Chemical Peels vs Micro Dermabrasion

Our skin takes a lot of abuse. The relentless barrage of the sun's harmful UV rays causes our skin to prematurely age and wrinkle. Environmental pollutants stress the skin even more. Add on the effects of aging, and it's no wonder that we look in the mirror and see wear and tear that we'd like to reverse. This is why more and more women and men look to their doctors and dermatologists for skin revitalization and resurfacing to regain a fresher, more healthy and young-looking complexion.

Dermatologists have numerous ways of removing skin imperfections, including facial wrinkling, pigmentary changes, fine scarring and bumpy skin irregularities that appear on the surface of the skin. Two of the most popular revitalization methods are chemical peels and micro dermabrasion. Both chemical peels and micro dermabrasion focus on superficial skin irregularities such as finer wrinkles rather than deeply imbedded lines. Both of these methods address the top surface of the skin, but differ in their delivery method to aid in the removal of the top skin layer(s).

Chemical peels are caustic solutions such as glycolic acid, trichloracetic acid or phenol, and is applied directly to the skin. These chemicals change the composition of the skin, delivering a very controlled type of superficial tissue destruction that removes the outer layers of the skin. Deeper peels can also reconstitute the lower, collagen and elastin layers of the skin to remove deeper wrinkles. The consequence of chemical peel treatment is the removal of the other skin layer, allowing the new, regenerated, underlying skin to be shown.

Micro dermabrasion is a non-chemical procedure that is slightly more aggressive.

Micro dermabrasion involves "sanding" the skin with small microscopic crystals made of aluminum oxide, similar to grains of sand on a beach. A special high-powered instrument passes the crystals over the surface of the skin and then removes them quickly to "buff" superficial skin irregularities. The technique is similar to dermabrasion, although micro dermabrasion is performed more superficially and causes no bleeding.

There are also differences in the regiment schedule of treatment. Micro dermabrasion procedures are usually repeated at one to two week intervals with six to eight sessions suggested for optimal results. For mild chemical peels, treatment regiment is similar to micro dermabrasion. For medium chemical peels, treatment lasts for a few months before it should be repeated. For deep chemical peels, one treatment should be sufficient.

Both are these procedures are similar in that they produce redness and slight discomfort following the treatment. With microdermabrasion, the redness generally subsides within about 30 to 60 minutes. Depending on the type of chemical peel treatment, redness and last from an hour (mild chemical peels) to a couple of weeks (deep chemical peels). The side effects associated with chemical peels are much more severe if a deep chemical peel is applied. Deep chemical peels can be likened to dermabrasion, where a permanent change in pigmentation is often a result. For this reason, individuals with darker skin are not usually recommended to undergo this treatment.

In general, both procedures are similar in the sense that it improves the skin's texture and reduces the appearance of fine lines, pores, age spots, and mild acne scarring. However, patients and their doctors/dermatologist should discuss the differences in these approaches in order to determine the procedure that the patient is most comfortable with.