How you feel about the appearance of your skin plays a big role in your self-confidence. When you feel like acne scars, wrinkles, fine lines, and other flaws are getting in the way of your true beauty, it can be hard to feel good about yourself. Luckily, Dr. Michael I. Jacobs in New York, NY knows that one of the best treatments to correct superficial skin concerns is microdermabrasion. This non-invasive treatment is an ideal aesthetic solution to all of your appearance concerns.
Is Microdermabrasion Really Effective?
Microdermabrasion is a treatment quickly becoming popular in dermatologist offices across the country. Known for its ability to improve the appearance of many superficial skin concerns and imperfections, this advanced exfoliation technique can help you perfect your skin more easily. But is this treatment truly effective?
This exfoliation technique is a simple, straightforward way to improve the appearance and health of the skin. By removing the dull, imperfect top layer of the skin with this technique, new skin cells can create a more radiant, even-toned, and even-textured appearance. This treatment also improves the circulation of blood beneath your skin, which can even encourage better collagen production.
Treat Multiple Concerns
You can think of this treatment as a do-it-all treatment since it can correct such a wide variety of skin concerns. This treatment is best known for helping people correct pigmentation concerns such as discoloration, dark spots, sun damage, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation caused by acne.
This treatment helps regulate the cellular turnover cycle, which can address clogged pores, enlarged pores, and even help manage active acne. People who have dry skin will also benefit from this treatment. After your treatment, the overall appearance and texture of your skin will drastically improve.
Backed By Science
There is some compelling scientific research that suggests this treatment can noticeably improve the appearance of your skin. One study tracked the brightness and elasticity of a patient’s skin after multiple treatments; the patient had fewer wrinkles and smaller pores at the end of the study. There are also studies that prove this treatment can reduce the appearance of pigmented acne scars.
How Does This Treatment Work?
Microdermabrasion is similar to a facial, except the key of this treatment lies in the microcrystals that exfoliate the top layer of the skin. A device will spray tiny crystals across the surface of your skin, which will loosen dead skin and slough away the upper dermal layer without damaging any skin cells.
The device will simultaneously use a vacuum that removes both skin cells and the microcrystals, along with other skin impurities, from the skin. Combined, the exfoliation and the vacuum create a powerful effect that can completely improve the tone and texture of your skin.
Why Exfoliation Is Important
Exfoliation is any activity that removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin. Common exfoliation techniques include chemical exfoliation, such as chemical peels or at-home acids, as well as sugar scrubs, exfoliation washcloths, and cellulose peels. Most people view exfoliation as an essential step in a weekly skincare routine.
But why is exfoliation so important? For one thing, although the skin has a natural cellular turnover cycle, this cycle isn’t perfect and it’s common for dead skin cells to clog the pores on your skin, leading to acne, discoloration, and other concerns. Exfoliation helps your skin shed dead skin cells more effectively so new skin cells can be visible. Exfoliation improves the tone and health of your skin.
Benefits of Microdermabrasion
The biggest benefit of this popular treatment is the fact that it helps improve the health of your skin. With fewer dead skin cells blocking your pores, you will be able to control acne breakouts much easier.
This treatment can shrink enlarged pores, regulate oil production, and improve blood circulation within your skin. With increased blood circulation, your skin will look healthier and may even naturally increase collagen production so you can look younger. Some other benefits of this treatment include:
No Downtime
This treatment is an ideal fit for people who would prefer a fast recovery period. People who have busy schedules appreciate that this treatment allows them to return to work immediately after treatment with very few restrictions.
Because this treatment is so gentle on your skin, you will not need to be overly concerned about skin irritation or dryness after your treatment. As long as you take care to use SPF during the daytime and a gentle moisturizer, you can immediately resume all of your daily activities, including exercise and work, after your treatment is complete.
Natural and Gentle
It’s common for aesthetic treatments to rely on chemicals and special formulas to improve the appearance of your skin. But with this treatment, there is no need to use any chemicals at all to address your superficial concerns. This treatment uses a physical exfoliation technique on the surface of your skin. Without any chemicals in the treatment, you will not need to worry about allergic reactions or other concerns.
Trusted and Safe
Although this treatment may sound novel to you, the truth is that it’s been used for decades – in fact, many Americans have been using this treatment as part of their skincare routine since the 90s. As of 2017, an estimated 740,000 microdermabrasion treatments had been completed in the United States alone. Patients who use this treatment can feel confident about the safety of the treatment thanks to its long history of success.
Long-Lasting Benefits
Even though the results of this treatment only last for about two to four weeks, your skin can reap long-lasting benefits from this exfoliating technique. Over time, this treatment will gradually improve the tone and texture of your skin and will even improve the overall health of your skin. When your cellular turnover is regulated, your skin will function more efficiently and your skin will show marked improvements for longer periods of time. The more treatments you have, the better your skin will be.
Customizable
This treatment is one of a few aesthetic techniques that can be easily mixed and matched with other treatments. Because this exfoliation technique only addresses the surface concerns of the skin, you can pair this treatment with dermal fillers, PDO threads, neurotoxins, Hydrafacial, and other treatments to customize a treatment plan that will match all of your aesthetic goals. And since this treatment takes a natural approach, you won’t need to worry about any negative interactions.
Better Product Absorption
Finally, this treatment is immensely helpful for securing better product absorption from your daily skincare routine. Without dead skin cells blocking the way, your skincare products can more easily penetrate deeper layers of the skin to improve your skin appearance and health. People who are fighting acne or visible signs of aging will likely notice better results from their skincare products when this exfoliation treatment is part of their skincare routine.
What Is Your Treatment Like?
This treatment is a simple 30-minute appointment. The only thing you will need to do to prepare for this treatment is to stop using other exfoliation products or techniques for at least a week before your treatment. Other than that, your appointment will consist of cleansing your skin and then using the treatment device to direct microcrystals against the surface of your skin.
After your treatment, you will be able to resume your normal routine. You may be instructed to temporarily stop the use of products like retinol or other chemical exfoliants at home for at least a week after your treatment. It’s important to keep your skin moist and to wear SPF when you plan to be outside during the daytime. Sometimes, we recommend that patients avoid using make-up for at least 24 hours.
How Many Treatments Will You Need?
There is no set number of treatments you will need to achieve your aesthetic goals. Everyone has different skin needs, so what works for one person may not work for you. That said, most patients use this treatment once a month as part of their regular skincare routine. You may need as many as five to 12 treatments before you see the optimal results of this treatment.
Refresh Your Skin
Microdermabrasion is a gentle exfoliation treatment that can improve the overall appearance of your skin. Most people are good candidates, including most pregnant women and people who have sensitive skin. Please contact Dr. Michael I. Jacobs in New York, NY to schedule your consultation today.