Microdermabrasion: Steps To Prepare for the Treatment

If you’re looking for a treatment that can bring fresh, healthy skin to the surface, microdermabrasion may be just the ticket. Whether you’ve suffered skin damage due to too much time in the sun, scarring due to any number of reasons, or a plague of acne, this treatment can help. Performed at plastic surgery offices and medical spas around the country, it has done wonders for many men and women who thought that the worthless lotions in the drugstore were their final option.

Much gentler on the face than conventional dermabrasion, the treatment uses small crystals to blast away the unhealthy skin on the surface, using a combination of that abrasive power with a small vacuum suction to remove the upper, dead layer of the skin. Although it sounds like it would be, microdermabrasion causes very little pain and is usually done without any anesthetic aid. A typical session will last somewhere in the neighborhood of a half an hour. If you’re interested in getting the treatment, there are a few things you can do to prepare for your appointment.

Many medical and beauty experts recommend getting into the habit of washing your face every day with an alpha hydroxy based cleanser. This will start loosening dirt in the pores, getting rid of those difficult-to-remove vestiges of makeup, and taking away some of the excess, flaky dried skin on the surface. It is also recommended that you use a sunscreen of at least SPF 50 if you are planning to be outside in the sun for any length of time. You don’t want to go into your microdermabrasion session with a sunburn. Besides that, however, it is important to begin avoiding the damage that sun exposure can do to your skin. It contributes greatly to the aging process and can put you at risk of developing melanoma.

Additionally, preparation for microdermabrasion should include putting exfoliating creams to work each night. This light regimen can get the skin ready for the more intense work that the treatment will do, giving you more pronounced benefits from the procedure. Once or twice a week, it would benefit you to use an exfoliating scrub as well, which can get rid of some of the dead skin which has a tendency to build up.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to do anything at all to prepare for your appointment if you don’t want to. If your appointment is for tomorrow and you’re thinking of canceling because you haven’t done these steps, perish the thought. If you have the time and inclination, these are just some simple tips that can help you get the most out of your microdermabrasion.