Raise your hand if you have any sun damage, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, acne or scars that no matter what you do you just can't get rid of them. Hiiiii, I'm raising my hand so high I could touch the sky because I have all of the above!
For so long I had been hearing about microdermabrasion and how helpful it can be at treating many major skin concerns. As you know, in the past I have done my own microneedling at home, (click that if you haven't read it), but I had yet to have a microdermabrasion facial. Well, friends...I finally tried microdermabrasion for the first time and am so excited to tell you all about the experience! So if you want to know what is microdermabrasion, what the benefits are, if it hurts, and hear my thoughts on microdermabrasion before and after then please keep reading!
What is microdermabrasion?
Microdermabrasion is a mild, non-invasive, non-chemical facial procedure. In the most colloquial way it's basically the sanding (exfoliating) of the top layer of your face. Your esthetician/registered nurse/dermatologist/plastic surgeon uses a handheld device that has an abrasive diamond tip (or tiny crystals) and light vacuum suction and gently rubs it in small areas across your face to perform deep exfoliation on the skin by removing the superficial layer of dry, dead skin, which simultaneously stimulating the production of new, healthy skin. Technically you're damaging this top layer of skin which encourages cell production within the deeper layers of skin.
What are the microdermabrasion benefits?
There are so many microdermabrasion benefits! It can aid in minimizing the appearance of acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles, pore size, and smooth skin tone and texture. So, you're wondering what's the catch, right? Because there's just no way something can be so good and have no risk factors. Well, providing you are a 'good candidate' (more on that in a few) there are virtually no side effects!
Does microdermabrasion hurt?
The primary thing I used to wonder before getting it done was "does microdermabrasion hurt?" That also seems to be the first and most frequent question everyone asks me. "Did it hurt?" After all, you are creating microscopic tears in the skin, how can that not hurt?! But no, surprisingly microdermabrasion did not hurt at all! Like, it's not even a 1 on the pain scale. It literally feels like a tiny vacuum with the most minimal suction is going over your skin. You can feel the slightest prick but that's even a dramatic description because it truly doesn't hurt! I was relaxed the whole time, felt great, and kept thinking how good it felt.
What to expect after microdermabrasion or what are the microdermabrasion side effects?
Immediately after my esthetician finished the procedure she applied more product which caused a slight sting. It was truly slight, absolutely nothing unbearable which she said it completely normal. She continued to apply product and within the next few minutes I didn't feel any discomfort. This is important: Now is not the time to deviate from the advice of your esthetician, friends! Mine asked if I was going anywhere that evening (I was not) and directed me to skip my evening routine and resume the following morning. Easy. As for microdermabrasion side effects, I had very minimal redness and no aggravation. You should avoid the sun after as your skin will be extra sensitive (plus, you should be avoiding the sun anyway!) and as a side effect some people experience peeling...do not pick at it! Not only could it cause real damage but you've just technically created a bunch of 'wounds' on your face and you do not want to spread bacteria to them. But one of the best things about microdermabrasion is it does not require any down time like many other more intense treatments do. After my treatment I went home and my skin looked great all evening--it was glowy! I resumed my skincare the following morning and had absolutely no redness or tenderness. The acne I had on my chin even looked better.
How often should I get microdermabrasion?
Microdermabrasion is very successful in treating so many different skin issues, but too much of a good thing is rarely a good thing and over-treating your skin could be damaging. In fact, what makes microdermabrasion effective is the healing process in between treatments so it's crucial to leave enough time between treatments to allow that. Otherwise you're creating damage on skin that's not healed. It's best to leave the decision about how often you should get microdermabrasion up to the person performing your treatments. I scheduled my next appointment for 4 weeks later.
Can anyone get microdermabrasion?
It's best to avoid microdermabrasion if you have fragile capillaries, severe rosacea, eczema, open sores, widespread acne, or are take anti-coagulants. Your esthetician will know whether or not you are a good candidate and will advise accordingly. I also would recommend stopping the use of any retinol a few days before having microdermabrasion and don't have just done any facial waxing! Both can be irritating to the skin so it's best to have your skin as calm as possible.
What are the microdermabrasion results / microdermabrasion before and after?
This is probably not going to be a one time thing for you. In order to reap the best benefits and see the best microdermabrasion results you'll probably need to have a series of treatments. Your esthetician can advise on how often. I scheduled myself to go back in a month, your esthetician will have a plan for what's best for you.
With that said, it has been one week since my microdermabrasion and my skin looks great!! All breakouts have cleared up and my skin tone looks more even than it has in quite some time. There is nothing worse than doing something and knowing you need to do it 4 or 5 times before ever seeing results...it just leaves that feeling like, "is this actually working?" This works! I am so excited with the difference I've already seen so know I'll be even happier the more I do it!
I also want to give a big, HUGE shoutout to Touch Med Spa in North Myrtle Beach. Thank you, thank you! I had a truly incredible experience with Jamie, whom I highly recommend. She is so kind and intelligent, very well spoken about any skincare concerns and not for a moment did I feel 'skin shame'. We started my appointment by doing a skin analysis using their VISIA machine, which gives you a comprehensive read on what percentile you're in for many common skin concerns such as pore size, fine lines/wrinkles, sun damage, heat damage (I didn't even know that was a thing! Turns out all this time I thought I was an A+ skincare student by avoiding the sun on my face...well yeah I am...but I'm failing, like, 35 percentile failling!! when it comes to heat damage). But what I especially loved about Jamie was she so warmly and reassuringly said, 'Don't worry...once I begin your treatment and feel your skin there's so much more I'll know and can help correct.' I cannot wait to go back and see her next month!