Microdermabrasion exfoliates the surface of the skin and smoothes the texture. It decreases the appearance of fine lines slightly since it lifts off dead skin, which lends a crumpled appearance to the surface layer. It's also an effective way to treat milia because it exfoliates all those tiny rough cysts. Microdermabrasion is also a terrific way to augment a peel, by exfoliating the peeling dead skin one week afterward.
Microdermabrasion
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersWe actually exfoliate every time we wash our skin. We do it more aggressively with a loofah pad or washcloth. We can do it chemically with glycolic acid, or we can do it mechanically with microdermabrasion. Let's make this perfectly clear: Microdermabrasion cleans your skin (that's a good thing). But don't do it if you believe those signs in the salon windows that say it removes wrinkles and scars. It can't; it simply exfoliates and sucks out the oils and dirt from your pores. (It's a facial without the soft music and aromatherapy.) Microdermabrasion either blasts the skin with salt or sand particles or rubs the skin with diamond crystals. A vacuum then cleans your pores. Your skin feels smoother and cleaner. Acne, blackheads, and whiteheads are reduced. Do it every two to four weeks to keep your face as clean as possible. Microdermabrasion is harmless unless the operator goes too deep, creating "macrodermabrasion." That's the procedure that plastic surgeons use to smooth wrinkles and scars, and that's a surgical procedure. Trained aestheticians or nurses can safely perform microdermabrasion. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 3 Answers
Microdermabrasion blasts away the outermost layer of your skin cells to give you smoother skin and help with acne scars. A small device sprays your face with aluminum oxide crystals and then vacuums them up.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 Answers
Although microdermabrasion kits are sold in retail stores, you should always check with your doctor before getting such a treatment. To be on the safe side, make sure you have no underlying medical condition that would make this at-home procedure dangerous.
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Dr. Ellen S. Marmur, MD , Dermatology, answeredSee All 4 Answers
In the old days microdermabrasion employed crystals to sandblast the face, but that method has been replaced by an instrument with a rough, rounded tip that moves over the skin to polish it mechanically. It comes with various attachments that provide gentle to very aggressive exfoliation. The device also incorporates pneumatic suction, so it vacuums up the debris as it sloughs it off. The gentle suction may even trigger some small amount of collagen production.
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Dr. Doris Day, MD , Dermatology, answeredMicrodermabrasion is a procedure in which fine crystals are blasted at the skin and then vacuumed back away from the skin. These two components help clean out the pores temporarily and make the skin feel smoother. Usually a series of five to seven microdermabrasion treatments are done to get optimal results, followed by maintenance treatments every 6 to 8 weeks. No really good studies exist showing the benefits of microdermabrasion; however, plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that it does help in the treatment of acne. -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredA home microdermabrasion kit may work for you, depending on your skin type and condition. Talk to a dermatologist (a doctor who specializes in treating skin, nail, and hair conditions) before using a home microdermabrasion kit. Microdermabrasion kits use natural remedies such as papaya and baking soda to gently remove dead skin cells. The kits can help treat mild and moderate acne and reduce acne scars. Ingredients in the products vary, so ask your dermatologist to recommend a product that may work best for you. Follow the directions carefully.
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Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD , Cosmetic Surgery, answeredOver a million microdermabrasion procedures were performed in plastic surgeons' offices alone in 2005. No one knows how many additional procedures were performed in spas and salons. With all the hype about microdermabrasion (touted as a noninvasive wrinkle reducer), very few studies show that it does anything at all. In the best study, after eight consecutive weekly treatments, there appeared to be mild improvements in skin quality. But this tiny seventeen-patient study did not compare microdermabrasion to other exfoliant techniques such as the loofah pad. The evaluation was performed immediately after the final treatment, when some temporary swelling would be expected. I would like to have seen if there was a difference a month after the treatments. I would guess not, since there is absolutely no science involved.
The procedure really can't do anything other than exfoliate, clean the pores, and cause mild, temporary swelling. Although microdermabrasion claims to improve scars, the claim is controversial. Beyond transient swelling around the scar, most doctors feel there is no benefit. Any pigment that can be removed is at the very surface of the skin, pigment that would have rubbed off with any exfoliation technique, including a washcloth.
Zein Obagi, M.D., a Beverly Hills dermatologist comments, "To correct wrinkles and scars with any rejuvenation procedure, the dermal layer must be reached; exfoliation procedures that penetrate only to the epidermis will not work." That says it all. Microdermabrasion, by definition, cannot treat wrinkles or scars. -
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Dr. Arthur W. Perry, MD , Cosmetic Surgery, answeredI am a big believer in microdermabrasion. But let's be honest: the procedure is simply a very good facial. It exfoliates. Exfoliation makes the skin look better, but has no real medical benefit. In fact, exfoliation defies the function of the skin -- to be a barrier to the outside world. The thicker the outside layer, the better the protection. But a thick outside layer is unattractive. Perhaps the best benefit of microdermabrasion is the deep cleaning of pores. After the dead skin is removed from the skin, oils and dirt are literally sucked out. Pores that have been held open by this debris stay large for a while, then shrink down.
Microdermabrasion is basically a high-tech facial. It cleans the skin and decreases acne in adults and adolescents. It allows creams and peels to penetrate more effectively. When the skin is pretreated with microdermabrasion, a 35% glycolic acid peel penetrates like a 70% peel. The result is dramatic.