Battle Winter Skin with Microdermabrasion

If you're an esthetician or skin care professional, you know that winter means battling harsh weather conditions and even harsher skin conditions. But what if winter could actually be a time to reinvigorate the skin?

Consider a series of treatments using crystal or diamond microdermabrasion to give your spa or salon clients a refreshing boost in spite of the icy chill of winter. With people spending more time indoors, winter may be the perfect occasion to start a skin care plan that will not only get skin back on track, but will also repair all those skin woes we accumulate in the summer months.

For most people, winter brings dehydrated skin to the forefront. Clients will complain of scratchy skin that is undernourished and overly parched. Unfortunately, many turn to pharmacy fixes that only exacerbate the problems. From drying granular scrubs that cause micro-tearing to pore-clogging moisturizing creams, you might find a whole host of skin care issues to deal with when your client sits down in your chair.

The good news is that you have a plan. Microdermabrasion can address a number of skin conditions, and can act as an addition to many of your current esthetic offerings. What clients need to understand is that proper exfoliation must be accomplished before serious hydration can occur.

• Dead skin cells, sebum, product accumulation, and makeup debris block the pores and prevent moisturizing products from actually doing their jobs. Unlike scrubs and everyday products, microdermabrasion will remove several layers of the epidermis in one session, and will allow for more intense hydration. This could never be achieved with a home remedy, so your clients will love the instant results.
• The treatment is also fast and effective. Most microdermabrasion treatments last from 15-30 minutes, making them a perfect addition to your other services. Microdermabrasion is actually heralded for its ability to prepare the skin for powerful actives, so you can create a custom facial incorporating your spa’s product line.
• You might even want to create a totally unique facial for the season. Many spas like to pull from seasonal changes and fresh local ingredients to make unique, one of a kind menus.
• The best time to do a microdermabrasion treatment is when your client can stay out of the sun for a few days. This treatment, although noninvasive and fast, does leave the skin vulnerable to the sun’s strong rays, so cold weather months are a wonderful time to start a session of treatments. Sunscreen and physical blocks are great aftercare recommendations after any microdermabrasion treatment, however.

Now that you have the general idea, let’s look a little deeper at all of the other issues we can treat when incorporating microdermabrasion. During the summer, many clients develop dark spots, aging, fine lines, sun damage, and deeper scarring due to all the time spent in the sun. Microdermabrasion is recommended for treating all of these symptoms and more. Here are a few ideas to help you better formulate the perfect treatment plans for your clients’ more acute needs.

1. 1. Microdermabrasion can naturally boost production of collagen and elastin. Skin naturally repairs itself, but as we grow older we produce far less of the good stuff that keeps us looking young. Regular microdermabrasion treatments can be a very effective method of staving off aging by advancing the production of these proteins in the skin.
2. 2. Microdermabrasion is especially helpful in reducing the appearance of scars, sun damage, fine lines, and wrinkles. With proper home care, clients can see drastic results in their appearance with just one series. By creating a series of in-office treatments during the course of the cooler months and curating a special take-home package of products, your customers will have an opportunity to erase the damage of the months past and an even greater motivation to keep themselves out of the sun this year!
3. 3. Body treatments are also making a big wave on the market at many spas. Microdermabrasion is an excellent choice for these types of applications because it is strong enough to work on stretch marks, scars, and acne marks. Many people who live with scars and marks don’t realize that, although they might not be able to erase the damage completely, they can greatly reduce the signs with treatments like microdermabrasion and light therapy. In fact, the use of the two technologies together can create drastic improvements, especially in newer scarring.
4. 4. Microdermabrasion is a great application for male clients. More and more men are walking into spas or dermatology centers asking for things like smaller pores, reduced scarring, smoother and younger looking skin, and so forth. These same guys are not exactly gung ho for more extreme measures, so microdermabrasion is an ideal fit for many men.

Given the widespread application of microdermabrasion, the possibilities for your spa are endless. Instead of simply offering microdermabrasion as an option on your menu, help your clients understand the possibilities and create customized solutions to treat their concerns. Make this winter a profitable one with microdermabrasion!