Are At-Home Microdermabrasion and Chemical Peel Treatments Safe?

They claim to deliver everything you could expect from a spa-quality experience, but are they really a safe, effective option? At Laser Lights Cosmetic Laser Center, we understand the temptation to opt for lower-priced, more immediately accessible microdermabrasion and chemical peel treatments. You can just pick up a kit at the drugstore and do it yourself in the comfort of your own home. No waiting or appointment necessary.

Easier? Yes. Cheaper? Certainly. But worth it? That’s another story.

We’ve all heard the expression, “You get what you pay for.” That’s especially true when it comes to professional skincare. Laser Lights prides itself on offering high-quality, affordable treatments for everyone, but affordable is not the same as cheap. When you opt for low-quality products in the interest of saving money, your skin could pay the price in the long run.

While at-home microdermabrasion and chemical peels are not exactly dangerous, they are:

• Not personalized. At-home microdermabrasion and chemical peel kits are not client-specific. You can purchase a kit for your skin type, but without the guidance of a professional, you can’t be sure of getting a kit that meets your skin’s present and future needs.
• Less effective. Drugstore kits contain a significantly lower concentration of the components used in professional-grade microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Only licensed aestheticians and physicians have access to maximum-strength materials.
• Noncumulative. Once you’ve used up the kit, your investment is used up, too. Professional-grade microdermabrasion and chemical peels have a cumulative effect; in other words, they begin to provide long-term benefits the first time you receive them and are an investment in the health of your future skin.
• Not well regulated. The production of at-home microdermabrasion and chemical peel kits is not as closely monitored as many providers would like. First, fillers or abrasive ingredients may be present in at-home kits made by manufacturers trying to mimic the quality of a spa-like microdermabrasion treatment or chemical peel at a substantially lower price. Second, many at-home kits cannot guarantee that your skin receives the correct amount of the correct ingredients. Some, for example, instruct you to simply soak a cotton ball in the product, and then apply it to your face.

Laser Lights is a proud member of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), an organization devoted to research, education, and high clinical standards in medical laser use, and we encourage you to take a long-term approach to skincare. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or arrange a free consultation with one of our experienced providers. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for all the latest in laser skincare news and information!