is HydraFacial or Dermalinfusion better?
As an industry, we have seen a significant drop in traditional mircrodermabrasion skin care services as new and innovative skin care technologies have emerged. A newer term you may be hearing in place of the word microdermabrasion is called "Hydra-dermabrasion" or even other play on words of actual brand name services such as "Hydra-facials" or "Dermal-infusions".
So what do all these words mean and are some options better than others? As an aesthetician who provides a facial infusion service, I get asked these questions often. Because of the amount of inquiries I have been receiving on the topic, it made sense to break it down for you all.
In my skin care practice SkinFIT Aesthetics, I offer a branded service called Dermalinfusion (this treatment in years past was once mostly referred to as The Silk Peel, but has rebranded as the company evolved its technologies).
To fully provide a non-biased and educational overview of Dermalinfusion in comparison to its main competitor HydraFacial, I reached out to an industry peer, Rachel Valverde of Skin Ritual by Desert Sky Dermatology who offers the HydraFacial service.
In collaboration, we fully broke down the features and benefits of both Dermalinfusion and HydraFacial to provide prospective patients with a more clear understanding of each services value.
The first image below (figure 1.) demonstrates the core similarities of both services in addition to their differences. 
(Figure 1.)
As outlined, the overall results of both the HydraFacial and Dermalinfusion service result in "Event-Ready" skin. Both services provide immediate results as well as long range anti-aging benefits. For those seeking these services for an actual event, the best time to receive the service is a few days prior to event when "peak results" are optimal.
During either service, technologies are used to simultaneously extract, exfoliate, and infuse condition specific ingredients into the skin. Both HydraFacial and Dermalinfusion have a "waste jar canister" that at the end of the service now holds the dead skin cells, dirt, oil, makeup, pollution, and debris that were once trapped within the skin (Figures 2a and 2b.).
(Figure 2a.- Dermalinfusion waste jar variations)
(Figure 2b.- HydraFacial waste jar)
As demonstrated, the two services have many similarities. So what are the differences?
The main difference between HydraFacial and Dermalinfusion is the primary way in which they exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin.
Figures 3 and 4 below show the varying tip used during the services. Generally speaking, Dermalinfusion utilizes diamond-tip exfoliation tips whereas HydraFacial uses non-diamond tip exfoliation tips (note: HydraFacial does offer a diamond-tip exfoliation tip, however, I have yet to hear of any provider using it.).
Generally speaking again, as its main form of exfoliation, HydraFacial utilizes glycolic chemical exfoliation and Dermalinfusion utilizes physical diamond-tip exfoliation ( note: Dermalinfusion does utilize low percentage chemical exfoliation in some of their serums.).
If you see HydraFacial often advertised with dermaplaning (a manual exfoliation technique to remove dead skin and fine facial hair), it is because the dermaplaning provides added manual exfoliation to the HydraFacial service.
With Dermalinfusion, dermaplaning is not apart of the general protocol because it is not entirely necessary as a significant amount of manual exfoliation is already being achieved from the diamond-tip exfoliation.
Of my clients who receive Dermalinfusion, I would estimate about 50% add on dermaplaning to their service and 50% rely on the service alone to achieve their desired results. For those who love that facial hair to be removed, dermaplaning can indeed be partnered with Dermalinfusion; the machine parameters and tip selection will then be adjusted accordingly from that point.
HydraFacial hand-piece and "boosters" (Figure 3.)
Dermalinfusion hand-piece with diamond-tip (Figure 4.)
Another vast difference in the two services are the serum options that are used. HydraFacial utilizes a combined usage of generally 5 serums per treatment to customize the service. In addition to providing their own serums, HydraFacial has also partnered with other skin care companies like ZO Skin Health who now provide HydraFacial with "Boosters" that are fully integrative into the service. Such boosters include the Brightalive booster for hyperpigmentation and the Rozatrol booster for rosacea and redness.
Dermalinfusion on the other hand has kept their serums "close to their heart" and only offer their designed condition specific serums to be used during the treatment. 4 different serum types are available to customize each service:
Ultra Hydration, Vitamin C, Skin Brightening, and Pore Clarifying (Figure 5.).
Both HydraFacial and Dermalinfusion utilize powerful anti-aging and corrective ingredients such as peptides, hyaluronic acid, fruit extracts, and various vitamins to address an array of skin issues from dryness, dehydration, breakouts, excessive oil production, uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation.
(Figure 5.)
In conclusion, I recommend trying out both HydraFacial and Dermalinfusion.
As providers, we are always going to be somewhat bias towards the services we offer since we decided to carry them for a reason, but ultimately I believe there is a platform and need for most services.
I think the decision on "Which is better- Hydrafacial or Dermalinfusion?" is ultimately going to come down to a personal preference. Regardless, both services' ingredients and technologies will give you an instantly gratifying glow.
For more information on the HydraFacial service here in Arizona, please contact Rachel Valverde of Skin Ritual at Desert Sky Dermatology.
For more information on our Dermalinfusion Facials here at SkinFIT Aesthetics, check out our website link HERE.
