Microdermabrasion At Home

I have lately become very interested in this area of skincare.

Few who follow me here, on Twitter or Facebook, or watch my YouTube videos realize that I suffer from a very painful and embarrassing condition called cystic acne. This is not your average breakout, but rather cysts that form beneath the skin leaving painfully swollen areas that can take weeks to heal.

At this point in my life I have been unable to find a particular treatment that really helps in any way. I have tried Proactive, it made everything worse. I tried the AcneFree system, which helped somewhat (although not much). I have tried washing my face a thousand times a day, not washing at all, “washing” with oil, treating with the harshest chemicals, Retinol treatments and antibiotics, etc. You start to get the idea…

Anyway, I have been seeing a lot of videos on YouTube lately for this new Clarisonic system (also the iSkin
and the exfoliation system from tanning places, which I will get into later) and have become very interested in trying it out.

I cannot justify paying more than $200 for a system that may or may not work (nevermind that there is nowhere around here to buy it so that it would have to be purchased online, essentially negating my ability to return it if I hate it), which puts me in a frustrating position. I feel like, from all the research that I have done (and I have spent countless hours reading reviews and other information) that it would probably help my somewhat unique skin issues. I truly feel that deep-cleaning is my only hope of clearing up my skin. I was my face twice daily, moisturize with the proper type of medicated moisturizer, even use toner to remove all traces of makeup or cleanser. I exfoliate twice a week or so, and I always use makeup that is noncomedogenic. Theoretically, I do everything right. And yet, my skin continues to suffer.

I don’t really break out in tiny pimples the way that most people do, so perhaps I am doing something right. I used to have both types of acne, so the steps I am taking may be solving the lesser of the two evils, so that’s something I guess.

So, at this point, I have become very interested in the idea of something akin to the Clarisonic. The idea of such easy deep-cleaning, not to mention the potential sonic-cleaning possibilities, makes me hopeful that there is something out there that can actually help my skin. I am hopeful that the surface cleaning that it offers will ensure that nothing further is able to sink into my skin to help form the cysts, and that the “sonic waves” or whatever they want to call it will sink into my skin and help to break up the bacteria, etc. that forms beneath.
Now, I just have to buy it so that I can try it.

My options are numerous. There are the Clarisonic and the Clarisonic Mia, which both retail for WAY more than I can afford being a mom, a student, etc.

Then there are the drugstore options like the Neutrogena Wave or whatever it’s called. This one does not have a rotating head or brushes, but rather exfoliating pads that are changed each time, and that sit on a thing that sort of just vibrates. I think it’s about $20 at Wal-Mart or the drugstore, but you have to constantly replace the pads which contain their own cleanser, so you are having to continuously put money into the system as well as be stuck with their cleanser whether it works for you or not. While I am aware that the brushes get changed on the Clarisonic every few months, overall this Neutrogena one ends up being close to or even more expensive as the Clarisonic by the end of a year’s use – a time frame that I have to honestly say that I don’t think the Neutrogena option would outlast.

Then there are the options from the tanning companies – these are meant basically for exfoliation as a pre-tan treatment, but a lot of options are available, and at $40-$80 are still markedly less expensive than the Clarisonic or the Mia, and often come with more attachments to use on the body, etc.

And lastly are the knockoffs. Sally’s Beauty Supply carries something called the iSkin, which has had pretty decent reviews. At around $30, this is a MUCH cheaper option, but does not have some of the options of the Mia or it’s bigger counterpart. However, this may be a good option as a trial before buying the fancier version – kind of like how teenagers tend to wear drugstore makeup before eventually transitioning to higher-end and better quality companies.

There is also a giveaway happening right now for an at home microdermabrasion system ala SkinCareRx and NatNEagle (here is the link to the blog post by Nat: http://www.thebeautybrat.com/2010/07/giveaway-own-perfect-skin.html and here is the company link: http://skincarerx.com/personal-microderm.html -). I am entering the giveaway, of course. It may be my only chance of getting a decent system. While I can understand the value of spending the money on the at home microdermabrasion systems, I simply cannot afford it however much I might want to be able to.

So for now I wait. And hope that maybe I will win. Or someone will comment on this with some affordable option that will work just as well.

I am tired of trying to hide the scars and bumps with makeup. I would love to just be able to be me for a change, without being afraid to touch my face because it hurts so badly. There are days I cannot even talk much because the movement is so painful. Beyond any physical appearance or embarrassment or anything else, I am just so tired of hurting every day and not finding anything that truly helps.

So, ideas? Options? Affordable alternatives? I would love your feedback.

UPDATE: Won the contest, but was sick and didn't get the email so another winner was chosen. How is that for brutal? Nat was wonderful and sent me a little consolation package, but I am still completely disappointed over it...