Between sterilization and disinfection, which is considered stronger?

Sterilization is considered stronger than disinfection because it involves the complete elimination of all microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores. This process is critical in medical and aesthetic settings, where the risk of infection must be minimized. Sterilization is typically achieved through methods such as autoclaving, which uses steam under pressure, or chemical sterilants.

In contrast, disinfection significantly reduces the number of pathogenic microorganisms but does not necessarily kill all of them. Disinfection is usually sufficient for non-critical surfaces and instruments that do not penetrate the skin or mucous membranes. While effective for many applications, it does not offer the same level of safety as sterilization, especially in procedures that involve invasive techniques.

The other options, exfoliation and extraction, pertain to skin care procedures rather than methods of microbial control, making them irrelevant to the comparison between sterilization and disinfection.