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Author Topic: I think I developed an infection  (Read 13021 times)

geijutsu12

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I think I developed an infection
« on: December 18, 2012, 01:55:28 PM »
Hi Sarah, yesterday I did a skin needling session using a combo of dermastamping and dermarolling both in 1.5 mm, I made sure that they are sterilized and washed my hands before rolling, I did bleed A LOT during the needling session so I used wet cotton pads to wipe out any blood that seeps out of the skin while needling so that things won't be to messy.

Today, I woke up initially feeling fine, around two hours later I noticed that the lymph node on my left is a tad swollen, as the day progressed I felt that it was getting worse, and to top it off the right one started acting up as well, my face is extremely red and it actually seems to be reacting worse, an hour ago I decided to take a look and I noted that in almost every pores on all of my face is covered with very fine white heads, it's everywhere, and they weren't even there just few hours ago, and I'm very scared to be honest, I just hope that they won't be staying for long or grow in size and that they won't be leaving any scars behind, as I did the dermarolling specifically to get rid of old superficial scars, please Sarah let me know if this really is an infection, and what should I do about it, things to be getting worse by the minute, and I'm freaking out.

SarahVaughter

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2012, 04:57:03 PM »
In some very rare cases, the skin reacts to dermarolling by developing whiteheads. They will disappear. But it seems your skin reacted really badly to the 1.5 mm size.

I remember you posted here that your skin reacted "violently" to a 0.2 mm dermaroller.

To speed up healing, apply Neosporin antibiotic cream. It is sold OTC. Apply the antibiotic cream every 4 hours (not at night) for at least 7 days.

https://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neosporin

In addition, you can buy Betadine liquid (it is an OTC disinfectant) and apply it on the cheek for half an hour. Then wash it off with tap water.

There is always an immune system reaction after dermarolling. You can read more here:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/how-long-does-the-inflammation-stage-lasts-after-rolling-with-long-needles/

In your case, roll or stamp just a small part of your face (not more than one cheek) and when it heals, do another cheek etc.

Disinfecting the dermaneedling instrument after dermarolling is more important than disinfecting the skin before dermarolling. Of prime importance is to clean the instrument after dermaneedling with dishwashing detergent and warm water (not boiling water) and rinsing it under a strong stream of water to remove blood and skin detrius from the needles. Then soak it in Chloramine-T or Ethanol.  This prevents the formation of potentially harmful bacteria while the instrument is not used. The bacteria on your skin are much less dangerous that what can form when you don't clean a dermaneedling instrument.

Basically, if you do not clean a dermaroller, what forms on the roller head and needles are the same bacteria as that in a rotting corpse. Whereas the bacteria on the skin are totally different bacteria, it's more of a stabile ecosystem of probiotic bacteria, a protective layer of beneficial bacteria on your skin, a great majority of beneficial bacteria that prevent bad bacteria and harmful fungi from getting a foothold.

Your immune system has plenty of antibodies against the bacteria on your skin, aquired whenever you cut or chafed yourself.  The same goes for active acne. Every time you squeeze a pimple, some bacteria enter your bloodstream and you make antibodies against them. Therefore, even if you "roll in" a lot of bacteria from your skin, there is only a very tiny chance that an infection can result.

So the main thing is to clean your roller after use with water and dishwashing liquid, to get rid of the "big chunks" (only visible under a microscope though) of skin detrius and body oils. That would in principle already be sufficient, but just to be totally on the safe side we also disinfect the roller in Ethanol. If you want to be absolutely sure that your roller is totally sterile like an operating scalpel straight from its packaging in a hospital, then instead of Ethanol, use our Chloramine-T. Chloramine-T kills bacteria like antibiotics do. Chloramine-T has in fact a double antibiotic mechanism of action. And it is cheaper than alcohol as well - from us at least.

Finally, I want to say that we had tens of thousands of customers over the past years and that we never heard of anyone getting an infection - ever. And that's because of what I already explained: "Rolling in" the bacteria on your own skin is in fact quite safe. And simply cleaning the roller well with water and a soapy substance is also sufficient, in practice. That means that disinfecting the skin and roller is actually overkill, and hence nobody ever reported an infection.

Anyone who still is worried about infections should soak the instrument overnight in a Chloramine-T solution and the result is total sterilization.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2012, 08:47:27 AM by SarahVaughter »

geijutsu12

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2012, 04:12:01 AM »
Hi Sarah,

Thanks you so much for the prompt and detailed reply, yes I'm the same person who had a short dermaneedling session a few months ago, but I then went on to have a 1.5 skin needling session only with a dermaroller last month with no problems.

I actually did made sure that all of the skin needling equipment were very clean, I first swish them with warm water and anti-bacterial soap and leave them in a glass for about twenty minutes, I then wash them with a water stream and place them for another 30-40 minutes in a 2% Chloramine-T solution, after that I wash them again with a running water stream than let them air dry on a piece of dry, clean tissue paper for another 30 minutes.

I don't think that the infection occurred from the needles themselves, my guess is that the cotton pads I was using to wipe of the blood off my face were contaminated, what I did is that a soaked them in regular tap water then squeezed them to get rid of any extra water and kept them next to the whole time I was skin needling to avoid a bloody mess, the cotton pads are not newly opened and I live in a fairly humid weather, so I think that they might have developed some bacteria or mold in them, so I was basically rubbing all that on my open skin, which got into my blood stream fast.

The good news is that my tiny whiteheads have decreased in both size and number since yesterday, but my lymth nodes still appear to be swollen, at the moment the entire lymph line is swollen from the front of my ear all the way to the bottom of my neck, I don't really mind it as long as my body is doing it's job to fight the infection.

Do you think that I could have set me self to a possible long term heath problem with that mistake, or will it just pass in few days like a regular flu?  what is the possibility that the infection could spread to other parts of my body in the next few weeks?

I'm trying to have restful sleep throughout the night, I'm also taking extra doses of vitamin C and liposomal glutathione and eating already very healthy on a paleo diet, so I hope this all will help the poor lymths to fight the infection effectively.

Thank you again so much for the very detailed explanation and for your superb customer service, it's greatly appreciated, much respect.

SarahVaughter

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2012, 04:10:41 PM »
You do not have to worry about it. The reaction will quickly pass and it will not spread. As I explained above, there is always some immune system reaction after dermarolling (the reaction is called inflammation) and in your case, the reaction is extremely strong but I am not even sure there is bacterial infection present. It may be present (not systemically though) and that is why I recommended Neosporin, just to be sure but even without Neosporin, your immune system will handle it easily.

It is certainly not from the water. If you can drink something, you can surely clean the skin with it.

I do not think the cotton pad could have been contaminated either, unless you kept them open right next to a toilet bowl.
I have heard about a case or two when dermarolling triggered acne breakouts in acne-prone individuals but it is also very rare.

Anyway, please keep us posted.

geijutsu12

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #4 on: December 19, 2012, 06:48:06 PM »
Hi Sarah,

Thanks for putting my mind at ease, at the moment there is barely any pimples there, I can barely see them, lymth nodes are still swollen and my tonsils hurt too, but as I said no big deal as long that I won't have to deal with a fever, still eating good and taking vitamin C with glutathione, I'll keep you posted about my skin and health on the upcoming days, thanks again.

geijutsu12

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2012, 01:10:13 AM »
Well I promised that I'd keep you posted about my condition, it's been a little over a week now since I had the dermarolling session, skin is doing great and healthy, no lymph problems what-so-ever, everything is back to normal, I would just like to thank you again for assisting me during the past week, you've been a great help.

SarahVaughter

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Re: I think I developed an infection
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2012, 10:44:06 AM »
Thank you for letting us know :-)