Angelina Jolie’s Skincare Secret Involves Needles!
Posted by: Leonora Epstein
Filed in:
style
7:00AM, Saturday July 11th 2009
Some are inclined to think that Angelina Jolie possesses some kind of superhuman powers because no one manages to look that good with such a non-stop schedule. Most of us normals know that most life issues show up on our faces first, whether we’re tired, eating poorly or just plain stressed. So, how does she get the glow? Turns out Angie is allegedly into a bizarre (what else is new?) treatment called derma rolling that involves taking a roller of teeny needles to your face to make small punctures all over your skin. Not surprisingly, derma roller manufacturer, Environ, claims miracle results. The theory is that puncturing the skin stimulates the production of collagen and elastin, the proteins that make your skin look smoother and more youthful. It’s also a way to help products to penetrate pores more deeply: “The principle of the Cosmetic Roll-Cit™ is that the ‘micro-needles’ puncture the horny [huh, huh] layer of the epidermis, which is the main obstruction to penetration of active ingredients,” explains Environ’s website. The LA Times describes it as akin to “aerating your lawn when fertilizing.” Other supposed benefits include improving acne and scarring.
The bad news: Environ kit starts out at $154, and costs an extra $80 to replace the needled head, which is a bit of a necessity considering it’s tough to sterilize. However, if the device does what it claims, might it be worth pinching pennies for the pain? Not that daredevil Angelina would be concerned with either. [LA Times, Environ.co.za]
TheFrisky.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network
DancerNinja
wrote on July 11 2009 @ 08:33 am: [report]
I dunno about this. It’s not like your epidermis is an impenetrable layer of plasticized skin covering your body. And while micro-stressors can stimulate strengthening in some tissues, like weight training does to bone density, there has to be a better way of this than NEEDLES!
ChoJinn
wrote on July 11 2009 @ 11:30 am: [report]
As is oft’ said, a fool and her money are soon parted. I am sure her claims are really just odd ruses to take attention away from more traditional (i.e. plastic) treatments. Ever see those gold-infused skin creams from SK-II? Hilarious, for a few reasons. Taking advantage of rich folks’ ignorance with preposterous claims is an old business.
retro chic
wrote on July 11 2009 @ 12:31 pm: [report]
Why don’t they just throw in a meat tenderizer mallet with your order.
@DancerNinja: Maybe plasticized skin is the *goal.*
The needles are invasive, so I’d think this antiaging theory creates one continuous layer of scar tissue (since your in a perpetual state of healing), and not so much the collagen they claim. And it’s not like our skin is a pie crust in need of venting to absorb more product… doesn’t make sense and, really, seems like it would only appeal to the “no pain, no gain” diehards.
Keesh Mia
wrote on July 11 2009 @ 01:19 pm: [report]
This is truly crazy.
Daren from Environ
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 11:24 am: [report]
Hi everyone! I work with Environ and have used the products for almost 10 years. I just wanted to clear up an inaccuracy: The total cost of the Cosmetic Roll-CIT plus Cleaner is $154. There aren’t any replacement heads, so it’s a one time cost. Also, it’s very easy to clean. Just soak it in the Cleaning Solution and it’s sterile.
The needles are incredibly tiny and create micro-channels only through the top dead layer of skin, so it doesn’t hurt at all. The goal is to bypass this dead layer so you can get active topical ingredients to the living cells. Plus, keeping the top layer intact helps maintain your skin’s natural protective barrier against aging UV rays.
I understand the skepticism but encourage you to look into it before making any judgements. The surgical version of the Cosmetic Roll-CIT (what Angelina Jolie did) actually has a lot of published research and clinical study behind it: http://www.dermogenesis.com/clinical/