Trouble breaking the skin with a single needle

[Jesse17]

Dear Sarah,

I recently purchased some of your single needles to treat some fine lines on my face. I'm having a very hard time using them. It's often hard to break the skin on my face (I'm a man, so perhaps my skin is tougher than other clients). I've haven't encountered the same problem with your multi-needle rollers, but now I'm worried they weren't penetrating right either.

I also find pointing the single needle at my face very awkward.

Any advice?

[SarahVaughter]

The skin is a very tough organ because it has to protect us. There is a lot of Keratin in the outermost layer of the skin and Keratin is the same substance that hooves and nails are made of so you can imagine how difficult it is to penetrate.

Please read how to soften the skin prior to rolling/needling:

https://http://forums.owndoc.com/dermarolling-microneedling/how-to-soften-the-skin-before-needling