Microdermabrasion - Q & A

Recently I was asked a few questions about the benefits and uses for medical microdermabrasion so I thought I’d post a few here for people to browse through and hopefully answer a few questions.

Q: What are the benefits and advantages of Microdermabrasion?
This is probably the most important question and one that requires answering before anything else. The benefits are what it can be used to treat, which includes acne scarring, stretch marks, age and sun spots, wrinkles and several other skin related issues.

The advantages of Microdermabrasion are that is has very little risk or side affects associated with it, that it takes only a short while for the procedure, normally around 20-30 minutes, it is one of the invasive cosmetic procedures available as it merely removes the top layer of dead skin and it can be used on many areas of the body, including the hands, face, neck, chest and back. Other advantages include the very minimal (if any) down time and that microdermabrasion requires no anaesthetic. It can also be used on all skin types and colours.

Q: Is microdermabrasion safe to use if I have Eczema?
No. We would never suggest microdermabrasion for people who suffer with eczema as it is invasive to the skin. This in turn can aggravate or worsen the condition and should be avoided. This is important to remember if you are thinking of using a home microdermabrasion kit.

Q: Can microdermabrasion be used on whiteheads (spots)?
A: Yes it is quite safe to use microdermabrasion to treat whiteheads. Microdermabrasion cleans deep into the pores of the skin and removes excess oil and dirt which clog these pores up. After treatment many whiteheads are removed and stubborn one that are not, are greatly reduced in visibility.

Q: Will microdermabrasion make my skin dry?
As a rule no, such an occurrence is extremely rare. If you do notice your skin becoming dry after treatment it is fine for you to simply use a variety of skin creams or lotions to rehydrate it.

Q: Can microdermabrasion be used to treat Rosacea?
Due to its nature, microdermabrasion is not a viable way to treat Rosacea, as a matter of fact using microdermabrasion will actually aggravate the condition making the symptoms worse. Again it is important to remember this when considering a home microdermabrasion kit – don’t!
There are other cosmetic procedures available to treat Rosacea, such as cosmetic laser surgery, but microdermabrasion is not one of them.

Q: Does Microdermabrasion help reduce signs of ageing such as age spots and wrinkles?
Microdermabrasion is very effective in making skin appear younger after treatment. First up it will leave a more rejuvenated and fresher layer of new skin once the old layer is stripped away. Secondly it even out the skin texture which mean the removal or reduction of superficial wrinkles. Finally it can minimise or even remove age spots when removing the dead skin layer.

Q: Will microdermabrasion make my skin look healthier?
Microdermabrasion stimulates skin cell renewal which is required to achieve good levels of density and elasticity in the skin. Along with this cell renewal, the vacuum function of the microdermabrasion tool sucks up dead skin, dirt and hardened oil on the skin which improves the skins texture and tone.

If you have any more questions regarding microdermabrasion or its benefits or issues that may be associated with it, please ask us and we will try to help as best we can.

Roberta James specialises and runs the Medical Microdermbrasion and Chemical Skin Peels department at the Selston Cosmetic Clinic in North Nottinghamshire.