Patient Mitchell Barnes during and after the procedure

March 19, 1999
Web posted at: 12:23 p.m. EST (1723 GMT)

ATLANTA (CNN) -- A new tool used to rejuvenate the skin in a relatively painless and quick procedure will be one of the topics discussed at a meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans this weekend.

The treatment, called microdermabrasion, is the latest tool being offered in dermatology offices and beauty salons to soften the signs of aging.

The basic concept behind this new procedure is to sandblast the wrinkles away. Tiny sterile crystals are blown onto the skin at a high speed, which rubs off the top skin layer. The crystals are then suctioned off.

Microdermabrasion patient and salon owner, Mitchell Barnes, described the process saying, "You can feel the blow of the crystals on your skin, but when you get through it's a real clean feeling."

Dermatologist Scott Karempelis said the new tool fills a gap in dermatology. "We've been looking for something like this for a long time, we've either had something that's hardly done anything or something that's so aggressive that you're down for a week or two," he said.

Model Nancy Wright has used more aggressive procedures and said she prefers the microdermabrasion because she doesn't have to lose time from work.

"I had done some of the glycolic peels and liked the results, but there was a down time, and there's not with a Dermapeel (a brand-name for microdermabrasion) and I love that," the 49-year-old model said.

But doctors say it is hard to know if microdermabrasion works better than other peeling agents dermatologists have to offer.

The machines have been used in Europe for about seven years, but like some other medical devices, U.S. doctors waited to see how the it performed in Europe before investing in the $20,000 piece of equipment

RELATED VIDEO
CNN's Rhonda Rowland looks at how microdermabrasion helps some folks erase lines and wrinkles
Windows Media	28K	80K

Microdermabrasion has, in some cases, been marketed as helping skin problems ranging from pre-cancerous lesions to acne.

Dermatologist Harold Brody says, as of yet, there's no science to back those claims.

"You may see this microdermabrasion advertised as the treatment for acne, when in reality it may deceptively not be strong enough to do very much of anything and deprive the consumer of the ability to see a board-certified dermatologist," Brody said.

Karempelis said people with deep lines around the mouth, crow's feet or deep forehead lines should not expect this treatment to rid them of those lines. But he said it may soften the look.

Barnes, who is almost 50, says microdermabrasion patients have to be realistic. "If you go in with the idea of what it's really for, the polish and giving the skin a greater finish, then you're happy," Barnes said.

This is not a one-time treatment. In order to sustain the effects, patients have to keep doing it. At a cost of $125-150 a session, a little sandblasting can become quite an investment.