There are many different ways to rejuvenate your facial appearance without the use of surgery. A variety of cosmetic centres today offer a range of products and treatments that are designed to improve the appearance and overall health of your skin, often with little or no downtime required. However, in order to get the most out of your medical spa experience and your skin care routine, it’s important to understand what different procedures can do for you.
When it comes to skin rejuvenation, microneedling and microdermabrasion are often confused with one another. To help clear confusion and ensure you understand what is involved in both treatments, we are delving deeper into the differences between the two treatments.
How does microdermabrasion work?
This treatment is a non-invasive, non-surgical procedure that utilizes both diamond and crystal tips to painlessly and gently remove the dull, dead and old-looking outermost skin layer. This means that the procedure gently abrades away the outer layer and reveals the vibrant, youthful, and glowing skin you always wanted by encouraging new skill cells to grow.
Microdermabrasion is a safe procedure that can benefit a variety of skin types. It can also highly benefit skin that has suffered damage through excessive sun exposure. Quite literally within seconds of your treatment, your skin will instantly look and feel healthier and cleaner than ever before.
How does microneedling work?
Microneedling is also known as skin needling and works by giving minute punctures to the skin using precision medical micro-needles which are attached to a highly-engineered device known as the DermaPen. These punctures stimulate collagen growth, which is the key to skin rejuvenation and repair.
Key differences between microneedling and microdermabrasion
1. Microdermabrasion exfoliates surface skin
With the use of a mechanical device, the skin surface is treated with an ablative material like sodium bicarbonate crystals which is used to scrub off dull and dead skin cells on the surface. The device works by simultaneously using suction, to stimulate circulation in the skin and hygienically “vacuum” away dead skin cells. This results in smoother looking skin.
Since microdermabrasion is non-invasive, there is little discomfort with the procedure. It’s often referred to as the “lunchtime” treatment since it only takes around thirty to sixty minutes, and no downtime is required. The procedure is used to reduce the appearance of fine lines, pore size, wrinkles, stretch marks, age spots, and acne scars on various parts of the body. It’s suitable for most skin types.
Microdermabrasion tends to produce the deepest results since it uses useful medical grade products and equipment. However, there is the option of different levels of results, and you can find many places can perform a “lighter” variation of the procedure which is relaxing and can produce visible (although more subtle) results.
2. Microneedling stimulates new skin
Whilst microdermabrasion tends to focus on exfoliating surface skin, microneedling tends to reach skin below the surface. The procedure creates many microscopic punctures in the skin’s outer layers which then stimulates the body’s production of elastin and collagen during the wound-healing response. It’s used to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, stretch marks, and acne scars on various areas of the body. Damaged tissue is replaced with fresh deposits of collagen, which reduce the appearance of uneven skin texture and indentations. This means it also provides an effective solution for age spots and hyperpigmentation, especially for darker skin tones.
The use of a pen-sized wand in microneedling allows for effective treatment of the entire neck and face area. The corners of the nose, the under-eyes, brow bone, upper-lip and under the chin are also reached with minimal effort.
The microneedling procedure combines state-of-the-art technology in the form of the DermaPen with advanced skin care after-products which are specifically formulated to enhance the patient’s experience. Post-procedure products contain essential ingredients that soothe and nourish the skin. One of the greatest advantages of microneedling is that it’s effective and safe for every skin type.
Conclusion
Overall, both microneedling and microdermabrasion stimulate the natural production of collagen, a process which slows down as you age, resulting in the gradual breakdown of your skin’s tissue. Both procedures can address wrinkles, lines, scarring and other common skin issues.
Depending on your aesthetic goals for your skin, several treatments of microdermabrasion or microneedling may be necessary. These options will continue to improve your skin up to several months following your procedure. If you’re interested in either microneedling or microdermabrasion, it’s important to consult with a qualified, experienced provider like the team at The Derm Lab to learn more.
