Of course, knowing that home microdermabrasion kits are an option is one thing, but since it became clear that the treatment was a popular one and that some people did not fancy paying the best part of a month’s wages to have eight weeks of treatment, the market has become somewhat flooded. How does one decide what the best treatment is? Each manufacturer will insist that theirs is the best and that it has benefits that the others cannot promise. Therefore there is nothing for it but a targeted process of comparison shopping.

This blog cannot point you in the direction of the best treatment for you, not least because different readers will find that different treatments are the best for them. It is clear that the formulae used by the manufacturers vary somewhat, so it follows logically that the “patient” will find that they get highly varying results. If a friend recommends a home microdermabrasion kit to you, it is essential that you consider the question of whether your friend has the same kind of skin as you do. If they do, then what works for them stands an excellent chance of working for you. Otherwise, you should take to the Internet for your comparison shopping needs.

There is a variety of review sites, consumer sites and hepful comparison sites online. If you have a spare hour it is worth sitting down and running a few searches on Google or a similar search engine to see what comes up. Search terms like “best home microdermabrasion” “home microdermabrasion review” and some specific brand names will be the best way to go. When you feel like you have a consensus, then look around for the best price and always – always – follow the manufacturers’ instructions.

Acne scars are a constant reminder to many people that they have been through a very painful experience – usually emotionally as well as physically. No-one wants to carry around a reminder, and for this reason it is important to have a way of dealing with the scars. For an increasing number of people, this way is microdermabrasion. As acne scars are very frequently characterised by raised bumps on the skin, a treatment which takes off a layer of skin is a common-sense approach to dealing with the problem.

There is certainly no harm in choosing microdermabrasion as a way of dealing with acne scars. If you have extensive scarring, then there is something to consider – while the raised scars will be dealt with, you may still be left with some of the sunken scars. There is really nothing much that you can do about this, aside from eat well and drink lots of water and ensure that you treat your skin well. In time they will fade, and this process can be aided by microdermabrasion.

One caveat has to be added, though, to ensure that people are aware of the importance of being well-informed. If you are still affected by the acne vulgaris condition, it is highly unwise to have microdermabrasion. You must concentrate on getting rid of the problem first – although microdermabrasion may remove the outward appearance in the (very) short term, it is likely to encourage breakouts if the problem is still present in your system. Consult with your doctor before considering any treatment that could aggravate an existing problem.

The reasons for this are clearer than one might immediately assume. After all, it may be a slightly threatening way of describing the treatment, but given that in many cases it is necessary to break something down before you can improve it, speeding up the breakdown process will also accelerate the healing. Additionally, although the term itself sounds unpleasant, all that we are really talking about is a treatment that feels broadly similar to being licked by a cat. While that may not sound overly pleasant, it certainly isn’t anywhere near as painful as many other treatments.

Aggressive microdermabrasion is performed with a coarse grit diamond-studded wand that is rubbed on the skin in the area to be treated. Considering that diamond is the hardest substance known to man, this may sound like something that will hurt quite a bit. In actuality, it is at most a little bit of an irritation. Importantly, it stimulates the production of peptides and other compounds which help the body generate collagen – that magical substance that allows our lips to look plumper and our skin to look healthier and more attractive.

If you are still put off by the name then it may be that microdermabrasion and its more aggressive cousin are not for you. However, if you have considered microdermabrasion before but consider that the treatment takes too long, then the more high-intensity version has very clear advantages. You may spend more in one go than you would on basic microdermabrasion, but the results will be more beneficial as a consequence. Ask at your local spa to see if they offer the more aggressive form.

The first thing you will want to make sure of is that you have the treatment done in a good clinic – and not just because this means it will be done well. By “good” we don’t just mean “skilled”. It is just as important that the clinic be clean and sterile, because the treatment is going to strip away one of your natural defences against infection. Have a look around the clinic before you ever hand over any money. You can tell a lot even from the lobby of the building as to whether this is the kind of place you want to have what is a fairly intimate treatment.

Additionally, it is important to be aware of risks you can defend against yourself. If you are having microdermabrasion which involves the use of crystals, try to make sure you keep your mouth and eyes closed as much as possible during the process. It may sound ridiculous, but people going for the treatment have reported problems with coughing and vision problems when the corundum crystals have got into places they shouldn’t have.

The final thing that you should be aware of is that if you are having microdermabrasion sessions shortly before going on holiday somewhere hot and sunny, you should at the very least use a higher protection factor of sun cream on the treated area. As this is newer skin, it will be more exposed to the elements and it is important to avoid this ruining your holiday by burning easily and becoming irritated.

However, because life is not fair, there are some cases in which it will be advised that you do not have a course of microdermabrasion – either with an at-home kit or in a clinic – because the results may well be mixed, and could even be highly negative. It’s a shame, no doubt, but the fact of the matter is that it is much better to accept the situation than to decide that you know better or can work around the problem. The warnings do not exist to annoy you, let’s face it – clinics and laboratories are not going to look to put off potential customers.

One group of people for whom microdermabrasion is not advised is the under-14s. During adolescence, as we all know, change is quite rapid and almost constant. If you go for a cosmetic treatment at that stage, the results may look good on the day, but there is a very real danger that they will not last as long as you would have hoped. Your skin is prone to be oilier and more sensitive at this time, and consequently microdermabrasion could actually exacerbate any problems you are having. When your hormones are in full effect, it is best to let them have their day before taking any treatment.

Pregnant women are also advised not to have microdermabrasion for the same reason as the under-14s. Hormonal changes are the enemy of cosmetic treatment, as they cause so much variation in what your body does from day to day. If you are a member of either of these groups, or have recently had Accutane treatment for acne, it is wise to avoid microdermabrasion for a while.

Are home microdermabrasion kits as trustworthy as treatment in a spa or clinic? The short answer to that question is, regrettably, “no”. However, this is not to say that they are useless or even that they do not have their place. As has been mentioned, treatments in a spa or clinic will cost a significant amount. Home kits tend to come in at about a third of the cost. How effective they are will depend on how well you, or a patient friend, perform the treatment. Even then, different kits will get different results. There is no “best” brand for this.

It is worth doing some comparison shopping on a few consumer sites which will contain reviews of the best home microdermabrasion kits. Although the same kit will have a different effect on two different customers, there are usually fairly standard differences which make it easy to decide which will be the best for you. One might be better for oily skin, another better for patchy skin, and so forth – but from reading the reviews you should get an idea of which kit will work best for you.

One side-effect which is mentioned quite regularly with home microdermabrasion kits is that users can suffer acne breakouts in the aftermath of using them. This, unfortunately, is something of a touch-and-go case. It might happen, although it should not. As long as you follow the instructions on the kit, there should be no problem as long as you don’t expect the same results that you would get at a professional spa. If you follow all the instructions and find that the effects have been less than stellar, you can always write to the company – they may be willing to compensate you if you are dissatisfied.

There is a series of stages by which microdermabrasion affects such an outward improvement on those who undergo the treatment. The first of these stages is visible immediately after the first treatment. The skin looks healthier and smoother. The major reason for this is that the top layer of skin being abraded away results, instantly, in the production of more new skin cells. The cells themselves are larger, and knit together more smoothly because they are still alive.

Dryness of skin is something that we have come to see as a bad thing, and treatments exist for the express purpose of removing dried skin from the face and body. However, in the first 24 hours after microdermabrasion this is less of a concern. Being near the surface allows the new layer of skin to dry out, and as a consequence the skin is less oily than it might otherwise be, giving it a more delicate appearance. It is because this effect is so short-lived that the common advice is to have more than one treatment, taking seven to ten days in between.

After a course of treatments – typically as many as six – the skin will look more youthful because it will effectively have been renewed, removing the old skin from the surface and generating an entirely new outer layer of skin which is more coherent, fresher and clearer. After this, it is entirely up to the individual whether to keep having the treatment or to have a new, dedicated skincare regime.

What the Egyptians did was somewhat different from what we see done and have done to ourselves today. Back then, their idea of dermabrasion was to rub the facial skin with a kind of sandpaper that certainly removed the top layer of skin, but did more besides. What was the height of aesthetic science in those days would horrify many today, and would be more of an injury than a treatment.

One historical figure who used a form of microdermabrasion was Queen Elizabeth who ruled England from 1558 to 1603. In order to retain her youthful beauty she would coat her face with a cream treated with the chemical Borax. This same chemical is now used in industrial cleaning as a form of bleach, and its major effect on Elizabeth was to cause her skin to become excessively pale and brittle. As she aged, the effects on her skin were all the more apparent and no-one would so much as consider using Borax in such a way today. We did not know then all that we know now, however.

As we entered the 20th century, a closer relative to the form of microdermabrasion that we know today developed in Germany and this form used rotating wheels controlled by hand. However, due to the somewhat cumbersome nature of the treatment it was of limited use – as was the treatment carried out in Italy half a century later using wire brushes. This form of dermabrasion used wire brushes and necessitated anaesthetic because it was so painful. In 1985 Italian scientists developed the first microdermabrasion machines, but that is in itself only a part of the story – they have been, and continue to be refined since then.

I’m going to St. Tropez in June, a week after my treatment ends – is there anything I should know?

Yes, there is. Microdermabrasion, as the name suggests, strips some of the skin from your face. The skin underneath, while fresh and attractive, is also more vulnerable and is liable to react to the sun in a more pronounced way that skin elsewhere. You will need a stronger sun cream for the treated area in order to compensate.

A friend of mine has had microdermabrasion and I’m impressed with the results. My skin problems aren’t on my face, though. Is microdermabrasion for me?

There is absolutely no reason why not. People go to spas for microdermabrasion treatments on their hands, their chests and necks. There are spas which report carrying out the treatment on customer’s backs and even on their buttocks. This is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, if your skin treatment is on a part of your body normally covered by clothing, there is an added benefit in that the vulnerability to climatic conditions will matter less.

I keep breaking out in spots and blackheads. Will microdermabrasion solve this problem?

It may remove the blackheads and numerous other outward signs of acne – as this seems to be what you have. However, it will not solve the problem long term. In actual fact, it might stimulate another breakout, so you need to sort that problem out before you go for microdermabrasion. By all means once the problem is gone, microdermabrasion is a great way to get a fresh look. However, for the moment the acne is a more pressing concern.

Microdermabrasion is also inadvisable for people who have finished a corse of Accutane in the last six to twelve months, are pregnant or under the age of fourteen. However, for anyone not in the specified groups it can be a real godsend. Ask around to see how it could help you.

Anyone who has read up on microdermabrasion can tell you that there are side-effects, but that they are highly limited. While the upside is extensive, the potential drawbacks are not likely to put people off, and this is true of microdermabrasion. In actual fact, the number of recognised side-effects from this procedure is a very low one indeed – just the one. The side-effects from microdermabrasion are limited to a simple, small and manageable one – a slight change in skin pigmentation. And even this does not happen to everyone who has the treatment.

There are, of course, other things that you will need to be prepared for when you have a course of microdermabrasion. You may find that your skin feels tender, because the removal of a layer of dead skin from the surface has taken away the natural barrier that protects us from climatic conditions. If you are having the treatment in the winter then you are likely to feel a slightly more bracing nip in the air than you are used to. However, this is a direct result of the reason you are having the treatment. There is, after all, a reason that people with a lot of surface wrinkles are described as “weather-beaten”.

When it comes to side-effects, then, there is not much to worry about with microdermabrasion. Yes, you might feel a slight discomfort, but there is a phrase the French use: il faut souffrir pour etre beau. It means “one must suffer a little to be beautiful”, and with microdermabrasion the suffering is genuinely minimal. The decision for whether it is something you are prepared to deal with is yours alone but it bears repeating – it’s not even painful.