Microdermabrasion Quick Info

Microdermabrasion (also known as particle resurfacing and by other names, including Power Peels, Derma Peels and Parisian Peels) is a relatively new skin polishing technique, performed both by aestheticians in spas and salons as well as by technicians in dermatologists' and plastic surgeons' offices. The operator uses a handheld device that blasts fine particles of sandlike crystals (aluminum oxide or table salt) against the client's skin and vacuums away the used crystals, dirt and dead surface skin. Microdermabrasion is also called a "lunchtime peel," because it takes only 20 to 30 minutes for a full-face treatment. (The procedure also can be used on the neck and chest.) The patient can then return to work with only mild skin redness, which can be covered up right away with makeup. The redness will fade on its own after an hour or two. This procedure is not painful (patients feel a slight tingling as it is being done), requires no anesthesia and will not adversely lighten or darken African American skin, as some exfoliating treatments do. The treatment leaves the skin with a healthy glow. To achieve optimal benefits, five to 10 treatments, every seven to 10 days, are needed; most patients see improvement after the fourth or fifth session. After the initial series, periodic maintenance treatments (from once a month to once every three months, as needed) are often recommended.