Microdermabrasion is a procedure that uses micro-particles, tiny rough grains or a diamond-tipped device to remove the outermost layer of skin and provide a healthier or more youthful appearance. The procedure has a number of potential skin effects, including the production of new skin cells, the removal of skin defects and the alteration of growth patterns in deeper layers of skin.
Microdermabrasion
During a microdermabrasion procedure, your doctor will use a handheld device to either apply rough particles to your skin or roughen your skin directly, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Although you may feel the action of these devices on your skin, they are not typically painful. A typical procedure lasts roughly one hour, after which your doctor will remove any remaining particles and apply a skin ointment or moisturizer. Following microdermabrasion, your skin may swell slightly and turn red or pink. Generally, these effects disappear with a day or so after treatment.
Stratum Corneum Removal
The outer layer of your skin, called the epidermis, is composed of a layer of dead skin cells laid over a layer of live, maturing skin cells, according to Discovery Health. The layer of dead skin, called the stratum corneum, acts as a barrier between the environment and deeper skin layers, preventing the entry of all but the smallest particles. This layer also contains many of the blemishes and wrinkles that can alter the appearance of your skin. As a rule, microdermabrasion procedures remove or break apart the stratum corneum.
Upper Skin Effects
When your stratum corneum is removed, your body treats the resultant skin change as a mild form of injury, Discovery Health explains. In response, it produces new replacement skin cells to heal the injury site. Typically, these cells provide your skin with a smoother appearance. In addition, removal of the stratum corneum can relieve or diminish imperfections in your skin such as fine lines, sun damage or blemishes. Removal of the stratum corneum can also allow greater penetration of moisturizing lotions or creams, which no longer have to contend with the stratum corneum’s barrier effects.
Deeper Skin Effects
The rapid loss of skin moisture associated with microdermabrasion may trigger a more rapid production of cells in your skin’s deeper layers, Discovery Health notes. If you undergo microdermabrasion regularly over an extended period of time, the repeated treatments may also alter the way in which these deeper skin layers grow. One potential result of this alteration is the gradual removal of deeper skin blemishes that extend beyond the stratum corneum. Microdermabrasion can also relieve clogged pores in your skin that trigger outbreaks of acne.
Considerations
Certain conditions may make you an unsuitable candidate for microdermabrasion, Discovery Health reports. Examples include widespread acne, active oral herpes, warts, eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, diabetes, lupus, rosacea and fragile capillaries. You may also be unfit for microdermabrasion if you use anticoagulant medications. Consult your doctor for more information on the suitability of microdermabrasion.
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