Even tone for skin that can't take acid.
Thin or reactive skin often cannot take a peel. This lifts the dull top layer off by machine instead. Tone evens out, nothing stings.
Book microdermabrasion- TREATMENT
- Microdermabrasion
- DURATION
- 30 minutes
- DEPTH
- Surface
- DOWNTIME
- None
- TREATS
- Dull rough texture, buildup, mild sun-related tone changes, congestion
- SAFE FOR
- Thin, reactive skin · no acids used · not during a rosacea flare
What actually happens
This is the treatment for skin that other treatments are too much for. No acid, no needles, nothing to react to.
The microdermabrasion done at Bella Reina uses an actuator: a flat handpiece that rests against the skin and vibrates, gently exfoliating and shaking dead skin loose. There is no diamond tip, no crystals and no suction — nothing is scraped, blasted or pulled at your face, which is why it suits thin skin and visible capillaries.
It is gentle enough for rosacea-prone, sensitive and acne-prone skin, and the practitioner controls the speed, the intensity and the number of passes.
What it feels like
It does not hurt. Most people describe a light, fast vibration — closer to a buzz than a scrape — and find it oddly relaxing.
Skin can look mildly flushed for an hour, then settles. There is no peeling and nothing to plan your day around.
We do not work over a rosacea flare, because exfoliating skin that is already inflamed makes the flare worse.
How many visits before it shows
Skin looks smoother and brighter after the first visit. Tone and texture change more over a series — typically four to six visits, two to four weeks apart — and your practitioner confirms the number at the Skin Read.
This treatment sits in the middle of the range: deeper than an at-home scrub, gentler than microneedling or a medical-grade peel. If the Skin Read shows that deeper texture or firmness is the real concern, we point you to a different treatment instead.
Pause retinoids several days beforehand — we ask, and we'd rather reschedule than work over primed skin.
Common questions
Does microdermabrasion hurt or scratch?
No. The handpiece vibrates lightly against the skin — closer to a buzz than a scrape — and there is no suction. Most people find it relaxing. Skin can look mildly flushed for an hour afterward and then settles. Nothing peels.
I use a prescription retinoid nightly. Can I still book?
Usually, with a pause. Stop your retinoid for several days before the visit, and tell us at intake what you use and how often. Retinoids thin the top layer, so exfoliating over it can leave skin raw. The practitioner decides at the Skin Read whether to go ahead that day, and if your skin is still primed or peeling, we reschedule rather than work over it.
Is there any downtime?
None. Skin may look mildly flushed for a short time after treatment. There is no peeling and no limit on activity afterward.
Can I book this if I have rosacea?
Not during an active flare. Exfoliating inflamed skin makes a flare worse. Between flares it is often fine and we go lighter. Mention rosacea at intake so we can pick either a gentler option or a better week.
How is this different from dermaplaning?
Both remove the dead top layer without acid. This one uses an actuator that gently shakes dead skin loose, with no suction, and it covers more ground, including the nose and around it. Dermaplaning uses a blade and also takes off the fine facial hair. Neither goes deeper than the surface.
Your first Skin Read is on us.
The Skin Read consultation ($70) and a full Brow Wow wax and shape ($30) — a $100 experience, free for new clients. We look at your skin, tell you what it needs and what it doesn’t, and nothing is treated that day unless you want it to be.