LINES, spots and bumps – oh my! Looking in the mirror can be truly frightening. Often, the only thing scarier is going to the dermatologist – and paying the bill. Popular skin fixes like microdermabrasion – wherein a technician takes an electric buffer to your face and takes off the top layer of skin – can run $150 to $300 a session.
This is why a growing number of companies are offering home machines.
From Crystalift, a new $249 electrical microdermabrasion machine with a suction vacuum, to a variety of $15 to $150 battery-operated face sanders in varying intensities, there is no shortage of over-the-counter DIY solutions.
But while amortizing out a pricey home microdermabrader might seem like the smart move, sliming your mug with potions and taking what’s effectively a belt sander to your face – not so much.
Upper East Side cosmetic and dermatologic surgeon Dr. Ariel Ostad says he’s skeptical about the bold claims companies are making to market their new machines, and he thinks consumers would be wise to think twice before forking over the cash.
Ostad says he hasn’t performed a microdermabrasion in his office in more than two years, and his expensive professional-grade machine is collecting dust. The treatment is temporary, he says – usually lasting between a week and 10 days – and he feels that $200 is too much to expect clients to pay for such a quick fix.
“These machines are exfoliators. There are seven layers to the skin, and these only remove the top, dead skin layer,” he says. “Wrinkles, lines and spots all appear deep under the first layer, and these machines can’t reach them.
Still, for some, that temporary glow might be worth it. John Elliot, the head makeup artist on the set of “Desperate Housewives,” can’t stop raving about Crystalift.
“I’ve tried it on the other makeup artists, and you really notice the difference,” he says. “It’s smoother, little fine lines look brighter, and the skin has a glow.”
He hasn’t used the machine on any Wisteria Lane residents yet, but says he plans to soon.
But if your address isn’t quite as fancy – Ostad offers up another at-home technique that’s easier on the wallet: a scratchy washcloth, some face wash and deep circular movements.
“Or some salt or baking soda,” he says. “I certainly think there is a place for these machines because it superficially improves your skin, but you shouldn’t have to empty your pockets to purchase the most expensive one. These concepts are to mechanically abrade your skin to remove the top layer and you can remove that with a gentle abrasive cloth. And that’s the bottom line.”
raakhee.mirchandani @nypost.com
DermaNew Total Body Experience Kit
$80 at dermanew.com
* The promise: Medical-grade corundum crystals combined with a battery-powered resurfacing tool help to soften calluses, smooth skin on arms, legs, face, décolleté and mouth, and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, pore size and sun damage.
* The reality: “It will make your skin feel smoother, absolutely. There is a place for this and it will help. But it will not get rid of your wrinkles, shrink your pores or clear your acne,”says Upper East Side dermatologist Ariel Ostad. “This is good for people who get black things on their nose. Or if you want a radiant glow before a party.
“If you have wrinkles around your forehead, you need Botox for that. These are all polishes. And these antioxidants in the formula won’t do anything.”
Youthful Essence Microdermabrasion System
$40-$110 at youthfulessence.com
* The promise: “Your personal fountain of youth” (endorsed by Susan Lucci) says fine lines, age spots, enlarged pores, superficial scars and sun damage will fade away after the first application.
* The reality: “The main ingredient is aluminum oxide in a cream form and some 50-cent cleanser. People think it penetrates beneath the skin, but I don’t think so. And long-term it could cause Alzheimer’s,” Ostad says. “Sodium chloride [salt] does the same thing [for the skin] and it doesn’t have any problems. Bicarbonate – baking soda – has no issues either.
“This will help people with acne and will help people have a glow to their skin. But honestly, take your own scrub at home – any exfoliator – and apply it to your face and just rub with a soft, abrasive cloth.”
INA Crystals White 4-step Crystal Facial Regime
$150 at SpaceNK (99 Greene St.; [212] 941-4200)
* The promise: The face wash, skin tonic, moisture cream and night serum will fight aging, environmental damage; it deposits antioxidants to protect skin, helps stimulate collagen production, and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.
* The reality: “Any type of crystal, because of its naturally abrasive effect, is going to rub away and abrade your skin when you apply it. But salt is enough to take away the first layer, anything that is rough and granular will do it. A scratchy wool sweater, too.”
Crystalift
$249 at crystalift.com
* The promise: Lifts away fine lines and wrinkles, cleans and minimizes pore size, lightens age and brown spots, smoothes and softens skin and improves overall texture.
* The reality: “This is the closet I’ve seen to an in-office microdermabrasion system. It can improve brown spots, age spots and blackheads. Not pore size. It does improve your skin tone because it removes the first layer. Brown spots aren’t in the top layer; you need a deep peel to remove those.”
Dove SkinVitalizer
$15 at drugstores
* The promise: The cleansing pillows presoaked in Dove remove makeup, stimulate surface skin renewal and improve skin clarity. (Last year, Unilever recalled the tool because faulty cleansing pillows caused facial scratches. Unilever re-released it this year.)
* The reality: “It’s got Dove cleanser and is a massager. Dove is a good soap because it’s mild. But any soap is drying. My recommendation to you would be not to use it, across the board.
“It’s not a mild cleanser. Compared to other soaps, it’s mild. But you can’t put this on your face. It has some oils, so it will be a disaster for people with acne. It’s for people with normal skin, but it’s just going to make them dry. People need moisture on their skin, and this is going to remove it.”
InstantPeel
$50 at Saks Fifth Avenue
* The promise: Protein and enzymes help peel off an entire layer of dead skin.
* The reality: “Calcium carbonate is a form of salt and baking soda. This seems to be naturally dissolving the top layer of your skin,” Orstad says.
“For people with rosacea, for people with fair skin, light hair and light eyes, this is the worst thing.”
