Microdermabrasion Facials

You don’t need topical or local anesthetic to numb your skin before microdermabrasion. The procedure usually isn’t painful, but you might feel a scratching, stinging, sucking or vibrating sensation on your skin.

Your healthcare provider uses one of two techniques to remove dead or damaged cells in microdermabrasion:

• Crystal microdermabrasion: Using this method, your dermatologist shoots tiny crystals through a tube. The crystals loosen and knock off dead skin cells. Then, your provider vacuums up the debris (the crystals and dead skill cells) using the same tube. It’s like sandblasting only much, much gentler.
• Diamond microdermabrasion: In this method, your dermatologist uses a diamond-tipped wand to remove (and vacuum up debris from) the top layer of your skin. This works a little more like an electric sander, but it’s much, much gentler.

Treatment usually lasts about 30 to 40 minutes.