Microdermabrasion is a relatively recent process that has gained popularity over the last five to ten years.  It is a system in which very small crystals (such as aluminum salts, sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate() are sucked across the surface of the skin cells - hence 'micro-derm-abrasion'.

A study in California on one of the earliest microdermabrasion machines manufactured in Italy about 20 years ago showed the machine was neither powerful nor consistent enough to work well on the removal of unwanted tattoos.  Since that time, however, major refinements in the machines and in the techniques employed for microdermabrasion have made it much more useful for the treatment of unwanted ink.  In general, the more powerful machines are made available to dermatologists and other physicians, while less powerful machines are used by beauty therapists and aestheticians.

Microdermabrasion, for the purposes of removing tattoos has been shown to be particularly effective when used in conjunction with chemical peels such as TCA.   The treatment is often done at least once or twice a month.

Before, during and after treatment with microdermabrasion:

Before:
No special skin preparation is required other than cleansing with gentle, soap free cleansers.
During:
You will normally feel a a very superficial scraping, similar to a loofah or a mild skin exfoliation.
Length of procedure:
Session often last for between 30 minutes and 60 minutes
After:
You can go out and about immediately after the treatment.  There is usually no soreness but your skin may appear brighter and pinker right after treatment.

Possible complications:

Microdermabrasion may be used on all skin types and there should be no visible problems if ti is correctly performed, other than a slight pinkness of the skin on the face or hands immediately after the session.  However, if the treatment has been carried out too deeply, there can be surface skin bruising and a change of colour over the tattoo area.  These problems usually resolve themselves quickly except in the case of olive or darker skin types in which the pigmentation can be more severe and longer lasting.

Dermabrasion, by contrast to microdermabrasion, is a more aggressive treatment of the skin surface.  It removes the top layers of skin to a deeper level.  The disadvantages are that several treatments are usually always necessary to produce the desired effects .

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