When it comes to basic beauty needs one of the things we most desire is the fresh, flawless, and radiant skin we enjoyed in our youth. Unfortunately, we often find that as we age our skin seems to become thicker, rougher, and duller due to constant exposure to the sun, pollution, and other irritants. We may spend a seemingly endless amount of time, effort and money trying to find the various skin care products that can reverse this process, only to achieve very minimal, if any, results.
Fortunately, the thicker, rougher, and duller skin that seems to come “naturally” with age is not actually a necessary or irreversible process. It is largely caused by the layer of dry, dead skin cells that tend to build up on the surface of our skin, clogging our pores and preventing the proper absorption of our skin care products. With proper exfoliation techniques, this layer of dry, dead skin cells can be removed in order to reveal more radiant and youthful skin underneath, and allow for skin care products to better penetrate the skin and work their “magic.” Providing this sort of gentle, effective exfoliation is the purpose of a microdermabrasion facial treatment.
Benefits of Microdermabrasion
A microdermabrasion treatment involves the use of a special machine that is designed to gently exfoliate, buff and polish the top layer of the skin using either a stream of fine microcrystals or a diamond tip. Not only does this remove the top layer of dry, dead skin cells and help to clear clogged pores, it also helps to stimulate the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin, which in turn can improve skin’s firmness and resilience. In many instances, a microdermabrasion machine includes a small vacuum that helps to pull the skin up for proper exfoliation and clear away the dead skin cells.
The microdermabrasion treatment is highly desirable as it does not include the use of any chemicals and is entirely non-invasive and painless. That said, while an individual can purchase a microdermabrasion machine for use at home, the quality of the machine, as well as the professional training and experience available with aestheticians at a spa, is guaranteed to produce far better results. This is not to say that an individual who uses an at-home microdermabrasion machine properly every now and again cannot achieve some benefits, but they may find that the benefits they receive through a professional microdermabrasion treatment at a spa are far greater and longer-lasting.
Microdermabrasion can work wonderfully to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, acne scars, and other superficial conditions like mild pigmentation issues. It can also help to clear up clogged pores and skin texture issues, as long as the individual does not suffer from extremely sensitive skin that will be overly irritated by the treatment. That said, it is often recommended in a series of treatments and is not effective in reducing or resolving more extensive skin issues like deep wrinkles and scars, for which a more aggressive dermabrasion treatment may be needed.
Since microdermabrasion can warm the skin as it exfoliates away the top layer of damaged, dry, and dead skin cells, it is not unusual for the skin to appear slightly rosy, and even very mildly irritated, after a microdermabrasion treatment. Both these conditions should pass quickly, but it is highly recommended that the individual properly hydrates their skin, avoid sun exposure, and wear sunscreen in order to protect their newly rejuvenated skin against sun damage. In general, most individuals agree that a microdermabrasion treatment is quite pleasant, and likened to having a gentle facial massage. With its wonderfully beneficial results, it is no wonder that microdermabrasion treatments are among the most preferred beauty treatments available today.
