What Is the Difference Between Microdermabrasion & a Chemical Peel?
November 8, 2012 8:36 pmI see quite a few clients on a weekly basis seeking to improve the general tone, texture, and appearance of their skin. Many will ask what the difference is between Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peels so I thought we’d use this blog post to address this question.
Both microdermabrasion and chemical peels are used to remove dead layers from skin for a more youthful appearance. Wrinkles, acne scars, sun damage/hyperpigmentation and general poor skin tone can be improved after several treatments. Both methods need to be performed by a trained Medical Esthetician or Dermatologist.
The biggest difference between microdermabrasion and a chemical peel is the resulting amount of exfoliation to the skin. Microdermabrasion is a gentle, non-invasive procedure that abrades away surface level dead skin; usually the first 1-2 layers. Microderm usually requires no downtime. A chemical peel is a more assertive method of removal involving 2-3 layers of skin and usually requires recovery time.
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is most often used for treating skin blemishes, sun damage and other minor skin flaws and is usually considered a milder method of fixing skin issues, refreshing the surface, or resurfacing the skin due to scarring. Microdermabrasion machines use either the preferred diamond-tipped wand or a wand that sprays tiny crystals onto the face to either scrub away surface level dead skin cells. It is a relatively simple process and patients should experience no pain at all or at most a mild discomfort. You may leave your technicians office a little pink, but you should be back to normal in just a few hours.
Chemical Peel
Although microdermabrasion is usually very standard, chemical peels vary in type and strength. A chemical peel can help remove deep wrinkles and scars in a way that a microdermabrasion cannot. The chemicals are applied to clean skin and wiped off to create an almost “sunburn-like” reaction. The chemicals cause the upper layers of skin to exfoliate and peel, forcing the lower layers of skin to grow at a more rapid rate and therefore create new, fresher, healthier layers.
There are three major categories of chemical peels – superficial (mild), medium, and deep peels. Deep chemical peels are used for intensive scarring or deep wrinkles in the face. They penetrate several layers of skin resulting in the equivalent of a second-degree burn and are usually only performed by a licensed dermatologist. A medium peels is less intensive than a deep peel and is for those with moderate scarring/wrinkling/sagging. A medium peel includes Jessner, trichloroacetic acid (also called TCA), or the process of a dual modality peel. Superficial peels use alphahydroxy acids, or AHAs, such a lactic or glycolic acids that remove only the fine outer layer of skin.
Chemical peels do have a bit of a downtime. You may be pink for a few days after the treatment and sensitive to the sun until you are completely healed. The flaking and peeling action in the procedures take place three to five days after your visit to your Medical Esthetician. This will take several days to fully complete during which time you will be guided on how to best “feed” your skin and make sure you look and feel your best.
This is generally what “peeling/flaking” looks like.
Because chemical peels vary in strength and depth the safest recommendation is to wait three weeks between each one to insure that your skin is fully healed and ready to be resurfaced again.
