FAQ Microdermabrasion
Q. What is microdermabrasion?
A. MD – is the removal of the top layer of skin. It can be archived in a few different ways such as the use of chemicals (AHA and Enzyme Peels), by the evaporation of the top layer utilizing laser techniques or by using mechanical abrasion – crystal, hydro or diamond microdermabrasion.
Q. How does it work?
A. Our skin produces new cells all the time. They go through their own life circle and eventually fall off although this shedding process is not OPTIMAL.
All cells are “glued” together with a lipid (oil) substance. It's a protective mechanism that creates a shield of dead cells on our face which acts as a barrier to such things as sun rays, pollution, etc.
When an excess of these dead cells collects on the surface the skin begins to suffer. It begins to look dull, grayish and forms wrinkles easily. The production of new cells also slows down.
Pores clog more easily and tend to widen at the same time. Removing/abrading excess dead cell's layers helps to renew the structure of the entire skin.
Q. What is the proper technique?
A. Diamond microdermabrasion uses a metal tip covered with crushed artificial diamond chips. It is like exceptionally high-quality sandpaper that removes “rust” from the surface of our skin.
The effectiveness of the treatment depends on the skills of the operator. For those using this for the first time, it may feel awkward to you but you will gain confidence after each use.
The diamond tip should be used to "stroke" the skin, abrading the top level.
Mentally divide your skin into small sections and work over each section in different directions – performing from 4 to 10 strokes over each area depending on how sensitive your skin is.
Use a minimum amount of strokes to begin with and observe your skin's reaction. Skin varies from person to person and so will the skin's reaction to this treatment so be conservative in its usage.
Take a look at your face the following day. If you are not seeing a slight redness and/or dry feeling you may wish to increase the number of strokes during your next treatment. It is always best to start slow and be safe.
Q. Do I need to press the tip firmly to the skin?
A. No. There is no need to apply much pressure, just stroke the skin lightly with minimal pressure. The harder you press the more you stretch and pull your skin which may cause excessive redness as well as soreness.
Using excessive pressure can also cause bruising especially for those who bruise easily.
Q. How strong should be the vacuum?
A. Diamond microdermabrasion is not a vacuum MASSAGE! The vacuum is only a secondary feature to remove the exfoliated cells from the skin during the process.
These exfoliated cells are extremely light and therefore a minimal suction is needed to remove them. Too much suction may cause unnecessary stress to the skin, stretching it and increasing the chance of bruising.
Use the minimum amount of suction required in order to vacuum away the cells but not so much as to cause the skin to pull when removing the tip from the skin surface.
Q. I feel like my home use device does not have strong suction during the treatment. Will it affect the results?
A. The strength of vacuum suction does not affect the quality of your treatment - it is needed only to remove dead skin cells after each stroke of a diamond tip. The vacuum power of a home-use device is 16inHG.
This power is sufficient to remove exfoliated cells from your face.
Check the vacuum pump before you assemble the machine pressing your finger to a vacuum nozzle. You should feel the suction.
When you connect the accessories you may perform the vacuum test as follow: 1) Turn the intensity knob on 1/2 of its max. capacity.
2) Turn the machine on.
3) Press the tip firmly to the skin on the inner side of your arm. 4) Hold on for 10 seconds.
5) Lift the tip of the skin. You should feel a slight resistance and the skin on your arm will show a red circle. It will go away in 2-3 seconds. The skin should not be pulled and you should be able to lift the tip without an effort.
This is the correct amount of vacuum suction for a microdermabrasion treatment.
6) Turn the intensity knob to maximum capacity.
7) Press the tip firmly to the skin on the inner side of your arm. 8) Hold on for 10 seconds.
9) Gently try to lift the tip - you should feel a distinctive suction and the tip will pull your skin as you are trying to remove it. You will not be able to remove the tip without an effort. The mark on your skin would be more distinctive and will stay on for about a minute or two.
This is an excessive amount of suction for miscodermabrasion treatment and should be avoided.
Q. What is before and aftercare?
A. The skin should be clean and dried completely before treatment. The tips should be dry as well. At no time should this treatment be performed on skin that is damp or with tips that have not been dried completely.
After any procedure, a good moisturizer should be applied with a sterile pad. Even clean hands are not recommended at this time.
Q. What is the best product to apply after dermabrasion?
A. Remember, dermabrasion opens the skin to bacterial infections. It's simple, you've just removed the protective layer but, do not panic, in just a few days a new protective layer of these cells will have formed. Immediately following your treatment and at least for the next couple of days, the chance for breakouts, inflammation or even staphylococcus infections are the highest ( read troubleshooting below).
The main sources for these bacterias are; your cosmetic brushes, fingers as well as opened jars of used creams.
Normally your skin fights bacteria associated with these products successfully but not during this restoration period once the skins protective barrier has been removed.
Q. Recommended products?
A. All cosmetics that come in sealed one time use packaging (for example our ampule serums and collagen masks).
Products that come in airless pump-up bottles or eye droppers bottles (provided the eyedropper has not come in contact with skin).
Examples are hyaluronic acid serums or peptide serums, anti-aging serums and lotions. It is recommended that you have an antibiotic cream on hand just in case you have overworked any areas. Visual signs of your treatment normally will not show for a minimum of 12 - 24 hours.
Q. What to expect after treatment?
A. If you have performed the treatment correctly you should experience a slight redness right after the procedure. If you apply a calming or hydrating mask to your face, with a sterile medium, immediately afterward the redness usually will lessen or disappear.
The next day your skin will feel dry and as though it has been stretched tight. This feeling is somewhat similar to a light sunburn.
A good moisturizer is a must at this point. Remember, use a sterile medium only.
Q. How often do I do the treatments?
It depends. We recommend that you start with a once a week treatment and maintain this for 4-6 weeks.
This way you are able to monitor the way your skin reacts and it will give it time to heal in between treatments. Then once monthly as a supportive treatment should be enough.
Observe your skin reaction over time. It might be that you'll want or need longer periods between treatments. You should adjust the timing to your comfort level. If you experience any adverse skin reactions you should stop all treatments.
People with sensitive should be exceptionally careful when using this type of treatment.
TROUBLESHOOTING
I do not experience any of change in my skin condition after one or two treatments – it all feels the same.
- you may not have used enough strokes or stroked extremely light resulting in a treatment that was not successful, nothing actually was exfoliated. - you may have used a tip that is too fine (like D260).
The first day after the treatment my skin was fine, but the next day my skin is really red I have abrasions all over my face.
- you overdid the area. The common sign of it is as follows - the first day your skin seems fine: it had slight redness after the treatment but it disappeared in a few hours.
The next day, the skin looks as it got scratched or has abrasions. It means that you remove too much of a top skin layer and your body is creating a protective shield to heal the spot. It is recommended that you apply fewer strokes and a finer tip, or less pressure next time. If something like this has happened use an antibiotic cream to help heal the abrasions, prevent infections and prevent future problems.
Do not apply any form of make-up before these abrasions have completely healed. Do not start the next dermabrasion session until your skin restores completely.
My first treatment was fine, but after the second one my skin is really red and the next day I have abrasions all over my face.
- you overdid the area. Remember, after the first treatment your skin is now thinner. It is recommended that you use a shorter session with fewer strokes and a finer tip.
If something like this has happened use an antibiotic cream to help heal the abrasions, prevent infections and prevent future problems.
Do not apply any form of make-up before these abrasions have completely healed. - you may not have allowed your skin to heal long enough in between treatments.
I have breakouts within a few days after my procedure
- our skin hosts a lot of bacteria. It's called – microflora and completely natural. An example of this is "staphylococcus bacteria". These bacteria are usually harmless and skin's own protective system helps to keep them at bay, however, after dermabrasion this protective level diminished greatly increasing the chance for these bacteria to multiply to a serious level. - you may have applied something to your face that was not sterile or the medium used was not sterile
- It may happen: - If you do not clean your skin religiously every morning and night - use unsterilized makeup brushes, sponges or make up that is old or left open - scoop your favorite cream with your finger from a jar. - have a tendency to touch your face constantly during the day.
