proven Solutions against Hair Loss"
Do you have to wait 24 hours after Dermarolling before you apply Minoxidil?
What is the optimal depth at dermarolls for hair growth?
How do you know you're doing dermarolls wrong?
What is better the dermaroller or dermapen for hair growth?
The biggest benefits of dermarolls for hair growth!