AquaFacial vs microdermabrasion: what's the difference?

AquaFacial and microdermabrasion are both gentle, low-downtime treatments that exfoliate the skin’s surface, and they’re often assumed to do the same thing. The main difference comes down to how each removes dead skin and what happens afterwards: one adds moisture back in as it exfoliates, the other is a dry mechanical process generally built around a longer course of sessions.

How AquaFacial works

AquaFacial is a multi-step, water-based treatment. A handheld device combines gentle exfoliation with light vacuum suction to lift built-up oil, dead skin and debris out of the pores, then finishes by infusing hydrating serums, such as hyaluronic acid, into the skin’s surface. Because the process is wet rather than dry, and ends with hydration rather than exfoliation alone, most people notice an immediately plumper, brighter look straight after a session. See AquaFacial in Cairns for more on what a session involves.

How microdermabrasion works

Microdermabrasion is a dry, mechanical exfoliation treatment. A device buffs away the outermost layer of dead skin cells to smooth texture and reduce the appearance of congestion. There’s no hydrating infusion step built in, and results build cumulatively: most people need a course of multiple sessions, often at fortnightly or monthly intervals, to see and maintain an improvement in overall texture. See Microdermabrasion in Cairns for more on what to expect.

Where they differ

The clearest difference is what each treatment adds back to the skin. AquaFacial finishes with a hydrating serum infusion, so its immediate effect leans toward plumpness and glow. Microdermabrasion is purely exfoliating, so its immediate effect leans toward smoother, refined texture without an added hydration boost. AquaFacial’s extraction step also specifically targets congested pores and blackheads, which isn’t part of a standard microdermabrasion session. Microdermabrasion is generally considered a lighter, more mechanical treatment that’s often built into an ongoing maintenance course, while AquaFacial is commonly chosen as more of a standalone glow treatment, though both can be repeated regularly.

Which one might suit your skin

If your main concern is dehydration, dullness or congested, blocked pores, the combined extraction and hydration in an AquaFacial is generally the closer fit. If your main concern is rough, uneven surface texture, or you’re after a lighter maintenance treatment as part of a regular routine, microdermabrasion is generally the closer fit. Neither treatment reaches deeper concerns such as established acne scarring, fine lines or significant pigmentation, since both work at the surface layer of skin only. For a closer look at AquaFacial’s specific limits, see what are the real benefits of an AquaFacial?

Getting it right

Because skin type, oiliness and sensitivity all affect which treatment feels more comfortable and delivers a better result, a professional skin consultation is the most reliable way to work out which of the two suits your skin, or whether a different treatment altogether would better address what you’re trying to fix.