But, Dermaplaning Is More Aggressive Than Micro

Your face is how you greet the world. It’s the first thing people see when they see you. Whether you just want to maintain the healthy skin you already have or you have some skin issues you’d like to improve upon, regular facial treatments can help. When considering light facial treatments, microdermabrasion and dermaplaning are two of the most popular options available. While they are similar, there are some separate benefits and drawbacks to consider when making your choice.

Microdermabrasion is a light cosmetic procedure that removes the outermost layer of dead cells from the skin. It is relatively painless, non-invasive procedure.

Microdermabrasion (often shortened to micro) sloughs dead skin cells from the surface of skin using an abrasive “diamond tip” suction wand. It also aids in reducing the appearance of large pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. Speeding up cell production, it works well for congested skin.

It’s not an aggressive treatment and it is better as a maintenance tool. You’ll need a micro on a very regular basis over a period of time to see significant results. Since it requires very little downtime, microdermabrasion can be combined with gentle facials or light peels. However, it’s not for those with rosacea, broken capillaries, excessively dry skin, or severe acne.

Dermaplaning is also an exfoliation procedure and is performed with a sterile scalpel held at a 45-degree angle and lightly passed over the skin in a scraping motion. No pain or slicing of any kind! It removes layers of dead skin cell buildup along with “peach fuzz” from the face. Keep in mind that this is just an added perk of the procedure and should not be thought of as the main reason for it. As it is a manual non-chemical procedure, pregnant and nursing clients can receive it without worrying about the side effects associated with some ingredients in chemical peels.

Keep in mind that this is not well suited for deep lines and wrinkles or skin with irregular texture. It’s also not for use for severe acne, as it can spread bacteria present in blemishes. It’s best for mild acne, dry to normal and mild to moderate fine lines and wrinkles.

Which One is Right for You?

Microdermabrasion and dermaplaning have a lot in common. Both resurface skin and speed up cellular turnover, leading to smoother, younger-looking skin. Both require regular treatments or a series of treatments. They are both manual as opposed to chemical procedures. And neither require very much down time.

But, dermaplaning is more aggressive than micro. Micro is more of a maintenance treatment while dermaplaning is for correcting existing problems. On the other hand, dermaplaning is safer for more skin types because it doesn’t suck or pull at the skin the way micro does. Those with rosacea, for instance, wouldn’t be able to have the vacuum used for micro on their face.

In short, if you’re looking for a preventative or maintenance procedure, try microdermabrasion. If you’re ready to correct an existing issue, go with dermaplaning. And if you’re not sure, start with micro and move on to dermaplaning if you’re not seeing the results you’d like.