Benefits of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a skin care technique which has been described as “vacuuming your skin” and “sandblasting your skin”. These two descriptions describe the dual action of the microdermabrasion machine which uses a vacuum to first blast aluminum oxide crystals directly onto the skin and then, in a circular motion, suck the crystals back up and any debris that has been dislodged. The process blasts away dead skin cells and also the old top layer of the skin.
Microdermabrasion Benefits
Possibly the most important benefit of microdermabrasion is that it is a professional non-invasive cosmetic procedure which can now be carried out, by virtually anybody, in the comfort of your home. Furthermore the home machine uses the same vacuum process as the pro machines and it can be purchased for less than $200.
Now that we have that benefit out of the way we can take a look at the personal benefits of the treatment. The first thing you notice after a session, at the salon, spa or clinic, is that your skin feel tighter. It may be slightly reddish immediately following the procedure but this will settle to leave a nice healthy glow.
Taking a closer look at your skin you will notice that your dull and lifeless looking skin now looks fresh with a youthful sheen. Look even closer and you will see that you have fewer open pores and that those pores that have not closed are clear of any sebum or dirt.
It is believed that microdermabrasion benefits sufferers of acne because it deeply cleanses the pores of the skin removing any comedones (a comedo is the dark plug that we see in a blackhead which is also found in whiteheads but it is not visible). Comedones are considered one of the main causes of acne (though more research is required on this topic). With regular microdermabrasion it is possible to reduce the frequency of new acne pimples forming and, as the older pimples fade there is a progressive move to crystal clear skin.
The two benefits shown above have been chosen as I believe that, of all the many microdermabrasion benefits, these are the most important. The agony of teenage agony is difficult to describe it can lead to very severe depression and self inflicted exclusion from their friends. Acne is also very, very uncomfortable (yet few people mention this fact) and it is very difficult to live with. It can take a highly successful and popular student and virtually destroy them emotionally to such a degree that their studies suffer.
There are many acne treatments available but the level of success varies from person to person and what works for one may not, necessarily, work for the other person. It is therefore important to have as many “weapons” as we can to fight acne and microdermabrasion is one of them. For some people the be all and end all is beautiful looking skin but for a person suffering from acne they would be perfectly happy just to see the back of their pimples.
There are several other benefits of microdermabrasion and one of the most surprising is that it has been clinically proven to be effective in the reduction of fine lines, crow’s feet and age spots, it can even considerably diminish mild acne scars. This occurs because the surface cells of the skin are removed by the treatment and a series of about ten sessions allows new, younger, skin to be forced to the surface on a continual basis thus creating skin that continually regenerates giving a youthful and healthy skin texture.
Take Care
Another microdermabrasion benefit is that it can diminish (and in some cases remove) freckles, skin blemishes and other marks but it can also cause problems. For those patients with darker skin there is an increased risk in the procedure causing pigmentary streaking to occur so great care should be taken. Therefore we strongly advised that you test the treatment on a area of skin that is not usually seen before proceeding with a full session.
It is also very important that, if you are using a home microdermabrasion system, that you follow the instructions to the letter. If you use a microdermabrasion machine on your skin for too long it can lead to serious damage. A session usually last for about twenty minutes to half an hour so please take care not to go beyond this unless under medical advice.
Andrew Kelly has, over the last 10 years, been working with a number of very well known U.K. skin care companies, beauty salons and skin care web sites in the promotion of microdermabrasion and microdermabrasion products.