By Elizabeth Gilbert
Those in search of smoother skin are in luck. A new procedure is helping to brighten the faces of some Utah residents, including BYU students.
Microdermabrasion is a procedure that smoothes abnormalities appearing on the skin''s surface, said Julie Bills, a licensed esthetician who has been performing the procedure for the last year and a half.
An esthetician is a beauty professional who specializes in the skin, she said.
'It''s been in Utah for about three years, but it has really started to catch on in the last year,' Bills said. 'People notice amazing results. It really works.'
The procedure is generally used for people trying to get rid of acne, acne scars, stretch marks, blackheads, fine lines and age spots, Bills said.
According to Dermascope, a professional skincare journal, microdermabrasion corrects abnormalities that originate in the epidermis and the most superficial layers of the dermis.
The skin is progressively exfoliated by rubbing corundum crystals, the second hardest mineral after diamonds, in a circular motion over the skin''s surface, according to the journal.
Some of Bills'' clients are teenagers and college students who are trying to cure acne or reduce the appearance of acne scars, she said.
Facial pores enlarge as a person ages, so many older women also have the treatment done to reduce the visibility of their pores, she said.
The 20-minute procedure is for anyone who wants smoother, brighter skin, Bills said.
'They call it a lunch-time treatment because you can go back to work or school with better skin, and no one will know you''ve had anything done.'
However, Bills said redness and streaks may appear, depending on how sensitive a person''s skin is.
Lauren Bowman, 21, a senior majoring in English, from Denton, Texas, said her face usually stays red for about four or five hours after each treatment.
'I was definitely expecting more pain,' Bowman said. 'It just feels like little pin pricks.'
Bills said there is good news for people who aren''t willing to empty their pocket books in order to have smoother skin.
In Utah Valley, the average cost of each treatment is between $40 and $75, Bills said.
'I have many clients come all the way from Los Angeles, where it costs around $175 for a treatment,' she said.
Anyone interested in microdermabrasion should make sure the person performing the procedure is a licensed esthetician or doctor, Bills said.