As men, we live in constant struggle with how to grow our beards, both quickly and in the most Viking-like way possible. This is why you’re not the first to consider getting beard rollers. But are beard rollers legit?
Beard rollers can be legit miracle workers. That’s because, as a whole, they can fix the patchy areas of a beard and stimulate hair thickness and growth. There are other beard and skin-related problems that beard rollers claim to help with as well.
That being said, why are beard rollers legit and how can you safely use them? I’m here to answer those questions!
What Are Beard Rollers?
To understand how beard rollers work, you need to know what their structure looks like first.
A beard roller is a micro-needling machine. Meaning, it consists of tiny pins that you can roll around your bearded area. Beard rollers are also known as derma rollers.
That being said, these microneedles don’t harm you in any way. They do their work on a minuscule level and unless pressed on hard, you won’t bleed. However, if you have sensitive skin, you might experience some redness or irritation that shouldn’t last long.
How Do Beard Rollers Work?
Keeping what we said above in mind, let’s go through the secret behind how beard rollers work.
As you roll the device’s microneedles on either your existent or shaved beard, the pins will continuously pierce your skin in a painless and quick manner. As a result, the blood flow is stimulated and your circulation is increased due to your body’s regenerative powers.
On that note, when your skin is cut, your body heals by sending fresh blood and collagen to the injury. This will stimulate stem-cell growth factors that promote quick and healthy hair growth.
What Beard Roller Should I Go For?
Before we get into the steps to achieving good results with your beard roller, we must point out what kind of roller you should get first.
Since these devices work on a micro-needling basis, their pins come in different lengths. A standard beard roller typically has needles that range from 0.25 mm to 0.3. Larger rollers, on the other hand, will have 0.5 mm ones.
As a result, it’s a no-brainer that you should go for the standard one. That’s because you need to control the damage done to your skin at first. Starting with a small roller will also reduce your chances of getting injured.
Also note that, even if you think you’ve mastered the standard roller, it’s still a good idea to steer clear of the larger one. That’s because this micro-needle should only be used by a professional.
How to Effectively Use a Beard Roller
Now that you know how they work and which beard roller is best for you as a beginner, let’s go through the 5 steps on how to use a beard roller:
- Wash your beard and face with warm water and unscented soap
- Roll the device in a uniform manner around your full beard and not just its patchy areas
- Use just enough pressure so that the micro blades are simply touching your skin’s surface and not penetrating it
- Move the roller back and forth, creating vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines as you go
- Stick to 5 to 7 rolls per beard section
What to Keep In Mind When Using a Beard Roller
Given that you properly followed the steps mentioned above, here are 6 important pointers you should also be aware of:
- Avoid using beard rollers if you have acne-prone skin as their usage will result in more breakouts and further irritate the area
- After every usage, make sure to thoroughly soak your beard roller in rubbing alcohol or other sanitizing products
- Remember to replace your device after a few months as you would with your electric razor
- For better control, smile when micro-rolling near or around your cheeks
- Don’t wash your face with cleanser or other facial products before using your beard roller as this will stress out your skin
- Avoid turning or twisting the roller so as not to injure yourself
How Often Should I Use My Beard Roller?
As with any skincare product, you’ll need to get both yourself and your skin used to it first.
The way to go about this is to start simple. Use the roller on a small area of your beard and look for any skin reactions or problems that may appear. Repeat this step in the same area once a week for a month or more.
During this time, you’re allowing your skin to get used to the sensation of tiny needles pricking it. You’re also checking to see what pressure you’re comfortable with and that won’t cause any bleeding or injury.
Once you have that down, you can increase the frequency and the surface area you’re rolling. Meaning, you can now start using the device on the entire left side of your beard for example. You also can do this two or three times a week.
If you start seeing progress and can tell you have good control of your roller by now, then you can start anew. In other words, trim your beard and take the process from the top by going over your entire beard every two days or so.
That being said, it’s important that you don’t exceed this frequency. As we all know, too much of something is bad, and excessively micro rolling your skin could eventually damage it. So, give it time to breathe between every treatment and another.
Should I Use Other Products With My Beard Roller?
Micro-rolling isn’t necessarily similar to shaving. Meaning, you don’t need special creams to help you when using your beard roller.
That being said, you can use other products that stimulate beard growth in addition to your roller. This way, you might see faster results.
A popular choice I recommend getting is minoxidil. Minoxidil is a hair growth stimulant since it contains bio-vitamins that help secrete collagen and keratin—both of which play a role in increasing the hair on your face.
To use minoxidil effectively, you should alternate between it and your beard rolling days. Simply put, use the lotion on the days you don’t have a micro-rolling treatment, and vice versa. Plus, minoxidil should be applied in the morning and before bed.
As a general rule, minoxidil shouldn’t be applied after using your beard roller. That’s because the lotion will cause a burning sensation where the micro scars are. As a result, you should wait 24 hours after micro-rolling and then apply the lotion.
Conclusion
Are beard rollers legit? The definitive answer is yes they are, so long as you handle them both carefully and effectively.
That’s why the right way to go about using one is to follow the guidelines we mentioned above. The takeaway of which is to use a roller with 0.2 mm blades and slowly practice getting your skin used to it.
Plus, adding hair growth products such as minoxidil to your beard-rolling routine will definitely yield better results. You can also make changes to your daily diet to improve your beard’s growth. Read all about it here.
