Is home microdermabrasion a good idea or should one pay more money to go to a professional?

Microdermabrasion is a form of mechanical exfoliation that complements a regimented skin care protocol. Patients with clogged pores, melasma, uneven skin texture, and poor complexion may benefit from the outpatient skin treatment. Home microdermabrasion is convenient, but cannot reach the same depth of treatment as those performed by a professional.

DIY products tend to be risky because consumers aren't trained in performing skin treatments. Sometimes, instructions are ignored and the products do more harm than good. I have seen many patients who come in after doing something on their own and their skin problem is actually worse than before they self-medicated. If you want professional results, you need a professional to do them. 

I would strongly advise against performing microdermabrasion at home.
It is important to apply the device in an even and uniform manner. This is difficult to do at home. Failure to do so could result in suboptimal results. It could even result in damage to the skin including altered pigmentation, scarring, or burns.
For gentle exfoliation, I would recommend a buff-puff. For anything stronger, I would highly recommend leaving such procedures to a skilled healthcare professional who can safely perform the procedure under direct vision using proper lighting and instrumentation.

Home microdermabrasion units come in numerous sizes, shapes, and forms, and while they all claim to be similar, the reality are that most of them are different, put together differently, and treat the skin differently. We like to tell patients that home devices are good, and work even better when complimenting a good skin care routine that one receives from a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office. And when using microdermabrasion, we often recommend that the procedure start in the office, and then if needed, can be finished and maintained in your home. Most dermatologists know of several of the home devices, and I have worked with several of the companies that produce home devices and we do make them available as adjuncts to what we do in our office to our patients. So find a great dermatologist and get the skin you want with a combination of in-office procedures and great home products.

It's a good idea to visit a board certified dermatologist & have them do a few Microdermabrasion treatments in their office the proper way. After you have experienced professional microdermabrasion & have achieved the results, you can speak with your dermatologist about your skincare needs & then consider what type of exfoliation is good for your skin. At my practice I like to utilize the Parisian Peel System. I also created an easy to use at-home microdermabrasion facial disc that compliments in office treatments, but I do realize that all home microdermabrasion products were not created equally. Some of my patients with more sensitive skin can only use my intensify facial discs once, or twice a week, while others can use up to 3 times a week. This depends on your skin-type & the product that you have chosen. There are microdermabrasion products that I would recommend highly & others that I would not trust. Speak to your dermatologist, and do your skincare product research wisely. As always let a dermatologist guide you there. A heart surgeon should always do your bypass!