| Although there are literally dozens of treatments | | | | in two basic and important ways to using a home kit. |
| available today for just about every skin condition | | | | Firstly, professional treatment makes no use of |
| there is, microdermabrasion still remains quite popular. | | | | creams, whereas in home kits creams are often the |
| The reason for this is partly to do with the ease with | | | | most essential element and advertised as containing |
| which consumers can experience microdermabrasion | | | | the ‘magic ingredients’ that will fix your skin. This |
| not only in professional spas but also in the comfort of | | | | is misleading for a number of reasons. While it’s |
| their own homes thanks to the sale of home kits and | | | | true that many creams contain aluminum oxide |
| creams. These microdermabrasion home kits can cost | | | | crystals which are the same as what is used with |
| anywhere between $20- 300 and are sold in most | | | | professional machines, it’s not so much the |
| health & beauty stores that can be found in any | | | | substance that is important as it is the method of |
| mall across the country. Although such kits can be | | | | delivery. Professional treatment delivers the crystals to |
| useful in exfoliating the skin it’s important not to be | | | | the skin at a high speed and it is this that causes |
| under any illusion that such kits can get you the same | | | | exfoliation. With home kits you are restricted to rubbing |
| results as professional microdermabrasion treatments. | | | | the cream into your face which is not nearly as |
| Just because it’s called a microdermabrasion kit | | | | effective and sometimes even leads to complications. |
| that does not mean it’s in any substantial way the | | | | Secondly, there is no cream or any moist substance |
| same as professional treatment. Before spending your | | | | used in professional treatment. The crystals are |
| money on false promises and unrealistic expectations, | | | | delivered to a dry face. This is important because a |
| make sure you know the difference between real | | | | basic component of treatment is the extracting of |
| microdermabrasion and what is sold as home | | | | spent crystals along with dead skin cells away from |
| microdermabrasion kits. | | | | the surface of the skin. With home kits there is no |
| Microdermabrasion is in essence an advanced form of | | | | such option and the only way to remove the crystals |
| exfoliation. That means it removes the dead skin cells | | | | is through washing the face which is nowhere near as |
| from the surface of the face or body, thus | | | | effective as an air powder pump in a closed circuit |
| encouraging the production of fresh new cells at a | | | | system. In fact a common complaint about home |
| faster rate, which over time creates a more vibrant | | | | creams is that they are oily and difficult to wash of. |
| skin tone as well as reducing the visibility of wrinkles, | | | | This is more than an inconvenience as in some cases |
| minor blemishes, scars etc. Traditionally the | | | | it is the cream combined with the scrubbing that lodges |
| microdermabrasion procedure has relied on the use of | | | | these tiny abrasive crystals into the skin pores which |
| abrasive crystals to perform the exfoliation process. | | | | causes irritation and spots. |
| Now, what the makers of microdermabrasion home | | | | Although it should be absolutely clear that home kits |
| kits have done is simply make up skin creams | | | | cant give you the same results as pro treatment when |
| containing a few beneficial ingredients like vitamins and | | | | it comes to specific problems like acne, acne scars, |
| added the same crystals used in professional | | | | sun damage etc. that doesn’t mean that home kits |
| microdermabrasion. This is the great selling point that | | | | are all together useless. On the contrary it is highly |
| home kit makers exploit. What consumers need to | | | | recommended to make use of the kits on a regular |
| understand however, is that the effectiveness of | | | | basis as part of a general skin maintenance program. |
| professional microdermabrasion relies not so much on | | | | However, it would be more accurate to market such |
| the use of crystals, but the rather the specific way in | | | | kits simply as home exfoliation kits that cannot get rid |
| which they are used. Once this is understood it | | | | of acne scars but with regular prolonged use will |
| becomes clear that many of the claims made by | | | | improve the overall appearance of skin and possibly |
| home kit makers are patently false. | | | | reduce slightly very fine lines and wrinkles. |
| Receiving treatment at a spa or doctors office differs | | | | |