Dermabrasion is an invasive procedure to remove damage and defects in the upper layers of the skin, usually on the face. This treatment is for people who wish to improve the appearance of their skin.
Some of the conditions when you need this treatment are:
- Color changes in the skin.
- Fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.
- Tattoos: This is the better way to remove tattoos.
- Scars caused by surgery or trauma, if they are not deep.
- Acne scar: Removing and improving the appearance of acne scars are the most common uses for it.
- Superficial skin growths, such as Rhinophyma. It is also helpful to treat small cysts, epidermal nevi, some basal cell skin cancers, or Bowen’s disease.
With both Dermabrasion and Dermaplanning, the doctor can treat small areas of skin or the entire face. They can be used alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, scar removal or revision, or chemical peel.
You may not be a good candidate for It if you:
- Have used isotretinoin (a drug used to treat acne) within the last 6 to 12 months.
- Are overly sensitive to cold (if need to use freezing spray).
- Have a history of abnormal scarring.
- Have an active herpes infection or other skin infection.
- Recently have a facelift or browlift, although can treat skin areas that are not affected by the lift.
- Have a skin, blood flow, or immune disorder that could make healing more difficult.
Dermabrasion Surgery
It is a technique that uses a wire brush or a diamond wheel with rough edges (called a burr or fraise) to remove the upper layers of the skin. The brush or burr rotates rapidly, taking off and leveling the top layers of the skin. This process injures or wounds the skin and causes it to bleed. As the wound heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin that was removed during surgery.
Things that affect the depth of the resurfacing include
- The course of the burr or brush and how quickly it rotates.
- Pressure applied and for how long.
- The condition and features of your skin.
It is mainly for the face treatment but can also treat other skin areas with it. It can improve the appearance of acne scars and fine lines around the face and also used to deal with an enlarged nose caused by rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition.
Dermabrasion Procedure
Your doctor will give you local anesthesia. During the treatment, the doctor will hold your skin taut and will move a device called a dermabrader across your skin. The dermabrader is a small, motorized device with a rough surface used to take off the top layers of skin. Right after the procedure, your doctor will cover the treated area with a moist dressing.