TEEN KUTZ

lii: is microdermabrasion the
same thing as a diamond peel?
LS: No, a diamond peel is a little
bit different. It’s similiar to microdermabrasion,
but then you have
a glycolic peel. This enhances the
process and helps with collagen
reduction.
Not every person can tolerate
a glycolic peel. It depends on how
sensitive your skin is, how thin
those layers are. You want to talk
to your esthetician or dermatologist
to determine if a diamond
peel is right for you.
Microdermabrasion works for
everyone. It’s absolutely, totally
safe. Almost anyone can have it
done, and there’s no pain. It doesn’t
take long at all: you can come
in for an appointment during your
lunch hour and walk out feeling
perfectly fine!
lii: now, that’s interesting. why
don’t you walk us through a typi-
cal microdermabrasion session,
so we know what to expect?
LS: Absolutely! This is what I do
when someone comes in. First, we
start with a pre-cleaning. You
need to melt away the makeup
and clear away the residue from
the day. When we wash the face,
we use an Ultra Calming Cleanser.
Then we always use a toner, to
clear the face of residues.
After that, we use a surface
enzyme on the very top layer of
the skin. We’ll leave that on there
for a couple of minutes and then
gently exfoliate that with our
hands.
That’s all the preparation for
microdermabrasion.
lii: Just the prep sounds pretty
good!
LS: (Laughs) It’s a good start! You
have to pre-clean the skin before
you start the real polishing!
Not only are the results great but the process can
even be enjoyable!
Now, the equipment we use
for microdermabrasion has two
tubes. One delivers the crystals,
while the other is a vacuum that
removes the dead skin and debris.
We always use disposable tips
on these tubes, to ensure everything
is sanitary and clean. Any
time you have microdermabrasion,
you want to make sure
you’re in a clean environment. Disposable
tips or equipment that
has been sterilized is an absolute
must!
The procedure takes between
20 and 30 minutes, on average.
lii: And then you’re done?
LS: Not exactly! Your skin is really
vulnerable after microdermabrasion.
It’s important to nourish
your skin. We use a multi-vitamin
recovery mask and a multi-vitamin
recovery cream. All of the vitamins
you need are in there: Vitamin
A, Vitamin C, Vitamin F. This is
a really critical step. That stays on
for 10 to 15 minutes.
After that, we use Power
reach moisturizer. It has the peptides
you need to look great.
lii: what results can we expect? i
mean, really, what can microdermabrasion
do for you?
LS: There are some things microderm
can do really, really well. It’s
great for reducing the signs of
early aging. If you’ve got age
spots—those little brown spots
we all get once we turn 30 or so—
microdermabrasion is fantastic for
that.
You know all those little natural
soft lines? We get them around
our eyes, around our lips. With microdermabrasion,
the skin becomes
tighter, and those lines
disappear. You wouldn’t believe
22 IMAGE Fall 2008