Do-it-yourself microdermabrasion.

Unless you are well familiar with the method of microdermabrasion, we suggest that you first read the article about it in the Antiaging Treatments section of this site.

Basically, microdermabrasion is a process of 'scraping' the skin using microcrystals, typically aluminum oxide. This treatment produces exfoliation sometimes sufficient to improve the appearance of fine lines and minor scars. The effectiveness of microdermabrasion as wrinkle treatment is rather limited and some people see no effect whatsoever. Nonetheless, microdermabrasion is often viewed as a worthwhile alternative to chemical peels. The problem is that it usually takes several microdermabrasion treatments too see any results, each costing from $150 to $300. It really adds up over time.

An alternative is to perform microdermabrasion at home. Quite a few commercial do-it-yourself microdermabrasion systems are available and new ones are keep appearing. Our policy is not to endorse any specific brands – you can easily find a suitable brand via web search and reviews.

A few things to keep in mind when selecting and using a DIY microdermabrasion system:

• Make sure you read and carefully follow the manufacturer's instructions
• Test the system outside you face first
• Don't overuse it. Even though home microdermabrasion systems tend to be gentler than professional ones, they still can be overused, resulting in more harm than good.
• Some potentially beneficial active ingredients tend to be relatively ineffective topically because their large molecule size hinders penetration into the skin. Since microdermabrasion partly removes the outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum), it makes the penetration of larger molecules somewhat easier for a brief period of time after the treatment. Hence the use of active ingredients with large molecular size may be more effective right after a microdermabrasion session. Such ingredients include growth factors, hyaluronic acid, beta-glucan, and others.