Microdermabrasion - The Magic Wand for Acne Scars?
Microdermabrasion is beloved by millions, and for good reason. There’s no downtime and it gives a lovely polished feel and healthy glow to the skin. But at some point along the line, someone left their ethics at home and started touting it as a solution for acne scars.
Acne scars seem to mercilessly chip away at self esteem, making this myth and its exploitation of a common insecurity that much more insidious.
Like everyone else, doctors and estheticians get caught up in the promise of these machines, invest in them, and then are committed to selling their services or taking a loss (see more on this phenomenon: You Get What They Pay For). Most likely, they set out truly believing they can make a significant difference, and of course want to - but the plain truth is microdermabrasion cannot ‘sand away’ acne scars.
Microdermabrasion may help smooth the appearance of scars (that is to say, may ‘round the corners’), but does not go deep enough to affect an indented scar. A common rule of thumb is to put a finger either side of the scar, then stretch the skin lightly - the resulting effect is equivalent to what you may see from a series of microdermabrasion treatments. For most people, this is not a significant enough difference to merit paying for a series.
Acne scarring deserves its own article. It’s a very difficult problem to solve, and as of this writing, sometimes impossible. Doctors will take different approaches, ranging from using a dermal filler such as collagen to raise an indentation or performing a deep peel to smooth out the area. Dermabrasion, which is literally sanding away skin to the lower, living tissue, (and of course can only be done by doctors), would be one such deep peel, and the similar name may have given rise to the unrealistic results attributed to microdermabrasion.
At the end of the day, if you are interested in microdermabrasion for acne scars, you may find it softens their appearance and will probably enjoy the other benefits the treatment gives. But don’t believe your scars will disappear - let the prefix ‘micro’ guide your expectations.
