Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion help to "refinish" the skin's top layers through a method of controlled surgical scraping. The treatment softens the sharp edges of surface irregularities, giving the skin a smoother appearance. Dermabrasion is most often used to improve the look of facial skin left scarred by accidents or previous surgery or to smooth out fine facial wrinkles, such as those around the mouth. Dermabrasion can be performed on small areas of skin or on the entire face. It can be used alone or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, scar removal or revision, or chemical peel.

Procedure

Dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed fairly quickly. The procedures usually take from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how large an area of skin is involved. It is not uncommon for the procedure to be performed more than once, or in stages, especially when scarring is deep or a large area of skin is involved.

In dermabrasion, the surgeon scrapes away the outermost layer of skin with a rough wire brush, or a burr containing diamond particles, attached to a motorized handle. The scraping continues until the surgeon reaches the safest level that will make the scar or wrinkle less visible.

After the procedure

Right after the procedure, your skin will be quite red and swollen, and eating and talking may be difficult. You will probably feel some tingling, burning, or aching; any pain you feel can be controlled with medications prescribed by your surgeon. The swelling will begin to subside in a few days to a week. The surgeon will give you detailed instructions to care for your skin after surgery. For men, this will include delaying shaving for a while, then using an electric razor at first.