I have to say, going to school for esthetics is pretty awesome. This week, we had a guest teacher come in and teach us all about microdermabrasion; I had a chance to have it done to myself, and I got to practice on my classmates. I now have my certification in microderm, and it was so fun getting there!
So what is microdermabrasion?
It's a deep exfoliation that essentially buffs away the dead, dull layer of your skin sitting at the top. It doesn't exfoliate down to the dermis like a chemical peel or anything like that, it's non-invasive, and doesn't require any downtime (unless you're really bothered by some redness). The great thing about microderm is that it will help product penetrate better, so that means any treatment serums and moisturizers that you're using to treat skin "issues" will penetrate the top layer of your skin more effectively, and will help your skin hydrate better!
There are two methods, but the method that I learned was crystal, where there are thousands on thousands of crystals being released onto your face through a vacuum-like machine, and that's what exfoliates!
Things microdermabrasion treats:
Acne scars, blackheads (it loosens up all the gross stuff stuck in your pores), fine lines and small wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and sun damage. It also is a great way to exfoliate if you prefer not to at home regularly.
Contraindications (things that would make it so that you cannot receive microderm):
Broken capillaries (they can be buffed but not treated as intensely as the rest of the skin), psoraisis, excema, excessive redness, sunburn, cold sores, open wounds on the area being treated, rosacea, etc.
My experience:
I have 4 tattoos, one of them being on the top of my foot, which I was in excruciating pain from for about a week. I have a high pain tolerance, so looking at a pen that has almost like sandpaper flying out onto your face seemed like no big deal to me. Well, to be honest, I hardly felt anything at all. I know that it worked because when I put my hand up to my face there were crystals there, but it was so light, it felt like someone really gently rubbing sand paper on my skin. I would recommend this treatment to anyone; it truly does not hurt or make you uncomfortable unless your technician uses a very heavy hand, which they shouldn't.
I had a lot of redness (but my skin is naturally very red to begin with) and they told me that was to be expected. The only "abnormal" thing that happened was tracking, which basically means that the skin was not held taut enough during treatment and there was a little too much suction, leaving a small red line after the rest of the skin has healed. It just looks like tan lines. Mine went away in about 24 hours, and they were incredibly subtle to begin with.
I have noticed that my skin is visibly brighter, smoother, more even, and my blackheads have come to the surface and are now SO easy to extract. (Sorry, TMI...) and that was only after one treatment! They normally suggest doing microderm in sets of about 6, but you could talk to your esthetician about what they believe is the correct number of treatments for your skin.
So I say try it! It's fun, it's quick, it feels pretty good...there's no downtime, I just suggest lots of SPF on the treated area (but that's always a given!)
Leave a comment if you've ever had microderm and tell me all about your experience!
