Microdermabrasion Techniques by Asanka Samaranayake

Microdermabrasion works in two ways; firstly by cleansing skin pores and thus healing existing acne and secondly, by eliminating the dead skin cells and thus preventing pimples from appearing. Pimples are normally caused by dead skin cells that fill up skin pores.

Microdermabrasion techniques commonly include crystal and non-crystal machine and at home peeling systems.

Microdermabrasion Technique No.1 : Peeling

Instead of using harsh chemicals such as zinc and metal oxides, microdermabrasion peels capitalize on the power of debris-leeching micro-cystals. They shouldn't be painful, but rather very comforting; like a deep tissue massage! Microdermabrasion peeling can be done easily and quickly in an outpatient clinic, at a spa or even at home as mentioned earlier.

The device is a hand-held machine which deeply exfoliates and cleans the skins surface. Regimens normally consist of 4-6 peels within 1-2 week intervals; and then followed by a conditioning peel every 6 weeks or thereabouts where necessary.

In layman terms, a sandjet or sandblaster shoots fine sand particles onto the surface of the skin in a oscillatory motion. The friction that this motion creates abrades the surface of dead skin cells on the upper-most layer of the skin.

Microdermabrasion Technique No.2 : Corundum Crystal Machines

The most commonly type of crystal using in microdermabrasion machines are corundum or aluminium oxide.

The reason for this is that they are firstly, great materials for cutting and abrading because of their coarse, un-even surfaces. Second, their hardness is second only to diamonds, but cheaper. Third, they don't cause allergic skin reactions, such as eczema, psoriasis, or itching; they don't interact chemically and are not absorbed by the skin. Finally, the crystals have bactericidal properties which is a plus for treating acne; as acne is most commonly due to bacterial infection.

Microdermabrasion Technique No.3: Other Crystal Machines

Other crystals instead of corundum can be used for microdermabrasion, and these include, sodium chloride crystals, sodium bicarbonate crystals, and magnesium oxide crystals. The benefit of using these methods is that it is cheaper overall, however be weary of the efficacy compared to standard crystal techniques.

Microdermabrastion Technique No. 4: Without Crystals

Instead of crystals, machines can use sandpaper or even diamond tipped devices that abrade the skin. These are obviously much more expensive that standard techniques. However, there isn't that much of a difference in the efficacy of diamond tipped machines compared to corundum crystal machines.

In the end, its all about how much you can dish out!



Asanka Samaranayake (BSc Hons Neuroscience) and Darren Patten (Bsc Hons Surgery & Anaesthesia)have a specialist interest in microdermabrasion and provide you with an indispensable resource at Microdermabrasion Info. Net

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