ABSTRACT
CORE SERVICES Microdermabrasion Microdermabrasion is an exceedingly popular procedure for superficial skin resurfacing. It achieves improvement in scars, roughness, mottled pigmentation, and overall appearance, but not rhytids. The procedure involves the deposition of microcrystals, usually aluminum oxide (sodium chloride, magnesium oxide, and sodium bicarbonate are other options), on the surface of the skin with rapid strokes of the handpiece ( 4 ). Meanwhile, an aspiration tube attached to the handpiece vacuums the crystals and skin debris. The skin depth of the procedure is established by the strength of crystal flow, speed of handpiece movement, and the number of passes of the target region ( 4 ). Histology studies of microdermabrasion revealed the following changes: thickening of the epidermis and dermis, flattening of the rete pegs, vascular ectasia and perivascular inflammation, and hyalinization of the papillary dermis with newly deposited collagen and elastic fibers ( 5 ). It has been suggested that microdermabrasion produces clinical improvement by inducing molecular changes within the dermis that trigger dermal collagen remodeling and repair. Recent studies have reported that treatment activates the expression of cytokines AP-1, NF-κ B, TNF-α , and IL-1 β , which collectively serve to upregulate the expression of various connective tissue degrading enzymes ( 6 ).
