Microdermabrasion 🧖♀️
What is Microdermabrasion
The well-known facial technique, microdermabrasion, uses a handpiece or wand to gently smooth away the outermost layer of dead skin cells.
Microdermabrasion is a noninvasive procedure designed to restore a healthy appearance to the skin immediately. Using the DiamondTome, the most cutting-edge Microdermabrasion technology available, aestheticians at Green Relief Health will remove the top layer of dead, dry cells, leaving a soft, smooth, radiant complexion.
Dehydrated, dull, lifeless skin can be transformed, leaving a youthful appearance. This activity encourages the formation of new, healthy skin cells and collagen production.
Benefits of Microdermabrasion
The primary benefits of microdermabrasion are:
- Smoother, brighter, more youthful skin. Getting rid of dead skin cells results in a better skin texture, an evening-out skin tone, lighter age spots, and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines.
- Cleans out clogged pores to prevent breakouts. The scrubbing action removes dirt, oil, and debris that can lead to acne.
- Boosts absorption of skin care products. With the dead cell barrier removed, creams and serums can better penetrate for enhanced moisturization and anti-aging effects.
Appropriate for all skin varieties, this treatment involves no recovery period and lets you resume regular activities right away.
Redness typically fades within hours after a microdermabrasion facial. Multiple treatments may further improve complexion by progressively exposing new skin. Maintenance sessions every 4-6 weeks help sustain results.
Why People Get Microdermabrasion
There are both cosmetic and medical reasons people get microdermabrasion treatments:
Cosmetic Benefits:
- Minimizes the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Over time, removing dead cells thickens new collagen to reduce signs of aging.
- Fades age spots and evens out skin tone for a brighter complexion.
- Smoothes away mild acne scars and other shallow blemishes.
- Reduces pore size appearance for smoother, silkier skin.
Medical Benefits:
- Removes buildup in severely clogged pores to alleviate acne.
- Improves the appearance of shallow acne scars.
- Lessens dark spots related to skin conditions like melasma.
- Reduces mild keratosis pilaris bumps.
Microdermabrasion can solve common complexion concerns, from sun damage to breakouts. Multiple facials may be needed depending on your skin goals.
The Microdermabrasion Procedure
During a microdermabrasion treatment, your face is first gently cleansed and prepped for the service. You recline, resting comfortably while a handpiece glides over your skin in smooth, sweeping motions. The technician will likely make two to four passes over each area of your face.
The wand has a rough surface similar to a cat’s tongue, plus vacuum suction. Together, this abrades away dead skin cells, stimulating collagen growth and circulation in the process.
The dead cells are immediately vacuumed so none remains on your skin. The non-invasive treatment typically takes 30 minutes to fully complete the face, neck, and décolletage.
No anesthetic nor pain reliever is required since microdermabrasion simply resurfaces the skin without penetrating layers with living cells.
Most Common Treatment Areas
Microdermabrasion can safely improve texture and tone across the body, but the face, neck, chest, and hands are most commonly treated. The skin on the body is thicker and has larger pores than facial skin.
While the technology can refresh body skin, additional, more aggressive treatments are usually needed to achieve significant exfoliation on body areas.
Specific areas of the face that benefit from Microderm include:
- Forehead – Removes dull, dead skin cells and prevents new acne breakouts.
- Cheeks & Nose – Gently exfoliate to lessen the appearance of dark spots and enlarged pores.
- Eye Area – Minimizes crow’s feet and brightens delicate skin prone to aging.
- Neck & Chest – Smoothes crepey skin and fades age spots on the décolletage.
The cumulative effects of full-face microdermabrasion can offer both cosmetic enhancement and medical skin improvements, depending on your needs.
Safety and Potential Side Effects
Microdermabrasion is very safe when properly administered by a licensed provider. However, mild side effects can sometimes occur, typically lasting no more than a few hours:
- Temporary redness, minor swelling, and sensitivity: Common after more aggressive sessions. Usually resolves within a day.
- Dry, tight skin: Skin may feel dry and flaky for a day or so. Moisturize well and exfoliate gently with a damp cloth.
- Irritated, puffy eyes: Closing eyes and wearing goggles protect this delicate area during treatment.
- Superficial peeling: Light peeling 2-4 days later helps reveal smoother skin but may feel dry briefly.
- Small petechiae bruises: Aggressive suctioning and very thin skin cause harmless red dots under the eyes. Quickly fades.
More severe reactions like blistering, crusting, oozing, pigment loss, or infection indicate poor technique and machine settings. Estheticians should evaluate your skin condition beforehand and adjust abrasion intensity up or down accordingly.
Clients using Retin-A, AHA, or BHA skin care products may want to avoid microdermabrasion for up to a week to prevent sensitivity. Check with your provider about appropriate timing if using powerful anti-aging activities at home.
Pregnant clients can still enjoy microdermabrasion. Being non-invasive and using no chemicals, it’s considered very safe if avoided directly over the abdomen. But do verify with your doctor.
How to Prep for Microdermabrasion
Little preparation is needed ahead of your microdermabrasion facial:
- Cleanse skin the morning of, but don’t apply body lotion, makeup, deodorant, or sunscreen, which could clog the wand.
- Avoid extended sun exposure the week before to prevent treatment irritation and burning.
- Reschedule if you have an active cold sore or blemish outbreak. Fully healed skin resurfaces best.
- Arrange the schedule so no important events occur the next day, as some post-facial redness is likely.
- If getting full face treatment, tie your hair back to keep your locks microderm-free.
- Take Tylenol prior if it is very sensitive or if receiving intensive double treatment.
During the Microdermabrasion Session
When you arrive for your treatment, your esthetician will cleanse away makeup, oils, and sunscreen before reclining your chair to a comfortable semi-upright position.
Soothing eye pads reduce any sensitivity in this delicate area. The machine head is then passed repeatedly over your face in overlapping sweeps and then the skin is immediately vacuumed to remove dead skin cells.
Most facials take 20 to 40 minutes, depending on whether you choose to focus treatment solely on your face or include your neck and chest areas. The application itself is gentle, like a soft facial massage. No pain medication nor anesthetic is involved.
Post-Procedure Skin Care
Immediately after microdermabrasion treatment, your freshly revealed skin may look slightly pink. This flush typically dissipates within a few hours. Use a soothing facial moisturizer and avoid makeup for 6 to 12 hours post-procedure so your pores stay clear.
To minimize dryness, wait 24 hours before using acne medication or products containing glycolic, retinol, or vitamin C. Their active ingredients could irritate freshly exfoliated skin. After two days, you can resume your regular skin care regimen.
Ongoing maintenance with daily broad-spectrum sun protection is important to sustaining smoother, brighter results long term. The schedule repeats in 4 to 6 weeks.
How Long Microdermabrasion Results Last
You should see positive skin changes after just one session, but most providers recommend a series of 4 to 6 weekly treatments for optimal results. Thereafter, upkeep facials every 1 to 2 months help sustain refinement. Results vary based on your skin goals.
The immediate effects of microdermabrasion are subtle glowing skin, reduced appearance of fine lines, and mild acne scars thanks to fresh exfoliation.
These aesthetic improvements typically last 7 to 10 days post-procedure. Long-term effects like firmer skin texture, smaller-looking pores, and diminished age spots accrue over time and require periodic maintenance treatments. More aggressive double-pass sessions yield greater collagen stimulation and longer-lasting enhancement.
Important Safety Information
Microdermabrasion is very low risk yet carries some precautions everyone should know:
Certain medications can increase skin sensitivity.
Topical tretinoin, retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), or beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) may interrupt the stratum corneum protective layer, raising susceptibility to damage and infection. Cease their use at least one week before and post-treatment.
Inform your technician about recent chemical peels or medical procedures on your face. Fully healed skin performs best. Even minor scrapes or cuts could cause a strong reaction if the abrasion stream catches broken skin. Speak up about concerns pre-procedure.
The heat and suctioning may pose issues for those prone to cold sores or herpes simplex breakouts. Antiviral medications help prevent flare-ups if getting facials regularly. Also, avoid procedures during active cold sore outbreaks.
Aggressive microdermabrasion passes, or improper use may tear capillaries under thinner skin on the neck or chest. Pinpoint bleeding generally stops quickly but increases bruising risk temporarily. Estheticians should adjust pressure based on each client’s skin elasticity.
Contact dermatitis from topical products is a consideration, too. Advise your provider about skin allergies or reactions to creams, gels, or cosmetics applied during the session that could prompt irritation, rashes, or swelling later on.
Cost of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion costs are impacted by your location, provider’s experience level, treatment add-ons, and series discounts.
Typical treatment pricing depends on the number of sessions purchased upfront in a single-patient packaged plan meant to achieve optimal results when administered in a consistent series over time.
Higher session frequency accelerates progress but increases the overall microdermabrasion investment. Yet per-unit costs decrease if buying four, six, or sometimes eight appointments versus paying a la carte. So, while single sessions may suit some, others save long-term via multi-packs.
Comparing area provider quotes for the advised routine helps patients budget. Bundled promotions or loyalty incentives that periodically give free sessions help further mitigate microdermabrasion costs.
Providers of Microdermabrasion Near Me
When selecting a microdermabrasion provider, verify they use a sterile technique and properly sterilize equipment to prevent the spread of infection.
Confirm technicians are licensed providers who operate their particular machines with customized settings per client. Request to see before and after photos to evaluate their skill level and results.
The skill and experience of the technician performing your treatments greatly impact outcomes. An expert takes the time to fully evaluate your skin, ask about concerns, explain the process, and make you feel comfortable.
They adjust machine settings, number of passes, and suction levels based on what each unique client needs for safe, gradual improvement.
As Baltimore cosmetic skincare and enhancement specialists for over 3+ years, Green Relief Health Med Spa & Medical Weight Loss offers the finest microdermabrasion technology and protocols for noticeable improvement without downtime.
Our highly trained skin therapists carefully customize and upgrade sessions to fulfill each client’s unique needs for optimal renewal and collagen rejuvenation over time.
Microdermabrasion gently resurfaces skin to smooth texture, fades spots and even tones, boosts radiance, and stimulates collagen production over time. Fine crystals sprayed across your face lift away dead cells so fresher skin underneath can emerge. The subtle polishing reveals glowing results without any recovery period required.
Most clients need a series of treatments for cumulative benefits in texture and tone.
Microdermabrasion works well alone or can be combined with other non-invasive skin renewal options like chemical peels or IPL photo facials. Assuming proper protocols and sterile standards, microdermabrasion side effects tend to be mild and temporary.
This popular skin treatment delivers customizable exfoliation levels from subtle glow to clinical correction when applied by a skilled provider. If you seek softer, brighter, more youthful-looking skin without surgery or injections, microdermabrasion is an accessible option that is now more advanced and effective than ever before. Contact our office today to schedule a free consultation.
