Microdermabrasion for Acne: Don't Over Do It

In an earlier article, I talked about how microdermabrasion helped me get rid of a mild case of adult acne. I thought I’d talk a little more about what I have learned about these treatments and how they relate to acne.

As I mentioned, my acne was mild and after about 6 treatments I was seeing an improvement. Microdermabrasion works for acne because the crystals used abrade the skin enough to loosen dead skin cells and the dirt and oil that are clogging the pores. The professional process also uses a vacuum to remove all this “debris”. The suction used has to be stronger when treating acne than it is for other treatments in order to ensure that the pores get completely unclogged.

Although this didn’t happen with me, I understand that in some cases the first session or two of microdermabrasion can cause more breakouts. They call this a “purge” because all of the underlying bacteria are being pulled to surface of the skin, and once there, it can result in more pimples. But when this so-called purge is over, the real improvement starts. These outbreaks can happen more if you are using a home kit because the dirt and bacteria stay on your skin longer before you can rinse it away.

You need to be careful not to overdo microdermabrasion, especially when using home kits. When you start to see results, you may be tempted to use it more often. But your skin needs time to recover and new skin needs to grow between each treatment. Too many treatments can irritate your skin. From what I understand, Dermanew may be the only maker of home microdermabrasion kits that makes one specifically for treating acne. The cream that is used contains aspirin, which can counteract any inflammation that the other ingredients might cause.