For some, it’s the ponies. Others have shoes. I will spend any spare $150 on microdermabrasion. I was the one who quit tanning at 22, with dire pronouncements about skin cancer as I swathed myself in bandages to protect myself from the sun’s evil rays. Okay, maybe sunblock, not Invisible Woman, but the thought was there.
I was first on the block with the Retin-A prescription. Fruit acids go on every morning. Q-10? Q-43! I’ve also tried every glycolic peel at the dermatologist’s, had a deep Obagi peels, and ten sessions with a laser to blot out hyperpigmentation. I’ve even had a collagen test as retro as that is. So, when I heard about microdermabrasion, my little ears pricked up. I was noticing some fine lines that were not quite as responsive to Retin-A’s caresses as they needed to be. I’d read a book, The Youth Corridor, and started debating whether to have a deep peel done, a radical procedure. Though the prospect of rolling the clock back about 15 years on my face was really tempting, I took the liberty of checking out what the doctor said was the next best thing…microdermabrasion.
How it works:
Really, it’s like a tiny sander. The nurse or esthetician holds a stylus that blows tiny polishing crystals onto your face which sandblast off the top dead layer. With your skin in this vulnerable, revealed condition, you pulverize it with Retin-A and gycolic acids which go to town even more deeply, and wait until the next session for more.
How many do you need?
You do a minimum of three sessions, but ideally five or more. Sessions are scheduled one week a part. Doing a series is really important. They won’t give you just one. Prices range from $75 – $150.
What to expect:
It takes about a half an hour. Afterwards your face is really, really red – more so than after an office glyco-peel. It subsides by the next day and then peels like a complete maniac until your next session. The cycle takes about a month and throughout, you’re peely and yucky. (Last year I managed to meet a guy in the middle of it and date him throughout, so it’s not that repulsive.)
Final results:
I didn’t feel like I got the dramatic results that a deep peel would have given me: essentially, the erasure of all fine lines. But the results definitely are FAR more extreme than a regular glycolic peel and lasted for at least six months. The texture of my skin was unbelievable. I still think that I rolled the clock back some, and definitely gained traction.
More recently I tried out the Neutrogena system with the handheld whirly pad and special jar of crystalline cream. It works great and for under $50, it’s a nice alternative. I don’t necessarily rank its results with 5 actual micro sessions but it’s an absolutely awesome exfoliator that will hand you back your glow in a hurry.
