Which effect does microdermabrasion have on the skin’s surface layer?

Microdermabrasion primarily functions by sloughing off the top layer of the skin, which is made up of dead skin cells. This treatment involves gently exfoliating the skin's surface, removing dead or damaged skin cells and promoting a renewed outer layer. The process stimulates cellular turnover, leading to a healthier appearance and allowing for better absorption of subsequent skin care products.

While increased moisture is a benefit that can result from improved skin texture after microdermabrasion, it is not the direct effect of the treatment on the skin's surface layer itself. The thickening of the dermis and the creation of new skin layers are also not direct results of the microdermabrasion process; rather, they involve deeper skin structures and may require more intensive treatments for such effects to occur. Therefore, sloughing off the top layer of the skin is the most accurate description of the immediate impact of microdermabrasion.