When I first started working at Groupon, I spent countless hours writing deals for intriguing spa treatments: Vampire/PRP facials, laser liposuction, and the wildly popular skin-resurfacing service known as microdermabrasion. The latter was particularly interesting to me as I learned in my research that it deeply exfoliates skin, removing the dead cells that can clog pores and lead to acne, something I've struggled with. It also seemed way less intimidating to me as I had only been to a spa twice before (injecting your face full of your own blood's plasma à la the Vampire facial seemed like a 5th or 6th spa visit kind of thing). So I decided to get a Groupon for a med spa in Chicago's ritzy Gold Coast neighborhood and headed there to learn just what is microdermabrasion.
I had a lot of other questions going in and wasn't shy about asking the aesthetician to explain the procedure to me. This is what I learned.
What is microdermabrasion, and how does it work?
Microdermabrasion uses a minimally abrasive instrument—either microparticles or a diamond-tipped wand—to gently buff the skin, removing the topmost layer. A vacuum then sucks up the exfoliated skin cells. My aesthetician had a diamond-tipped wand. After a thorough cleansing to remove my makeup, she pressed the wand to my face and began slowly sweeping it across my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It felt rough, a bit like highly dulled sandpaper, but it wasn't at all painful. While she abraded my skin, the vacuum attached to the wand simultaneously sucked up dead skin cells. She also applied the wand to my neck and décolletage.
What are the benefits?
Microdermabrasion removes pore-clogging, complexion-dulling dead skin cells, revealing a new layer of fresher, smoother skin underneath. The process may also boost collagen production and help firm up wrinkles over time. I personally noticed that my skin looked brighter for several days afterward.
However, microdermabrasion typically doesn't offer dramatic results. For that, it's best to have a physician perform dermabrasion, a deeper resurfacing treatment that reaches down to the dermis and requires a local anesthetic.