Microdermabrasion Microdermabrasion is one of the more recent skin-care techniques to have crossed over from Hollywood to the mainstream.

It's being advanced as an "instant facelift" an effective alternative to costlier and more invasive rocedures like lastic surgery! chemical eels and "oto# in$ections. %ecently! more and more men are trying it! instead of ursuing cosmetic surgery. &o what e#actly is microdermabrasion! what does it romise and what effect does it actually have on your face' (o you need a doctor or is it something you can do yourself' In this article! we'll look at the science behind microdermabrasion! see what a treatment is like and find out what it does to your skin. 1 The Basics Microdermabrasion is a general term for the a lication of tiny rough grains to buff away the surface layer of skin. Many different roducts and treatments use this method! including medical rocedures! salon treatments and creams and scrubs that you a ly yourself at home. It's usually done to the face! chest! neck! arms or hands. "efore we can understand how microdermabrasion does what it does! it's im ortant to understand how skin works. )our skin is made u of two main layers! the epidermis and the dermis. *he e idermis is the layer closest to the outside world. It's a set of dead skin cells on to of another layer of cells that are in the rocess of maturing. *he to most layer is called the stratum corneum. *he stratum corneum mostly acts as a barrier between the outside world and the lower skin layers. It kee s all but the smallest molecules from getting through. +hen you ut lotions or creams on your skin! some of the moisture asses through the stratum corneum! but not all of it. *his layer is home to many minor skin im erfections like fine wrinkle lines and blemishes. ,ll of the action in microdermabrasion takes lace at the level of the stratum corneum. &ince it only really targets the e idermis -and not the dermis.! it is more accurate to call it micro-epi-dermabrasion. ,ffecting dee er layers of skin would be ainful and harmful! and it would risk ermanently embedding the tiny grains into the skin. 2 How it Helps +hether done with a roduct at home or in a rofessional setting with a s eciali/ed tool! the rinci al of microdermabrasion is the same. *he idea is that if you remove or break u the stratum corneum! the body inter rets that as a mild in$ury and rushes to re lace the lost skin cells with new and healthy ones. In the first hour after treatment! this causes mild oedema -swelling. and erythema -redness.. (e ending on the individual! these side effects can last anywhere from an hour to two days. *his rocess has a few beneficial effects. +ith the stratum corneum gone! the skin's surface is im roved. *he healing rocess brings with it newer skin cells that look and feel smoother. &ome of the skin's visible im erfections! like sun damage! blemishes and fine lines! are removed. ,lso! without the stratum corneum acting as a barrier! medicinal creams and lotions are more effective because more of their active ingredients and moisture can find their way down to the lower layers of skin. ,s microdermabrasion tem orarily removes some moisture from the skin! it is always followed by the a lication of moisturising creams. 0arly studies suggest that re eated microdermabrasion treatment at regular intervals may influence the way the lower layers of skin grow! as well! removing dee er blemishes over time. &ome evidence seems to indicate that the ra id loss of skin moisture may be what triggers the lower skin layers to work overtime in s eeding healthy cells u to the surface. 3 Professional Treatment If you went to a clinic or salon to get microdermabrasion done! the technician or dermatologist would use a s ecialised tool for the rocedure. *he tool shoots a stream of tiny crystals! like aluminum o#ide! sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate! and collects the leftover dead skin cells and used crystals. *he vacuum action of the machine has four main functions1 It ulls and raises a small section of skin to work on. It creates mild swelling and brings some of the im urities to the surface. It shoots a stream of crystals across the targeted skin atch. It collects the used crystals and dead skin for dis osal.

&ome tools erform all of these functions with one circuit. *he suction rocess in these devices is called Venturi suction. More owerful version use two circuits! one to shoot the crystals out and another to collect them. *here are also newer tools that use a single! diamond-ti ed wand on the skin instead of a stream of articles. *he technician steadily moves the tool over the target area! a lying even and steady ressure to remove the stratum corneum without affecting the lower skin layers. , standard session usually consists of one to three asses with the tool. In most cases! the atient is then asked to a ly s ecialised lotions and creams to the affected area between sessions. *his rehydrates the area and assists in romoting healthier new skin. *hese treatments cost around 2344 to 2544 er session! and several sessions s aced throughout the year are usually recommended for ma#imum effectiveness. 4 Home Treatment ,s an alternative to a clinic or salon! there are also microdermabrasion creams and scrubs that you can a ly yourself. *hese contain the same crystals you'd find in rofessional treatment! but many cut out the use of the s ecialised tool.

)ou use your hands to rub the roducts into your face! neck or arms! ushing the crystals against your skin so that they grab and remove the dead cells of the stratum corneum. &ome of these creams also contain nutrients and moisturisers -- you remove the dead skin and effectively hydrate the new skin in the same ste . *he home treatments cost in the range of 264 to 274 er $ar. 8or more information on microdermabrasion and related to ics! check out the links on the ne#t age. 5 Microdermabrasion andidates Microdermabrasion works es ecially well as a way to clean out clo!!ed pores. It's a useful alternative for atients whose skin is too sensitive to use anti-acne drugs like %etin-,. It's not recommended for those who have active oral her es. Here's a list of the conditions that make someone unsuited for microdermabrasion1
Active rosacea Fragile capillaries Vascular lesions Widespread acne Herpetic lesions (herpes) Warts Open sores Skin lesions Anyone who takes anti-coagulants Ec e!a "er!atitis #soriasis $upus Erythe!atosus "ia%etes !ellitus

" #an!ers 9rofessional microdermabrasion can bruise or discolor the skin if done incorrectly. *he vacuum action tends to cause blemishes if the skin tension is let u or uneven. *he li area is articularly susce tible to bruising! and the eyelids should never be treated with microdermabrasion. *reatment that is too dee or intense can cause ermanent discoloration to the skin.