Microdermabrasion is a technique that has become popular in recent years as a beauty treatment, featured in many spas as a way to improve the health of your skin. This procedure it the latest in a long line of beauty treatments to improve looks. However, as a new procedure, people may not understand just what makes it so great as a beauty treatment. By comparing microdermabrasion and traditional facials, we will see that this new procedure is simply a new addition to the world of skin care.

Scouring Your Skin

In essence, microdermabrasion works like pumice stone might to remove a callous; that is, it uses scouring action in order to remove dead skin cells from your face. Microdermabrasion can improve facial features by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and other fine lines, reduce the appearance of some scars, and even helping to clear up acne by cleaning pores. As far as discomfort, microdermabrasion facial treatments are relatively gentle, requiring no anesthesia, safe enough to be done at day spas.

Similarities To Facials

Microdermabrasion is like facials in that they both find ways to treat, nurture, or exfoliate the skin. In this, microdermabrasion resembles facials that remove skin cells, particularly scrubs or peels. Keep in mind, however, that some facials are merely for the purpose of cleansing and won't provide some of the more noticeable results that you might get with microdermabrasion.

Among the facial techniques, microdermabrasion is perhaps most similar to the chemical peel. As the name suggests, chemical peels use chemicals to remove the outer layers of skin. Both have the same sorts of results, that is the reduction of scars, wrinkles, and other lines, as well as a reduction of acne. However, while microdermabrasion is a relatively painless procedure, chemical peels can be painful and sometimes require anesthesia and usually require a recovery period of a week or more. On the other hand, while microdermabrasion is gentler, it may require multiple treatments to be effective.

Which Is Better?

Ultimately, neither microdermabrasion nor facials are better than each other; instead, they can often compliment each other. Microdermabrasion may reduce fine lines and scars while a gentler cleansing facial may leave the skin feeling rejuvenated and cleaned between microdermabrasion treatments. With perhaps the exception of chemical peels, microdermabrasion does not necessarily replace most facial treatments, but works with them to enhance beauty. So next time you're at your day spa, consider asking about a microdermabrasion facial to have skin that stays beautiful.