Designed in 1989 in Italy, microdermabrasion techniques

Spas and salons all over the world have integrated microdermabrasion therapy into their beauty programs owing to the instant 'facelift' results achieved after undergoing these therapies. The concept behind microdermabrasion machines if fairly simple and straight forward, and includes the spraying of medically approved crystals at high speed over the skin. These crystals have abrasive surfaces and good hardness attributes which results in the removal of the surface skin cells to produce a smoother and younger looking skin.

Most microdermabrasion machines consist of a wand which is connected to a vacuum pump through a number of tubes running parallel to each other. The air pump creates enough pressure to accelerate the crystals through the tube and onto the surface of the skin. Once the exfoliation process is completed, the residual crystals and the dead skin cells are vacuumed out and placed into a collecting container to be disposed off. The wand is the part of the machine which is handled by the estheticians and is used to direct the spray of the crystals.

Microdermabrasion machines are available in large variety and this is reflected in their prices. These machines can fetch anything between $2000 all the way up to $30,000 depending upon their feature set and build quality. Most departmental stores and pharmacies provide lower grade microdermbrasion machines designed for general consumer use. However, professional grade machines, which are used in most spas and medical procedures, are extremely expensive and can only be purchased from selected stores and dealerships.

Although there is a great variety of microdermabrasion machines available in the market, all of them share similar design elements and working principles. Microdermabrasion machines can basically be classified into two major types:

1. Traditional Microdermabrasion Machines: These machines utilize crystals having abrasive surfaces to carry out the exfoliation process. The most commonly used crystals are Aluminum oxide and Corundum because they are relatively cheap and possess excellent hardness qualities. Although these crystals are medically safe and do not interact with the skin, some users report adverse effects like sore throats, headaches and even respiratory problems after undergoing traditional microdermabrasion therapy.

2. Diamond tipped Microdermabrasion Machines: These machines are designed to forego the use of crystals for the exfoliation process, and instead, utilize a diamond tipped head to remove the dead skin cells. Such machines eliminate the risk factors associated with traditional Microdermabrasion Machine.

Various uses of microdermabrasion procedures are given below:

1. Reversing and reducing the aging effect of the skin

2. Reducing the effects of hyperpigmentation and acne scarring.

3. Opening and cleaning of the pores.

4. Smoothing of Keratosis Pilaris to enhance the effectiveness of topical medication

5. Smoothing out wrinkles and fine lines.However, it should be kept in mind that microdermabrasion therapy cannot be used for the treatment of all skin conditions, and experts suggest using these techniques for conditions like skin cancers, removal of skin growths, precancerous actinic keratoses and jagged scars.