Microdermabrasion is a non-surgical treatment which can refresh the appearance of the skin, helping to diminish sun damage, iron out fine lines and wrinkles, reduce enlarged pores, and smooth coarse textured skin. The treatment uses a powerful device to spray fine, hard sand-like aluminum dioxide microcrystals across the skin’s surface which blasts away the uppermost layer of dead skin cells. This exposes the fresh skin beneath and also stimulates the production of collagen. A microdermabrasion treatment takes 20-30 minutes and involves little or no recovery time. It can greatly reduce the appearance of blemishes, whiteheads and blackheads, as well as reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles for a more youthful appearance. Some stretch marks also respond well to this treatment. Microdermabrasion can be uncomfortable, but is not normally painful. It is usually performed in a dermatologist’s or doctor’s office and can be performed on the face neck, chest, back and hands. Your microdermabrasion doctor may recommend a series of 5-10 treatments for best results.

Am I a Candidate? If you are looking for a minimally invasive procedure to deliver an improved skin tone and reduction in the appearance of fine lines, age spots, stretch marks or scars, then you may be a suitable candidate for a microdermabrasion treatment.

Before Treatment - Your first discussion with a practitioner should clearly set out your expectations, so that your practitioner can ascertain if a microdermabrasion treatment will be sufficient to deliver the results you desire, or if you may need to combine it with other treatments.

During Treatment - The skin is usually cleaned prior to treatment, then you will be provided with goggles to protect your eyes from any stray crystals. The microdermabrasion machine will then blast a stream of fine micro particles across the skin to remove the dead skin cells. Crystals are directed onto the face and then immediately vacuumed away, along with the loosened skin particles. The intensity of treatment can be varied, either by altering the number of crystals used, the pressure, or the length of treatment. This procedure can be repeated every week for a series of 5 to 10 sessions, then top-up treatments can be scheduled every 3-4 months to maintain results.

Recovery – Treatment usually takes around 10-30 minutes, but stretch marks can take as long as two hours to treat. Most patients find that they can return to work immediately after treatment.

Benefits - Microdermabrasion is a skin rejuvenating technique designed to improve the texture and appearance of the skin without surgery. The results are subtle, resulting in a fresher appearance with reduced fine lines and wrinkles and a more even skin tone. Microdermabrasion can also stimulate circulation in the face, causing new skin cells to grow.

Risks and Complications - The treatment is usually painless, although the skin may feel a little tight and look quite red for 1-2 hours following treatment. Deeper treatments aimed at scar tissue or stretch marks may take around 3-4 days for the skin to heal completely. There is a very small risk of mild pigment changes to the skin that generally clear up within a month. The risk of any scarring is very rare.

Cost - The cost of microdermabrasion ranges from £40-£70 for a 30-minute session. Multiple treatment sessions are usually offered at a discount.

Choosing a Practitioner - There are some very mild microdermabrasion machines which can be undertaken by trained beauticians, however more aggressive machines that have a deeper effect on the skin are designed for nurses’ or doctors’ use only.