Overview of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a gentle skin refreshing procedure that is often used to improve the look and feel of unbalanced skin tone and texture, skin aging due to sun exposure, stretch marks, skin discoloration, and different kinds of scars, including those left by acne. It’s a very popular non-surgical beauty procedure available in many places across the United States. It was first introduced in 1985 as a less intense option compared to chemical peels and deeper skin resurfacing methods.
You can have microdermabrasion done in clinics like a doctor’s office or beauty spas by trained professionals like clinicians, aestheticians, medical assistants or nurses. The good thing is, you won’t need any anesthesia for this procedure.
During microdermabrasion, they use a special handheld device that shoots out tiny crystals against your skin. These crystals gently scrape the surface of your skin. This process removes the outer most layer of your skin, known as the stratum corneum. As your skin heals from this gentle scraping, it forms a new layer which usually looks better. This procedure can be safely done on all skin types and the risk of complications is very low.
Beyond making your skin look better, research also shows microdermabrasion can improve the ability of your skin to absorb medications applied directly on to it.
Anatomy and Physiology of Microdermabrasion
The outermost layer of our skin, the epidermis, is made up of five different layers. From the outermost to the deepest, they are known as:
* Stratum corneum
* Stratum lucidum
* Stratum granulosum
* Stratum spinosum
* Stratum basale
A common skin care treatment, microdermabrasion, works by removing the stratum corneum, the very outer layer of the epidermis. This process has effects not only on the outside layer of the skin but also on the deeper layers.
Microdermabrasion changes the arrangement of pigment cells in the deepest layer of the epidermis, and it can make the boundary between the epidermis and the next layer of skin, the dermis, smoother. It also increases the thickness of collagen fibers, which give skin its strength and flexibility, at this boundary. Additionally, the procedure can lead to enlarged blood vessels in the reticular dermis, the deeper part of the dermis layer.
Another effect of microdermabrasion is that it increases the activity of certain factors in the dermis that help with healing wounds, as well as of proteins called matrix metalloproteinases, which play a role in restructuring the skin’s extracellular matrix, a part of the skin’s structure.
Why do People Need Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a procedure that can help with various cosmetic issues. It’s often used to treat scars, including those left behind by acne, as well as acne itself. It can also improve an uneven skin tone or texture, smooth out stretch marks, and lighten areas of darkened skin caused by melasma. Additionally, it can help with signs of skin aging, like fine lines and enlarged pores.
Many people find that their skin feels softer and appears brighter after microdermabrasion. They also notice that their pores seem less visible. After the procedure, the skin may be less oily. On a deeper level, the treatment can make the skin less stiff, more supple, and a bit thicker. In those with melasma, microdermabrasion can help reduce discoloration and more evenly distribute pigment in the skin. Similarly, for those with scarring, stretch marks, and skin that’s showing the effects of sun exposure, it can improve the structure and distribution of collagen fibers, which support the skin.
One additional benefit of microdermabrasion is its potential for improving transdermal drug delivery – which is a fancy term for the absorption of medications through the skin. For a drug to be absorbed, it usually must pass through the outermost layer of skin, called the stratum corneum. Microdermabrasion can remove this layer, allowing drugs to enter more freely into the lower layers of skin where they’re more easily absorbed. This has been demonstrated in various studies with drugs like insulin, vitamin C, lidocaine, and 5-fluorouracil. However, more research is needed to confirm whether microdermabrasion can indeed be effectively used in this way for drug delivery in a real-world clinical setting.
When a Person Should Avoid Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion, a skin treatment that gently exfoliates or removes the outer layer of dead skin, should not be done if there’s an active skin infection present. These infections could include things like cold sores (caused by the herpes simplex virus), shingles (caused by the varicella-zoster virus), warts (caused by the human papillomavirus), and impetigo, a bacterial skin infection.
People who have allergies to the tiny crystals used in the treatment, such as an aluminum allergy, should be treated with different crystals or a system that doesn’t use crystals at all.
The procedure should be used with caution in people who have a history of developing thick, lumpy scars, called keloids, after an injury or surgery.
Conditions like rosacea, which causes redness and visible blood vessels in your face, and telangiectasias, tiny, widened blood vessels on the skin, can also make the treatment riskier. So, it’s important to consult with your dermatologist before deciding on microdermabrasion.
Equipment used for Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a skin rejuvenation technique that involves two types of systems: the crystal system and the crystal-free system. The crystal-based system works by blasting tiny abrasive crystals onto your skin. These crystals are most commonly made of a substance called aluminum oxide, though some systems use alternatives like sodium chloride, magnesium oxide, or sodium bicarbonate. On the other hand, the crystal-free systems don’t use crystals. They instead have diamonds embedded in the tool that exfoliates your skin.
To perform this procedure, the therapist will need several items including:
- An instrument called a microdermabrasion handpiece.
- Single-use or sterilizable tips for the handpiece.
- If it’s a crystal-based system, they will need fresh abrasive crystals.
- If the machine uses a closed-loop vacuum system, filters will be needed.
- A mild skin cleanser to prep your skin before treatment.
- For safety measures, the therapist will also wear protective eyewear, gloves, and a mask.
How is Microdermabrasion performed
Before starting the procedure, the area that needs treatment should be gently cleaned. To keep your eyes safe, we place damp gauze over them to avoid any abrasive substance getting in. Then, we use a device that gently pulls your skin upwards. It releases tiny, rough particles that scrub off the upper layer of your skin at a controlled speed. This debris, along with the removed skin, is gathered in a part of the device.
We move this device over your skin, focusing on the areas you want to treat. Usually, we pass it over the skin three times during one treatment. Afterwards, we clean off any remaining particles and soothingly hydrate your skin with a gentle lotion. The whole process typically takes around 30 to 60 minutes.
To get the results you’re hoping for, you might need about 4 to 6 treatments, spaced out weekly. The amount of skin that gets removed depends on how fast we release the rough particles and how long the procedure lasts. The suction power of the device has very little impact on how much skin gets removed.
Possible Complications of Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is a skin treatment that usually causes minimal side effects. Most people have no issues after the procedure. However, there can be some common minor complications such as soreness, puffiness, redness, tiny red spots called petechiae, and minor bruising. If the exfoliating crystals touch the eye’s clear surface called the conjunctiva, it can cause irritation. There might also be a higher chance of spreading skin viruses like molluscum contagiosum and reactivating sleeping cold sores virus in the treated skin area. Microderambrasion removes the outermost skin layer called stratum corneum, making the skin more sensitive to sun damage for a few days after treatment.
What Else Should I Know About Microdermabrasion?
Microdermabrasion primarily offers cosmetic and beauty benefits. It’s a procedure that is minimally invasive, meaning there’s very little pain or risk involved, and it can have many positive effects on your skin. It can even out skin tone, brighten your complexion, reduce the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles, clean your pores, and improve your skin’s smoothness.
Interestingly, microdermabrasion can also potentially enhance the effectiveness of certain medications applied to the skin, a concept known as ‘transdermal drug delivery.’ By using this procedure, the medications, such as insulin, vitamin C, lidocaine (a local anesthetic), and 5-fluorouracil (a cancer medication), might be able to spread more freely in the top layers of the skin, possibly enhancing their effectiveness.
However, while there are many ongoing clinical studies exploring these potential benefits and their promising results, it’s still not certain whether using microdermabrasion to enhance transdermal drug delivery in a real-world medical setting will prove to be practical or feasible.