How to Give Yourself a Microdermabrasion Facial at Home
Microdermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure that exfoliates and removes the topmost layer of dry, dead skin cells by use of tiny crystals. The general idea is that once the stratum corneum (that topmost layer) is removed, the body interprets the exfoliation as a mild injury and rushes to replace the lost skin cells with new and healthy ones. The skin’s surface is left improved, soft, glowing, and sans blemishes, fine lines, and sun damage.
Most people think that home microdermabrasion kits consist of special micro-crystal creams that pale in comparison to professional facials that cost up to $200 per session. Although I’ve used those creams for a stronger exfoliation in the past, I never felt that I experienced the full benefits of the treatment. I recently discovered the Personal Microderm skincare tool that claims to provide the same professional results, but in the privacy of your own home. The PMD combines crystal exfoliation with a vacuum suction top to “remove the dead, dull skin cell barrier, increase blood flow, and stimulate the body’s natural production of collagen and elastin.” Here is my honest opinion as well as everything you should know about about the PMD.
My clean, bare face before using my PMD for the first time. In six weeks I’ll post the after photos, with additional details on how my skin changed in that time.
The Benefits
My main skin concerns are redness, especially around my nose. I’m not prone to breakouts, but I do get the occasional blemish and I’m obsessed with getting the natural glow-iest of skin possible. My skin tends to be dry, so I’m looking forward to my creams and serums being more effective thanks to the PMD.
By removing the stratum corneum, microdermabrasion reduces the appearance of blemishes, sun damage, scars, fine lines, and wrinkles. The skin surface is left improved and pores minimized, giving the skin a visibly healthy glow and allowing makeup to go on smoother. Without the dead skin as a barrier, skincare products are rendered more effective because their active ingredients and moisture can penetrate to lower layers of the skin.
How to Use the PMD
I found the PMD machine to be really easy and quick to use, but it is very powerful and can be damaging if used incorrectly. You will receive a training dvd with your kit that you have to watch before your first session. Essentially, it covers proper technique and how to clean the machine. Before using the PMD make sure to cleanse your face properly, so no makeup or oil is left on your skin. Test the attachment disc of your choice on your arm or leg first to see your skins reaction, and use the small discs for the face and the large discs for the body. I began with the white training disc as instructed, but if you know that you have coarse skin you may wish to start with the blue sensitive disc one level up.
It doesn’t hurt when you move quickly, however, you need to move swiftly across the skin and take special care not to hover on any one spot or you’ll damage too many layers. Always hold your skin taught with one hand and move the machine in upward strokes with the other, avoiding the sensitive area around the orbital bone. The first time I used the PMD it left a white dust on my skin, which is said to be the resulting dead skin. I only saw this dust during my first trial, not with the more abrasive disc, so it may or may not happen for you depending on how much dead skin you have. It’s also very important to only go over each area of skin once, and wait a full 7 days until giving yourself another treatment. There are four levels of abrasion you can experience, but I will probably never go higher than the sensitive blue disc.
Post Care
After giving myself a microdermabrasion facial for the first time I barely noticed any redness. My skin is usually dry so I didn’t notice much change there, but it was notably more sensitive to the sun. The following week I used the next attachment up, the blue disc for sensitive skin, and noticed significantly more redness although it faded by the morning. The most important things to do after using the PMD are to use sunblock everyday, to tone with the special neutralizing and PH balancing toner, and to use the recovery moisturizer. So far I’ve used it twice, and I’m pretty excited to use it again and to see continued results.
To learn more, check out PMD Personal Microderm >here<. They’ve shared a special discount code with me, so if you’d like to try it out enter code ellekae during checkout for 15% off!
What are your favorite type of facials to administer at home? I’ve been wanting to look into chemical micro peels, but they seem a bit scary– have you tried them?
xxLK
(Some of these items may have been sent to me for review, however, all opinions and words are my own)
