My Neck, My Back, A Face Full of DermaFrac
Ok, I only had this on my face and neck, but I couldn’t resist the title. And apparently there is a back version! Until this year, DermaFrac had completely passed me by. It’s more like a medley of great skin treatments than it is a unique procedure in its own right. I had it done at my all-time-favourite clinic SE1 Medical Aesthetics. It costs £175 for one session, though like most things you save money if you pay for multiple in advance. It is really good value – it includes microdermabrasion, microneedling, and finishes with red-light therapy.
Comparing it to some other facials I’ve had, it comes out very favourably. It’s impactful enough to see the results after one session, while being gentle enough to have essentially no downtime. I get red very easily but it all settled down in an hour or so. It’s perfect as a one-off treatment before a big event, or as maintenance for an ongoing glowing complexion.
And for the record: even though the lovely SE1 team helped me get some content out of it, I did pay full price.
The Procedure
1. Microdermabrasion
The first step is microdermabrasion. Microdermabrasion is just a fancy word for a type of exfoliation. It’s a bit like a very delicate belt sander for the face. I recently wrote an in-depth post about the benefits of exfoliation and it all applies here. Specifically, the goal is to buff away dead skin, improve the complexion, and prepare it for the serum infusion that comes later. With the way the DermaFrac machine works, this step also acts as a deep clean – please see a very satisfying (if grim) before and after.
Before microdermabrasion (note very oily nose)
After microdermabrasion (bit red but with minimised pores)
What the machine looked like before/after (v. satisfying)
2. Microneedling
I love microneedling. Many aestheticians I speak to say it’s their favourite treatment to give their patients, because it can provide such transformative results. It comes in a few different flavours. On one end you can get cheap and cheerful at-home devices, which you can either stamp or roll over the skin – though they do pose some hygiene concerns. On the other end, you get advanced treatments like Morpheus8. This is microneedling combined with radiofrequency, which costs more money but can give even more dramatic results. In the right hands, it is one of the most effective skin-tightening treatments on the market. I’ll write more about microneedling and my own (positive) experience with Morpheus8 another time.
For now, it’s important to know that regardless of whatever microneedling modality you opt for, the end goal is the same. The treatment stimulates your skin into producing its own collagen which in turn helps with elasticity, firmness, preventing wrinkles, and managing hyperpigmentation.
I’d say DermaFrac is a goldilocks microneedling experience. The needles are longer than most at-home devices. It’s also given by trained professionals who know how to keep their environment sterile. The needles don’t go too deep into the skin – the science backs 0.5mm as an optimally good depth to see aesthetic improvements without causing unnecessary stress. Just the needling on its own would provide benefits, but DermaFrac layers in a serum infusion. The needles gently inject a custom serum into your skin, which greatly increases the amount your skin can absorb. The serum you get depends on your specific concern. There are options for hydration, anti-ageing, brightness, hyperpigmentation and oil control. Whatever you get, the end result is natural-looking, plumped, radiant skin.
3. Red light therapy
Once you’ve been scrubbed and poked full of tiny holes, it’s time to go in the oven. Light therapy is one of the best-studied types of aesthetic medicine – especially red light. Red light is proven to help with calming angry skin, as well as having anti-ageing benefits. For me this is very much a “trust the process” thing. Compared with the tangibility of needles in the skin, light therapy feels like absolutely nothing is happening. You need to have red light therapy regularly for meaningful results, but it does work. I also thoroughly enjoy looking like I’m embarking on a sci-fi adventure.
AAA Rating
I give every procedure I get a rating of A (not worth it) to AAA (go get it done now). This is definitely a AAA treatment. It’s very good value for money: you get multiple treatments for the price of one. There is no pain or downtime. Your skin looks noticeably good afterwards. No complaints whatsoever. If you’d like to try it, book directly via the SE1 Medical Aesthetics website. Tell them I’ve referred you and you’ll get a £20 discount from your first treatment. Happy fracking!
