The MicrodermMD device has been getting a lot of press and attention lately, and we decided that a quick update on the device, microdermabrasion, and some of the new treatments would be timely right now. Here are some of the new things we are seeing on the market:

1. There are more and more “brush style” microdermabrasion treatments on the market than ever before. The Clarisonic started this craze, and still is the market leader, but there are many imitators and copycats out there now. We still believe this is a great tool for use in the shower, and it can be used anywhere on the body. However, this is more of scrub than a true microdermabrasion.

2. The “crystal-based” devices are really falling by the wayside, both for professional and home usage. These days, there are very few spas and salons offering this type of treatment, mainly because it is messy, can be painful, and there is still a possibility that the particles themselves could be harmful to your skin over the long term. In keeping with this trend, there are virtually no crystal-based devices on the home device market anymore either.

3. True at home microdermabrasion devices are still limited to a few high quality units on the market, and all at affordable prices. What you will notice when you look at online reviews, through Google, Amazon, or other review sites, is the HUGE disparity in quality of product and customer service. Currently, the MicrodermMD has a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Amazon. This does not mean that our product is perfect, but it does mean that we take our product and our customer service seriously, and we stand behind our word.

The MicrodermMD continues to perform as a high quality home microdermabrasion machine that lasts for years. The suction power, combined with the natural diamond tip, produce a true microdermabrasion treatment that rivals any spa or salon treatment. Home diamond microdermabrasion is here to stay, and choosing the right device is really the key to getting treatments for years to come in the privacy of your home. Make sure you read lots of reviews and customer feedback before making your choice, and as always, feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

The home microdermabrasion device market seems to be heating up, with companies claiming to produce amazing and noticeable results in a short amount of time from their device. We wanted to do a brief overview and breakdown of the home microderm device market, to help those who are in the process of deciding which device will best suit their needs. Here are the main categories of devices:

1. Exfoliating brushes and scrubs
2. Crystal based devices
3. Diamond tipped devices
4. Professional grade devices

The most popular and common of the first group is the Clarisonic, which is an amazing invention created by the same person who made the original Sonicare toothbrush before it was purchased by Philips. The Clarisonic uses sonic vibrations applied through a soft brush head that is applied to the skin. You can use the Clarisonic on the face or body, and they have different brush heads and serums for different body areas. There are a number of competitors with similar products in this category, but the Clarisonic is definitely the category leader. Priced anywhere from $100-$149, this is an inexpensive way to get good low grade exfoliation. However, it will only make the skin feel smoother, but will have a very hard time making a noticeable difference in the outward appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and other skin texture issues.

The crystal based home microderm devices are similar to ones found in the salon, and they use titanium dioxide crystals to create the exfoliation against the skin. The crystals are blown through a hose and onto the skin, then sucked back through another hose. Supposedly, all the crystals are to be recaptured and will never need to be replaced. In practice, however, the crystals actually get all over the user, all over the floor, and make a complete mess. While the actual exfoliation produced by these types of devices is quite good, the mess made and the time it takes to clean up is not worth the hassle. We would suggest avoiding this type of device, especially since recently there has been some talk about the titanium dioxide crystals being poisonous or carcinogenic!

The diamond tipped category of home microdermabrasion devices is where the MicrodermMD resides. Our device uses real encrusted commercial grade diamonds at the tip of the exfoliating wand, which combines with a suction motor to create the friction against the skin. The other main competitor in this category is the NuBrilliance (Nu Brilliance). We want to give a fair assessment of competing devices, and we have personally tried out the NuBrilliance device. It seems to be of good construction and seems to do a good job exfoliating the skin. However, found that the Nu Brilliance device seemed to lack enough suction power to create good skin friction, and we have had many customer reports saying that the motor died within the first few months to a year. We do believe that our MicrodermMD device is superior for these reasons, in addition to have a more potent and coarse diamond tip wand.

Finally, the professional grade devices that you normally find used in a spa or doctor’s office are now on the market and available for purchase by individual users. The price point for these devices is in the $500-$700 range, which does make them affordable for some people. However, we strongly caution against purchasing these clinical devices, as they are meant to be used by a trained professional in a clinical environment. It is easy to damage the skin if treatments are not done correctly, so we recommend purchasing a device that is intended for home use only.

In mid-2010 we launched the first new product for the Trophy Skin line of home devices since the inception of the company. We searched far and wide to find a high quality home device that was effective and that solved a huge customer need, and we came up with the MicrodermMD. This device uses a diamond tipped wand, suction motor, and wool filters to function as the home equivalent of a diamond peel microdermabrasion treatment. Each month, tens of thousands of women visit their dermatologist, family doctor, spa, or salon to receive a 20-30 minute microdermabrasion treatment. These treatments help to brighten the skin, smooth out uneven tone and texture, and work to reduce fine lines, enlarged pores, and a host of other skin ailments.

However, these spa and salon microderm treatments also cost anywhere from $50 to $150 per treatment, making them unaffordable for weekly usage. We created the MicrodermMD to eliminate the need for these costly spa visits. The MicrodermMD functions just as well as a microdermabrasion treatment at a salon, but is so much more cost effective over the long term. The diamond tip is coarse enough to create the right amount of dermal peeling and abrasion, while the powerful suction motor pulls the dead skin cells into the wool filter.

The device costs $299 and comes with a 1 year warranty, and replacement wool filters can also be purchased through the Trophy Skin website. We firmly believe that the MicrodermMD is the best purchase that can be made for men or women that are used to paying for monthly microderm treatments, but want more of those treatments in a cost effective way. The home treatments are easy to do, take less than 10 minutes, and have the same anti-aging and skin smoothing effects as the salon devices. Please reach out to us via email if you have any questions about this amazing device!

Most of the posts on this blog have so far been about using light therapy, more specifically blue light, to treat the underlying causes of acne. However, an effective acne regimen generally consists of more than one tactic, and we’d like to go over a few other natural, safe ways to help keep your acne under control.

The first method we have found to be effective is using homeopathic medicine, generally this means crushed up flowers, plants, or herbs that are compacted and then given in pill form. While this may sound like nonsense to someone who has never tried it, homeopathic treatment for acne can be quite effective. There are a number of companies out there that sell these types of pills, but our favorite is Nature’s Cure. You just chew up one of their pills once or twice a day, and it really does help to keep facial or body acne under control. Its a cheap, safe, and all natural way to help in the battle against acne. We like it especially for body acne.

The next method as an alternative to acne light treatment is an acne candy called Frutels. This is something you eat multiple times per day and is actually quite tasty as well. It activates your body’s own natural defenses against the causes of acne, ultimately resulting in clearer skin. Also a nice way to treat acne in a natural, chemical free way.

The next post will discuss some other alternatives to treating acne without chemicals, antibiotics, or hormones. Acne light treatment using highly intense blue light continues to be a great way to reduce and eliminate your acne, but there are lots of other great helper products out there that are safe and natural as well.

Since light therapy for skin care is such a new and emerging field, people often email us asking what they can expect in terms of results, how quickly they will see an effect, and how long they may have to continue using the device. The short answer is that there is no real way to predict the outcome for any one person. The human body is a complex entity, and each person will react slightly differently to blue light therapy.

What we can provide our customers is real results, from real users of our device, that have had success over the past several years. When using a high intensity blue light with the correct wavelength (around 415nm), greater than 90% of those who try it will see benefits in reducing or eliminating their acne. This can show up as quickly as one or two treatments, or take as long as 4-6 weeks of regular usage. It varies greatly depending on the severity of your acne, the amount of oil on the skin, and what acne type you have.

Additionally, you must make sure to maintain a consistent regimen using the BlueMD, meaning at least 3 times a week initially, for 20-30 minutes per session. Some of our customers have noticed a decrease in redness or inflammation of their acne immediately after their first blue light treatment. Others experience a slight worsening of their acne at first, as the bacteria come to the surface of the skin. However, all users of blue light therapy will know whether it is working for them within the first 4-6 weeks. This is exactly why we provide the 30 Day Guarantee policy, as we are interested in making sure this device works for our customers. We don’t want you to be left with an expensive paperweight!

Our next posting will discuss the ways in which you can help speed up the process of reducing your acne using blue light therapy, using complementary techniques to get the most bang!

Check out the About.com section on Acne Light Therapy for more information…

We get a lot of questions each week here at Trophy Skin about the science and effects behind red and blue light for treating acne, which is more effective, and if either are really proven. This post is going to examine both of the colors and help explain the differences.

First, blue light in the right wavelength spectrum (405-420nm) is the only color proven to be therapeutic in actually killing p. acnes bacteria, the most common source of acne in the developed world. There have been numerous studies done by clinical teams going back 10 years proving that blue light, of high enough intensity, starves these bacteria of oxygen and causes them to atrophy and die over time. That is a key part, “over time”, as this is not a process that happens in a single treatment or overnight. Its a process that takes several weeks or more, and is gradual but noticeable after the first few sessions for most people. This is why when you visit your dermatologist for acne light treatments, they will almost always have you sit in front of a high intensity blue light device. Dermatologists understand the power of blue light for acne treatment, and have been offering this type of service in their offices for years.

So now the real question, what is the role of red light in acne treatment. And why do dermatologists not offer red light as part of their acne regimen? The simple answer is that red light is not beneficial in reducing or eliminating acne. However, it can be beneficial in treating the damage caused by acne, mainly the inflammation and some of the scarring. It helps the body speed up the natural healing process, and so some people do find it useful in treating the after-effects of acne.

Our belief is that the entire focus of the BlueMD blue light acne treatment device is to treat and eliminate active acne. So we have created our device with a very high intensity, narrow band of blue light to accomplish this goal. Using repairing serums and topical creams, it is possible to generate a lot of healing and scar reduction once the acne is gone. But first, you must concentrate on eliminating the acne itself in order to go down the path towards clear skin.

UPDATE: Check out the new AcneApp for the iPhone! Very cool “toy” idea, not really something that would work because of the low intensity, but a great acne light idea nonetheless.

We mentioned in an earlier post that high powered light therapy can have applications other than what we use it for, blue light therapy for acne. Indeed, the owners of Trophy Skin previously owned a medical spa where we performed all kinds of laser and light-based treatments. We treated wrinkles, rosacea, skin tightening, acne, sun damage, scarring, tattoos, and many other types of skin conditions.

Light therapy works on different conditions based on the wavelengths (in nanometers) used by the device you are getting treated with. For example, rosacea has been treated successfully with a combination of red, blue, and infrared light. The key is to use the correct wavelengths, the right proportion of each wavelength, and the right intensity of light to get an effective treatment. Another important factor is the amount of time the device is used, which is something totally under the control of the user. That is why light therapy devices for other conditions must also be designed in such a way that they are convenient and ergonomic for usage. Treatment times are 15-20 minutes per session, so this is incredibly difficult to achieve with hand held devices.

UPDATE: Trophy Skin will be releasing a new line of light therapy skincare devices this summer that will treat common anti-aging concerns. We have had a lot of customer interest in these types of treatments, in addition to the acne blue light therapy we already provide.

UPDATE 2: Check out our new product listing on American Healthy and Beauty!

This is a question that may or may not be on the minds of acne sufferers, but understanding the method of action used by blue light is a very important part of the process in choosing your solution.

The first step in the process is identifying the source of your acne, which can also be from multiple sources. Common causes are internal factors of acne are hormonal imbalance, antibiotic reactions, stress, food reactions, or excessive skin oiliness. There are also environmental factors that cause acne like pollen, pollutants, food oil, reaction to topical creams, and your own personal hygiene habits. Whatever the source of your acne, there is generally only one root cause, and that is p. acnes bacterium. This acne-causing bacteria is the root cause of acne in most teenagers and adults, generally over 90% of the population of the world that suffers from acne.

The wonderful thing about this very common cause of acne is that this is also the acne type that can be effectively treated by blue light therapy. Acne light therapy devices emit light in the 405 to 420nm wavelength spectrum, which turns out to be very destructive to acne bacterium. They become starved for oxygen when exposed to these bands of blue light, but only when the light is very intense and is administered for certain periods of time. The oxygen starved bacteria begin to die off over the course of several weeks, and this is the reason the acne begins to clear up.

This is a very iterative process, meaning that the bacteria can easily stage a resurgence if your treatment schedule falters. We always urge users of the BlueMD to keep up with their treatment regimen suggested to them by our Acne Assessment tool for at least 4 weeks before slowing their regimen down. Over time the acne bacteria will almost be eliminated and it will reduce or eliminate the need for continued blue light therapy treatments. Every user’s reaction to blue light therapy will differ based on their own acne and body chemistry, but its safe to say that you will not need to continue these treatments for life!

In this new and fast growing field of light therapy, its easy for even a sophisticated consumer of cutting edge skin care products to become quickly confused. This blog is intended to demystify the light therapy world and provide a resource for those who wish to better understand how to treat their acne and skincare needs. Today’s post will cover the various “jargon” that will help you comprehend what exactly a particular company is talking about when describing their device. Please email us if you have any questions, or post a comment if we missed one!

PDT – Photodynamic therapy, or another way of saying using specific wavelengths of light to treat certain skin conditions. In most cases PDT also involves the use of Levulan (aminolevulanic acid) to greatly enhance the effectiveness of a treatment. This is solely done under the supervision of a doctor.

LLLT – Low level light therapy, the acronym used by the scientific community to describe all manner of light therapy options. These include applications for pain management, wound healing, anti-aging, and skin treatments.

Photofacial – A high intensity light therapy treatment, usually performed at a dermatologist office or medical spa, that attempts to remove discolored spots, wrinkles, or redness from the face, chest, or body of a customer. Can also be spelled fotofacial.

Nm – Nanometers, or how the wavelength of the light spectrum is measured. The human eye can detect light in the 390nm to 750nm range. Any light below 400nm is considered UV, or ultraviolet, and light above 800nm is considered IR, or infrared.

Blue Light Therapy – A specialized form of light therapy that singles out light in the 405-420nm wavelength range. This small spectrum of light has been proven to kill acne causing bacteria.

More and more people are starting to learn about the existence of Blue Light Therapy treatment for acne. Although not a new technology (it has been around for 20+ years), blue light therapy treatments were very expensive up until a few years ago. Only celebrities or the ultra-rich could afford these treatments, which is very similar to the way cosmetic surgery and even cosmetic injections were 5-10 years ago.

However, the cost to produce light therapy devices has dropped significantly in recent years, making it much more affordable for the average consumer. These days, most light therapy consumers still visit their dermatologist or local medical spa to get their treatments performed. The home-use light therapy device industry is in its early days, but it is growing rapidly as people begin to see the results and great value provided.

Ideal candidates for Acne Light Therapy will possess some or all of the following attributes:

1. Acne caused by bacteria (vs. hormonal acne) that is mild to moderate in nature. The bacterial cause of acne is not always apparent, but is generally seen in persistent teenage and adult acne. Those that have severe, cystic acne will most likely not benefit from blue light treatments.

2. Oily skin that requires minimal moisturizer. Blue light treatments tend to dry out the skin by reducing the amount of oil produced by the pores. Generally people will bacteria-related acne will also have oily skin, although there are many exceptions to this rule.

3. Acne that shows improvement in sunlight. Because the blue light wavelengths that are used in home light therapy devices are also present (to a smaller degree) in sunlight, many people are able to improve their acne by sitting in direct sunlight. These people will see above average results with blue light treatments.

4. Anyone on antibiotics or harsh creams for their acne. This is one of the top reasons that people try blue light treatments for their acne, as they want to move to a more natural, side-effect free method of acne treatment. Taking antibiotics over a long period of time weakens the body and can result in dependence for future acne treatment.

The points above are only meant as examples of types of people who would be a good candidate for Acne Light Therapy. Every person’s skin will react in different ways and will take different amounts of time to see results manifest.