Microdermabrasion Before and After

A ll non-invasive skincare procedures are popular for an obvious reason – how safe they are and the minimal negative reactions involved, if any. Microdermabrasion is one of these sought-after procedures because of the skin health and beauty benefits it grants, as well as the gentle nature of the procedure and innocuous side effects.

The before and after results are among the most outstanding when it comes to treating a range of skin conditions, including dark spots, aging spots, fine lines, and acne blemishes. There’s the added benefit that you don’t necessarily need treatment by a professional cosmetologist or dermatologist. At-home DIY microdermabrasion is just as effective in most cases since technology has evolved and we now have quality instruments to follow through with the skincare treatment safely and efficiently.

Thinking about getting microdermabrasion treatments too but you’re not sure whether or not the effect is worth it? Then continue with us to understand what a before and after looks like when it comes to this beauty routine that more and more people opt for each year.

Skin Conditions that Microdermabrasion Helps Treat

Plastic surgery statistic reports for 2020 reveal that 522,693 microdermabrasion procedures were performed. The demand for microdermabrasion was thus higher than demand for ablative laser skin resurfacing (430,506 procedures performed) and non-surgical skin tightening (188,509 procedures performed).

Luckily, you don’t need to go all the way to a clinic or salon to get the beautification treatment. As aforementioned, DIY microdermabrasion is quite common since the best microdermabrasion machines grant a sure and simple means to enjoy the treatment without leaving the house. Expenses are reduced if you opt for at-home treatment too since you only spend $100-$200 once on the instrument rather than pay approximately $160 to get the procedure performed by a specialist. Nevertheless, the DIY route is advisable only when the issues you are addressing aren’t severe. Otherwise, going to a specialist is still the better option. Speaking of what microdermabrasion addresses in terms of skin health/beauty issues, these comprise:

• Acne: While it is true that microdermabrasion combined with superficial chemical peels works best to treat acne, the former procedure alone is more than sufficient for curing the condition. Unlike microneedling, you can undergo microdermabrasion even during an active breakout without necessarily worsening the condition.
• Stretch marks: If you have white stretch marks, consider this procedure to get rid of them completely or at least ameliorate their aspect to the point where they won’t pose an aesthetic disturbance for you. The exfoliation that your skin goes through will cause redness, and you should expect this adverse effect to pass after approximately 24 hours.
• Hyperpigmentation: Clinical trials demonstrated that the non-invasive skin rejuvenation method minimizes hyperchromic pigmentations quite effectively. For patients who suffer from hyperpigmentation, this is good news since their different color patterns can be solved to achieve a clearer complexion. Dermaplaning is a viable alternative for this skin condition. However, it can only be performed by a professional aesthetician, and it leaves the skin feeling thick and might cause blisters, which is why patients generally stray from this more aggressive procedure.
• Sun damage: Since it removes the outermost skin level and stimulates the body to produce new skin that is healthy and vibrant, this non-invasive treatment is among the best practices to fix sun-damaged skin. For optimal results when it comes to this specific skin health & beauty problem, microdermabrasion should be used in combination with laser treatments.
• Wrinkles: Trials show that light glycolic acid peels are better than low-intensity microdermabrasion to ameliorate wrinkles, but the latter still solves fine lines and wrinkles to a more than satisfactory degree. As opposed to microdermabrasion, chemical peels are much more dangerous and can cause skin burns because of the chemicals used in the process. So while it might be a more efficient procedure, risks are equally high. Microdermabrasion encourages collagen production on its own, which is enough to fill in those fine lines and have you looking young once more. For short, why bother with a different procedure that might end up doing more harm than good.
• Melasma: This non-invasive procedure has been proven as highly efficient for addressing melasma, particularly when used in concurrence with topical and/or oral treatment. A newer alternative to microdermabrasion for treating melasma is hydradermabrasion. It’s not as efficient but it’s gentler on the skin than even microdermabrasion, which is why some patients prefer the latter.

Microdermabrasion Before and After Pictures

What to Expect Before, During, and After Microdermabrasion

If you have never tried this skincare routine before, having some jitters or mere curiosities is normal. After all, you don’t know what to expect ahead and how you have to prepare or handle the situation when the treatment is over. Let’s familiarize you with the process so that you know what to expect:

• Before the treatment:

  There is little to no preparation necessitated before the treatment. If you have very sensitive skin, the practitioner might apply a numbing cream before starting, but only in cases where patients are very sensitive to prevent potential difficulty to tolerate discomfort. Other than this, a few pieces of advice that you should abide by include – sidestep exfoliating for a few days before; washing the area only using non-oily cleansers; don’t wax or tan for approximately 2 weeks before the procedure.

• During the treatment:

  If you want quality and you know what to look for, you must get a diamond tip system in case you prefer at-home microdermabrasion. Throughout treatment with a diamond-tipped machine, the rod is utilized to gently scrape off the top sheet of the skin and uncover the fresh cells beneath it. While the rod collects the dead skin cells and debris, these are stored in a special recipient that you must empty at the end.

  With crystal-tip machines, the rod blows aluminum oxide crystals on your skin to desquamate it, vacuuming up the skin cells, dirt, as well as the crystals used in the process. It’s a messier procedure since crystal specs might be left behind, and some might enter your eyes if you’re not careful. Don’t expect any serious pain to appear throughout the treatment irrespective of the type of machine you use. A mild or a bit more pressing discomfort is what you might feel. As aforementioned, if you are very sensitive, the specialist will apply a topical numbing cream before starting to help ease you into the process.

• After the treatment:

  There are a few aftercare steps that you should follow to maximize the treatment’s effectiveness and make sure that skin recovery goes as fast as possible. For one, until you completely heal, don’t expose your skin to the sun unless you wear a high-SPF sunscreen solution. Hydrate adequately with purified regular-pH or high-pH water and make sure you moisturize daily to give your skin the nourishment it needs to heal.

  When it comes to what you should expect, this depends. Some people heal within 1-4 days completely and only experience mild redness, while others might have flaky skin for a while or can even get light bruises caused by the suction power of the wand. If you were to follow aftercare guides religiously, chances for these side effects appearing would be greatly reduced. Even if they appear, they will pass very quickly.

  Regardless of whether or not you experience these minor inconveniences, one thing is for sure – the before and after will astound you. A single microdermabrasion session suffices to see significant results. Your pores will look smaller, your skin will feel smoother, breakouts will diminish, and fine lines will be smoothened out. Obviously, for longer-lasting, more substantial results, you need to undergo multiple sessions.

Number of Treatment Sessions Needed to See Results

After 6 microdermabrasion treatments, the patients of a clinical trial noticed skin improvements granted by the effects the series of procedures had on the skin’s barrier function. Typically, 6 to 12 sessions are suggested to achieve the best results overall regardless of how mild or severe the issues you want to treat are. Make sure that you don’t pause longer than 2 to 4 weeks between sessions to maintain the results and keep the skin rejuvenated and glowing. When the maximum recommended number of sessions passes, take a long break. In fact, only start repeating the treatment if and when any skin health/beauty issues emerge once more in the future.

Woman Getting Microdermabrasion at Spa

Microdermabrasion Session Duration and Recovery

You can go on your lunch break to eat at your favorite diner, then go to a spa or clinic to get microdermabrasion performed on your precious skin, and still return on time to the office. This perk is granted by the fact that a skincare session takes only about 30 minutes (it might take longer, up to 1 hour tops, but this is only when dealing with more severe skin conditions). When it comes to recovery, regardless of what side effect you will deal with, it should pass 4 days tops after the treatment.

The Takeaway

Considering how mild this skincare routine is due to its non-invasive nature, there are no severe adverse reactions. There is only praise to be brought when it comes to the before and after effects of microdermabrasion. After a single session, your skin looks and feels better. This on its own makes it a worthwhile procedure to spend time and money on for beautification.

Needless to say, the cheaper price compared to treatments like microneedling and chemical peels also helps. You will likely perform close to 12 sessions before taking a break because the skin condition you want to address gets solved, so money can become an issue if the procedure were more expensive. Nevertheless, it’s worth every cent considering that results are visible even after the first session. Beyond this initial point, you will only move forward with routine microdermabrasion sessions every couple of weeks to maximize results and preserve them.

Now, we are officially at the end of our article. We leave you with the best of thoughts and recommend full-heartedly that you get microdermabrasion procedures performed if you want to transform the way you look by healing and beautifying your skin. Follow proper aftercare and make sure that you prepare appropriately for the upcoming procedure, and you will look like you’re still in your twenties even as time passes.