Is Microdermabrasion Safe While on Retin-A?

The combination of Microdermabrasion and Retin-A can go work well together. We use a crystal-free diamond tipped microdermabrader in our office. Your skin with Retin-A may be more sensitive and to help avoid scabbing and deeper injury we recommend that patients stop Retin-A / Tretinoin for 3-5 days before their microdermabrasion treatment. Patients can then resume Tretinoin the next day after microdermabrasion. Each patient is different and I tailor my recommendations accordingly. Just... more

It is not uncommon to use both Retin-A and other hydroxy acids simultaneously with microdermabrasion treatments. But most doctors will likely stop your Retin-A treatment either two weeks or a couple of days before your first microdermabrasion treatment. Note that since you have been on Retina-a, you may have more redness and scabbing after microdermabrasion than if you were not on Retin-A.

I would generally recommend stopping Retin-A for 2 weeks prior to microdermabrasion. Retin-A can make your skin more sensitive and could increase your healing time from the microdermabrasion. However, I do think Retin-A is an effective medicine for photoaging and would recommend restarting it after the microdermabrasion.

Microdermabrasion and Retin-A. Retin-A is a proprietary name for tretinoin. The active ingredient is a derivative of Vitamin A and stimulates the cell cycle, thereby inducing exfoliation and deposition of linear collagen in the dermis. In the early stage of treatment, tretinoin can cause redness, exfoliation, and sensitivity of the skin. As the treatment progresses, the skin will increasingly become tolerant of the Retin-A. The result, a smoother complexion with eradication of fine lines... more

This combination is safe to use, understanding that the skin while under retin-a is more sensitive, so you may have more redness and scabbing after the microdermbrasion than if you were not on the retin-a. I would generally recommend stopping the retin-a for 2 weeks prior to the microdermabrasion to minimize the downtime afterwards.