Probably the single most impressive feature of microdermabrasion machines is that despite their simple design they are effective in treating a wide range of skin problems with a proven track record of providing great results. Some of the common skin conditions for which microdermabrasion is a good treatment include age wrinkles, sun damaged skin, stretch marks and acne scars. The success a patient is likely to have with microdermabrasion depends on a few variables, the most important of which are usually the depth of the skin imperfection and how long they have had it. The longer a patient has had acne scars for example, the more imbedded in their skin it will be and consequently it will be harder to treat. This is especially so with microdermabrasion as it should be pointed out quite honestly that despite its effectives on a wide range of skin problems, these are mostly superficial, and in fact microdermabrasion machines are by and large built to be effective only on treating the superficial layers of skin.
There are literally dozens of microdermabrasion machines on the market these days with every skin care equipment producer wanting to cash in on the large demand for these devices. Despite the fact that every machine manufacturer will try to differentiate their machine from the rest through various design features, the truth is that all microdermabrasion machines work in pretty much the same way and consist of the same main components. The four critical elements that go into making a microdermabrasion machine are; the air pump, tube, wand & to a lesser extent the crystals. The wand is the part of the machine that the skin care professional holds in their hand and comes into contact with your skin. The tube is what connects the wand to the main machine, which is where the air pump resides and provides the air pressure to blast the microdermabrasion crystals onto your skin as well as suck away the spent crystals and dead skin.
Using a microdermabrasion machine is an uncomplicated and generally safe procedure. However, It is imperative that the treatment provider receive specific training as this is not something that can be learnt on the job. Patients who want to know if they are receiving professional treatment should look out for a few things. The microdermabrasion wand should be 100% germ free immediately prior to receiving treatment. This is done either by steaming the wand or soaking it in disinfectant. As the wand is the part of the machine that comes into contact with patients skin its important that bacteria isn’t transferred from one patient to another. If performing diamond microdermabrasion there’s no need to worry about crystals, however as most machines still operate with them its important to know that the crystals are new and unused. When beginning treatment the provider should ask the patient how it feels; anything more than a slight tingling sensation means the velocity of the pump should be turned down to avoid over abrasion.
Microdermabrasion machines broadly fall into two groups. Spa grade machines are by far the most common and are those machines found in all beauty spas. The main limitation of these machines is power. These machines are deliberately built with limited power so as to not cause injury through over abrasion due to high velocity delivery of crystals to the skin. Despite this the machines are still perfectly fine to be used and very effective at treating a wide range of mild to intermediate skin problems. Medical grade machines on the other hand are much more powerful and have the ability to cause severe abrasion past the superficial layers of the skin. This can be highly dangerous unless under the supervision of a dermatologist who has made a comprehensive assessment of the patients skin and is carrying out strong microdermabrasion as part of an overall treatment course. For this reason these machines are only sold to doctors and should only ever be used by expert medical professionals.
For more detailed information check out this page on microdermabrasion machines.
By: Andrew Paine
About the Author:
Andrew Paine is a skin care specialist and webmaster of http://www.micro-dermabrasion-treatment.com a resouce dedicated to providing information on popular cosmetic skin procedures.
