Written by Michelle Fink, MA
When I visit with a patient who is just starting to think about really taking care of their skin and what they can do procedure wise and may not want to do any “big” procedure, I will recommend microdermabrasions and/or chemical peels.
The most common question I get is what is the difference and which one do you recommend for me?
They are both considered very superficial procedures, meaning that they work on exfoliating or resurfacing just the top most layer of our skin. This, in turn, would require a series of approximately 6 treatments to get the most and longest lasting benefits.
A microdermabrasion is a manual exfoliation of the top most layer of skin by using a diamond chip tipped wand attached to suction. Your skin may be slightly flushed for several minutes to few hours. It will look and feel smoother, even after the first treatment, but will be longer lasting after a few treatments. You can even apply makeup right afterwards. Of course, this is AFTER we’ve applied sunscreen!!
Chemical peels are exfoliation created by applications of chemical solutions. There is, typically, a spicy sensation when these are being applied but that has dissipated by the time the application process is complete. The chemical peels we utilize are self neutralizing, therefore, they are left on your skin for several hours and the only thing applied would be sunscreen. Most generally, patients will wait to wash off the next morning. The peeling process is such that you begin peeling approximately 48 hours after the peel is done and can peel anywhere from 3-5 days but could vary. You are left with very smooth skin and a glow.
Both the microdermabrasions and chemical peels can help with acne, soften fine lines and wrinkles, soften acne scars, slightly lighten hyperpigmentation, and many other benefits when done in the series.
Now we’re back to “Oh the dilemma and which one do you recommend for me?” We would customize our recommendations for your specific concerns for which we would evaluate at your complimentary consultation. For anti-aging concerns, we recommend alternating between the two for the series of 6 total (3 of each). It may also depend on what kind of down time one can have as the microdermabrasion has no real down time and the peel has a few days.
So are you ready to come in and get started??
