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Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic treatment that involves exfoliating the skin for improved tone and texture. You may have a few questions about how it works, how to care for your skin post treatment, and what microdermabrasion is used for. We decided to let our licensed estheticians answer some our most frequently asked questions about microdermabrasion.
What is microdermabrasion?
Microdermabrasion is a procedure that removes the top layers of skin. This exfoliating treatment promotes new collagen production, smooths out the skin and helps reverse signs of aging by minimizing scars and smoothing our fine lines.
What type of microdermabrasion does Shine offer?
There are two types of microdermabrasion: diamond and crystal. Crystal microdermabrasion is what is most commonly used by most skin care professionals. During crystal microdermabrasion a handheld wand delivers tiny microcrystals across the skin removing damaged or aging skin. The device uses a small vacuum that sucks up the dead skin and used crystals leaving the skin refreshed post-procedure. Diamond-tip microdermabrasion utilizes a wand with a tip made from natural or synthetic diamond chips. Shine offers two passes with crystal microdermabrasion followed by a single diamond-tip pass to finish the treatment.
How often would you recommend someone have microdermabrasion treatments?
We recommend at least a series of three treatments, spaced 3-4 weeks apart. If a client has pigmentation, scarring or deep wrinkles, more treatments will be necessary.
Is there any downtime with microdermabrasion?
There is no downtime when receiving microdermabrasion treatments. However, we do recommend that you stop your Rentin-A or Retinol topicals five days prior to your treatment.
How should someone care for their skin after a microdermabrasion treatment?
We suggest a “core 4” product regimen that consist of an antioxidant, Retinol or Retin-A, moisturizer, and SPF of 30 or higher. This will keep the skin healthy and hydrated giving the client a better faster result.
You go to great lengths to keep your skin looking its best by using serums, creams and receiving skin treatments, all of which play an important part in managing healthy-looking skin. However, it’s also important to understand what’s happening underneath your skin to affect its pigmentation, or color. So, lets dive into what pigmentation is and how it can be treated.
What is pigmentation?
Pigmentation is the color of a person’s skin. There are also two types of pigmentation, hyperpigmentation (darker) and hypopigmentation (lighter).
What causes changes in pigmentation?
Most of what we perceive as aging is caused by factors that you can control, the main one being the amount of time your skin spends exposed to the sun. Excessive sun exposure may be responsible for structural changes in the skin that will not be seen for years and can also cause drastic changes to your skin’s pigmentation.
The sun’s rays speed up how active your skin cells, or melanocytes, are. Melanocytes produce melanin, the pigment that gives your skin its color, so more exposure to the sun means more pigment in your skin.
Pigmentation changes may also take place in those who have darker skin, as dark skin tends to have more melanin, which makes one more susceptible to a condition known as melasma. Also known as “pregnancy mask,” melasma is characterized by brown or tan patches on the face and is caused by a change in hormone levels.
Additionally, changes in pigmentation may also be attributed to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). PIH, which is caused by trauma to the skin such as acne, these are dark spots that remain long after the initial inflammation has healed.
Treatment and prevention
The good news is that you can manage pigmentation changes to your skin by limiting your exposure to the sun and avoiding unnecessary trauma to your skin. Some easy-to-follow recommendations include wearing an SPF 30 or higher every day, bringing a hat or umbrella for further protection from the sun, and always wearing sunglasses.
Hydroquinone is considered by many to be the gold standard for treating pigmentation issues and is a key ingredient in the Obagi Nu Derm System which is ideal for treating age spots, dark spots, and melasma.
We offer our clients a free Visia Skin Analysis to determine the best treatment option for maximum results.
