Retinol versus Microdermabrasion: Which Anti-Aging Treatment Works Better?

Everyone is getting more vigilant when it comes to skin care. A lot of “How To’s”, tips and tricks, even celebrity skincare routines has graced the folds of magazine covers, aired in TV programs, blogged about and even talked about in different social media channels. All in the name of skincare!

Yes! With all the knowledge we have nowadays, an average gal has better arsenal against skin aging. But then, with all the technology we have, it is not uncommon to be left perplexed which device to get or what skincare tip to follow.

So, what gives?

Let us talk about the popular choices we have when it comes to combatting skin aging. In this article, we will discuss skin aging and the top 2 popular remedies: retinol and microdermabrasion.

Growing old is inevitable, there isn’t much we can do to halt natural aging. Over the years, you will acquire fine lines. Your skin will be a bit drier. You will lose some fat and your skin will appear thinner. You will look more mature and lose the plumpness of a youthful face.

Again, it is natural and unavoidable.

However, you may help postpone aging by living a healthier lifestyle and influencing what you do to your body. Cutting back on alcohol, quitting smoking and lessening sun exposure will all help delay aging. ⁽¹⁾ Aside from that, there are other ways you can do to help your skin age gracefully too.

Retinol is a potent anti-aging product. It increases the cell turnover rate that prevents collagen loss, it evens out the skin tone and it treats fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps manage acne and acne scars. Retinol is available over the counter and is one of the most popular anti-aging ingredients today. 

If you are new to retinol, getting used to it can be bewildering. We recommend to try it first on a weekend and use it at night. If you are just starting out, use it sparingly and apply a pea-sized amount to the entire face at bedtime.

Layer it with your moisturizer to help control too much dryness. Retinol must be used continuously for approximately 12 weeks or so. Also, you have to use sunscreen when you step out of the house as retinol increase your sensitivity to the sun.

Use it every other night to help your skin adjust to the product. Retinol can cause dryness and some people tend to get irritated skin when they first use either the cream or the serum. Do not give up on it though, you will see more results the more you use it.

The downside? Retinols quite sting and most people cannot tolerate the feeling of this chemical on their skin.

If you opt to get all the benefits of using a retinol without having to use harsh chemicals, you can achieve this by using mechanical exfoliation. One example is through microdermabrasion. 

Microdermabrasion is an anti-aging and skin rejuvenating device that helps buff away dead skin cells that make you look older. 

It uses mechanical exfoliation through the diamond-embedded tip that can safely abrade the skin to make the cell turnover rate faster. It helps slough off dead skin and give you a more even exfoliation (as opposed to using gritty facial scrubs that just creates micro-tears in your skin.) 

Efficient exfoliation is important so that you can maintain the youthful glow that everyone craves for. It helps buff away skin imperfections like pigmentation acne scars. It evens out skin tone, flatten raised scars and it may even help unclog congested pores thus, preventing acne formation.

Aside from picking up the skin debris, the suction helps improve blood circulation to the skin and stimulate fibroblasts to produce collagen. That is important so that our skin can help repair damage where it is needed the most.

Compared to using retinol, microdermabrasion, if done the right way, is painless and there is no downtime! You can even have microdermabrasion on your lunch break and reapply your makeup without any fuss.

Professional microdermabrasion is usually done once a month. All you need to do is book or schedule a consultation and an esthetician will examine your skin and give you extra recommendations and treatments based on what your skin needs. 

Or, you can do it yourself! Investing in your own microdermabrasion system enables you to do microdermabrasion in your own time, anywhere! Even if you are spending the night at a relative’s house, or on a trip to a different city or country, you can bring your own microdermabrasion device and have smooth, glowing skin in no time. It's like having your own personal esthetician!

At home microdermabrasion can be done once up to 3 times a week. Listen to your skin and whatever you do, do not over exfoliate!

Again, you can decide what routine you like to follow. You can customize your skin care depending on your personal needs. You can opt to use chemicals to zap those lines away or like we said, you can use a chemical-free solution to address your aging skin concerns.