Is Microdermabrasion Harming Your Skin?

Skin Care Tip of the Day: This professional skin procedure launched in 1998 and quickly became the most sought-after treatment for smoothing the skin.

When you undergo microdermabrasion, a closed vacuum device gently sprays aluminum oxide crystals through a tube, into a hand piece and onto your skin. The machine mixes the gentle abrasion particles with suction to remove the surface dry, damaged outer layers of your skin. The crystals polish your face and the suction stimulates blood flow and collagen production…

All of this is beneficial to the skin; however for thin, red skins with fragile capillaries, the suction is the part that can cause damage. As you age, capillaries and blood vessels naturally get weaker (particularly those with fair skin) so to intentionally pull and tug on the skin can cause the structural walls to rupture— resulting in damage.

Particularly if you’re a skin type #5 or skin type #9, we suggest you avoid microdermabrasion.

At Renée Rouleau Skin Care Spas, we have discontinued offering microdermabrasion because we have found that the combination of ultrasonic exfoliation and chemical peels give better results without the wear and tear on capillaries—for all skin types.