Vibrant with Vibraderm - if You Can Stand It - Carrollton, TX

After a few years of doing microdermabrasion on and off, I finally decided to try the new Vibraderm after my regular physician mentioned it as an alternative to the messy, noisy microdermabrasion treatments. I waited for a sale and went in on a Monday morning after a busy weekend, ready to relax (I hoped!) and get beautified. I signed a release form that explained possible side effects including infection, burning, skin redness and so forth - same risks as for microdermabrasion, but without the risk of a scratched cornea, so of course I signed! The esthetician explained about the different paddle sizes/types that would be used on different areas of the face and about the sound of the machine, the feel of the strong vibration, and how she could use a light touch or a heavier touch, depending on how it felt to me and what the face needed. She put a paper cap over my hair, I made myself comfortable on the padded table, and let her go to work after she cleansed my face. The first thing I felt was embarrassed - it felt like vibrator (you know what kind)! I started to laugh, but then I got used to the feeling. It didn't hurt, but it wasn't as relaxing as the microdermabrasion. I could feel my body tensing up in anticipation of when she got to my nose - it tickled a lot and made me want to sneeze, but I didn't sneeze. Anyway, she worked the face, neck and decollete area (chest) in calm sweeping movements. After that she cleaned my face (again) and applied first a moisturizer with the Vibraderm, and then a sunscreen with her gloved hands. She also showed me my face in a mirror. Definitely the skin looked better, but only in a modest way, and for sure I looked like a grease monster with all those products slathered over me, but I knew it was for my own good. Went home, splashed water on my face, and put on mineral makeup and went to work. Later in the day I noticed some slight peeling here and there, but I know my skin was somewhat dry before I even had the procedure, so this didn't bother me. The next morning I woke up and my face looked MUCH clearer, cleaner, and with a little bit more flecks of dry skin here and there. My doc had told me the Vibraderm can, with repeated treatments, possibly help rebuild some collagen in the face. I want to sign up for another treatment. The esthetician said once a month should be enough to see results. The regular price is $130 but on sale right now for only $79. I think I will wait another day or two before purchasing one more treatment (to be done next month). I want to make sure my face doesn't react in some weird way. I was told to be 100% diligent in using a UVA/UVB sunscreen, also. Others who skipped this step got a rash/sun poisoning after Vibraderm. I am using sunscreen all the time anyway, but will be very careful. The pros of the treatment include how non-messy it is, how it can be kind of funny to try (it feels weird!), it's less noisy than microdermabrasion and you can even talk during treatment. Cons may be that you don't look in the mirror right away and say "WOW. What a difference." It's more of a subtle change. Another con is the price. It costs a lot, like any technology, and the clinic must use patient-specific wands (attachments) or disposable attachments. You cannot use the same wands on different patients. Make sure your clinic is careful about this! The other con would be that, if you are like me and have a black eye that is healing up (I took a fall recently) or a nerve disease that makes your nerves sensitive, the vibrations from the machine may be painful enough so that the treatment cannot be done in certain areas or completed to your satisfaction. Right now I am withholding judgement as to whether I will do this again. I want to wait a few days to see how my skin is. Sure, it's softer and somewhat clearer-looking, but will the results last a full 10 days or more, like when I do the microdermabrasion? Time will tell.