Last Updated on January 22, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
So you’ve got this big event coming up or maybe you just looked in the mirror under bad lighting and now you’re trying to figure out if you should book one of those oxygen infusion facials everyone keeps posting about or go for microdermabrasion which sounds terrifying but your friend swears changed her skin.
The problem is they both cost about the same, both promise amazing results, and you have no clue which one actually does anything or if you’re just gonna throw money at your face and hope for the best. Here’s what I found out about oxygen facial vs microdermabrasion after reading way too many actual scientific studies instead of just believing what the spa website says: one of these has real science behind it and the other is basically expensive air and good moisturizer. Let’s see which is the right treatment for you:
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Oxygen Facial VS Microdermabrasion: What Are They?
Okay so oxygen facials work like this: they’ve got this facial machine that shoots a stream of high-pressurized oxygen at your skin’s surface and mixes it with hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid. It feels really nice and cooling and kind of fancy. But what’s the point of this cosmetic procedure? Word has it that pure oxygen is gonna penetrate into your living cells, boost your collagen production and give you this radiant glow. The whole thing is supposed to be this gentle treatment that’s perfect if you’ve got sensitive skin because there’s zero downtime and you can literally go straight to your special occasion looking fresh.
Microdermabrasion is way more straightforward: they’re using either this diamond-tipped wand or tiny little crystals to basically scrape off the outermost layer of dead skin cells from your face. It’s deep exfoliation, like actual physical removal of that outer layer to make your skin freak out a little bit and start producing new collagen and elastin to fix itself. The microdermabrasion process is controlled but it’s definitely doing something real to the layers of your skin. You get minimal downtime, maybe some redness for a few hours, but nothing wild.
Related: Do Oxygen Facials Really Work?
Skincare Benefits And What They’re Actually Good For
Okay so what does an oxygen facial actually do for you? You walk out looking glowy and hydrated, your skin feels plumper and softer, and if you’ve got something important happening tomorrow you’re gonna look fresh and awake without any of that scary redness or peeling situation. It’s also genuinely nice and relaxing if you’re stressed and just want someone to pamper your face for an hour. That’s really it though.
And here’s the annoying part: when you actually look for scientific proof that oxygen is doing anything special, there’s basically nothing there. Like dermatologists have literally called this snake oil. There was one study in Italy where oxygen therapy seemed to help with acne and hair loss but they were also using actual medications at the same time, so was it the fancy oxygen machine or was it just the drugs doing their job while the oxygen took credit? Nobody knows because the study didn’t separate that out. What you’re probably getting is just really good serum application with some temporary puffiness that makes you look nice for like 48 hours before everything goes back to normal.
Microdermabrasion is a different story. Your skin texture genuinely improves and you can feel the difference when you touch your face. The appearance of acne scars fades and become way less noticeable over a series of treatments. Those age spots and sun damage from that beach vacation where you didn’t reapply sunscreen enough? They lighten up. Fine lines around your eyes and mouth look better. Your whole skin tone evens out instead of having those weird dark patches or rough spots.
And the research backs this up in a way that oxygen facials just don’t. Studies show microdermabrasion creates real measurable changes in your skin structure, like they can actually see increased collagen and elastin under a microscope after you do a series of treatments. Researchers found that the collagen in your skin gets denser and more organized, which is what makes your skin look better long-term instead of just for a couple days. One study tracked people getting microdermabrasion for acne and 96% of them were happy enough with the results to tell their friends to try it, which honestly says a lot because people usually don’t recommend treatments unless they genuinely worked.
Oxygen Facial VSMicrodermabrasion: Side Effects
Oxygen facials basically have no side effects because they’re not really doing much of anything to your skin. Some people might get a little redness or puffiness from the pressure of the oxygen stream hitting their face but that goes away in like an hour. If you’ve got really sensitive skin or conditions like rosacea this is probably appealing because it’s such a gentle treatment. The worst thing that happens is you spend a bunch of money and walk out with temporarily nice-looking skin that goes back to normal in a couple days.
Microdermabrasion can cause some actual side effects because it’s doing real stuff to your skin. You’ll probably have redness for a few hours after, sometimes up to a day if they went aggressive with it. Some people get a little swelling or tenderness. If you’ve got active breakouts or really inflamed acne they might tell you to wait because the microdermabrasion process can make that worse. People with darker skin tones need to be more careful because there’s a small risk of hyperpigmentation if it’s done too aggressively. And if you’re prone to cold sores the trauma to your skin can trigger an outbreak.
Which Skin Treatment Is Best For Your Skin’s Needs?
If you’re dealing with specific skin concerns like acne scarring, dark spots, sun exposure damage, uneven texture, dull skin that won’t brighten up no matter what you try, microdermabrasion is gonna be the better choice. It’s proper deep exfoliation that addresses these skin issues at a structural level by actually removing damaged skin and forcing new skin cell growth. You need multiple microdermabrasion treatments to see maximum results, usually they say around six sessions, but people start seeing improvement after even two or three.
For surface-level stuff like wanting a healthy glow before a big event or just general maintenance of already decent skin, an oxygen facial will give you that temporary radiant skin look. It’s good for a quick boost when you need immediate results and can’t have any downtime. If your main concern is just looking refreshed and glowy for something happening in the next day or two, the oxygen treatment will do that. But it’s not fixing anything long-term, it’s just making your skin look nice temporarily.
If you’ve got really reactive or sensitive skin and you’re worried about how your skin’s gonna handle an aggressive treatment, oxygen facials are definitely safer in that they won’t cause problems. But honestly if your skin can handle it, microdermabrasion is gonna give you way better long-term skin’s health results for basically the same price.
The Bottom Line
Look, if you want the honest answer based on what the science actually says: microdermabrasion is the better investment. It’s the type of treatment that has real evidence behind it showing it changes your skin structure, boosts collagen production and elastin production, improves skin texture and skin tone, helps with the appearance of wrinkles, scars and sun damage. You’re getting actual deep facial rejuvenation that leads to a more youthful glow over time, not just for a couple days.
