I’m going to call it and say I’ve tried pretty much every facial treatment going. Largely because I’m curious, but also, it’s good to be able to offer advice to friends on what to try based on their skin concerns (once ‘less rosé’ has been ruled out). I recently tried microdermabrasion – the non-invasive treatment for deep exfoliation. The goal? Improve the sun damage to my skin and relieve a congested buildup of bumps along my jawline.
By Liz Hambleton
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1 The sensation was a little strange
Well, sort of like my face was being sanded and hoovered at the same time. It’s not painful though, in fact, after a while I had totally switched off. As the microdermabrasion machine (a tube that blasts your face with micro-crystals, then sucks the dead skin away) moved over my face, the sensation was brushing and sucking. That feeling heightened a little on the bonier areas of my face – mainly cheeks, jaw and forehead.
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2 My skin was slightly flushed after
I was pleasantly surprised to have nothing more than a rosy glow after the treatment. My skin was warm to the touch but the cooling lavender mask applied post-treatment helped to reduce any flushing. Full disclosure here – my skin can handle a lot and does rarely flush, so if you’re prone to redness, prepare to walk away from your appointment with a slightly pink face.
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3 The bumps disappeared in days
I have generically ‘good skin’, but I do struggle with bumps around my jawline because of blocked pores. I have to say that this area looked (and felt) noticeably smoother and clearer straight away. By day three, the bumps had pretty much cleared and didn’t begin building up again for around another month.
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4 I was glowing, but my skin was thirsty
I’m not one for slathering on rich products (I find serums better for my oily skin), but after microdermabrasion, my skin seemed to drink moisturiser. I was layering it over serum for the first few days to satisfy its thirst. My skin looked fresher than it had in a long time, and was literally glowing. My skincare products seemed to be doing their job a lot better, without needing to penetrate a layer of dead skin cells.
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5 Where to try it?
My top spots for microdermabrasion in London would be Primas MediSpa and Cosmetech Chelsea Private Clinic. Enjoy.
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