Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion and dermaplaning help to "refinish" the skin's top layers through a method of controlled surgical scraping. The treatments soften 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. It's also sometimes used to remove the pre-cancerous growths called keratoses. Dermaplaning is commonly used to treat deep acne scars.

Both dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed on small areas of skin or on the entire face. They can be used alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, scar removal or revision, or chemical peel.

If you're planning "surface repairs" on your face, you may also be considering chemical peel, an alternative method of surgically removing the top layer of skin. However, dermabrasion and dermaplaning use surgical instruments to remove the affected skin layers, while chemical peel uses a caustic solution.

In general, chemical peel is used more often to treat fine wrinkles, and dermabrasion and dermaplaning for deeper imperfections such as acne scars. A non-chemical approach may also be preferred for individuals with slightly darker skin, especially when treating limited areas of the face, since dermabrasion and dermaplaning are less likely to produce extreme changes and contrasts in skin color.


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Men and women of all ages, from young people to older adults, can benefit from dermabrasion and dermaplaning. Although older people heal more slowly, more important factors are the skin type, coloring, and medical history. For example, black skin, Asian skin, and other dark complexions may become permanently discolored or blotchy after a skin-refinishing treatment. People who develop allergic rashes or other skin reactions, or who get frequent fever blisters or cold sores, may experience a flare-up. If the patients has freckles, they may disappear in the treated area.

In addition, most surgeons will not perform treatment during the active stages of acne because of a greater risk of infection. The same may be true if the patient has had radiation treatments, a bad skin burn, or a previous chemical peel.


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The physician will discuss the patient's commitment to skin care. Some surgeons may pre-treat the skin or change your skin care regimen. The doctor will discuss medications to avoid and may ask the patient to stop smoking one to two weeks before and after surgery. Most procedures are performed in an outpatient setting, unless the patient's having other procedures done at the same time.

Although the patient may go home after dermabrasion, he or she should arrange for someone to drive him or her home. It is wise to arrange for a friend, family member, or nursing assistant to help out around the house for a few days.

Dermabrasion and dermaplaning may be performed under local anesthesia, which numbs the area, combined with a sedative to make the patient drowsy. The patient will be awake but relaxed, and will feel minimal discomfort. Sometimes a numbing spray, such as freon, is used along with or instead of local anesthesia. Or, in more severe cases, the surgeon may prefer to use general anesthesia.

Dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed fairly quickly. The procedures usually take from a few minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how large an area of skin is involved. It's 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.

In dermaplaning, the surgeon uses a hand-held instrument called a dermatome. Resembling an electric razor, the dermatome has an oscillating blade that moves back and forth to evenly "skim" off the surface layers of skin that surround the craters or other facial defects. This skimming continues until the lowest point of the acne scar becomes more even with the surrounding skin.

The surgeon may then treat the skin in a number of ways, including ointment, a wet or waxy dressing, dry treatment, or some combination of these.

After the surgery the skin will be quite red and swollen and eating and talking may be difficult. The patient probably feels some tingling, burning, or aching. Any pain can be controlled with medications prescibed by the surgeon. The swelling will begin to subside in a few days to a week.

A scab or crust will form over the treated area as it begins to heal. This will fall off as a new layer of tight, pink skin forms underneath. The face may itch as new skin starts to grow and the surgeon may recommend an ointment to make the patient more comfortable. If ointment is applied immediately after surgery, little or no scab will form.

In any case, the surgeon will give detailed instructions to care for the skin after surgery. For men, this will include delaying shaving for a while, then using an electric razor at first.


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The patient may develop tiny whiteheads after surgery. These usually disappear on their own, or with the use of an abrasive pad or soap; occasionally, the surgeon may have to remove them. The patient may also develop enlarged skin pores; these usually shrink to near normal size once the swelling has subsided.

While infection and scarring are rare with skin-refinishing treatments, they are possible. Some individuals develop excessive scar tissue (keloid or hypertrophic scars); these are usually treated with the application or injection of steroid medications to soften the scar.

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