Dermabrasion: radical skin resurfacing

Dermabrasion as a skin resurfacing treatment has been around for a long time as a treatment for serious medical skin problems and scarring.

Dermabrasion is a radical abrasive skin treatment as the name implies. Your skin is cut and scraped by the dermabrasion tool which takes off part of  the top level of the skin’s surface allowing blemished skin to repair.

Although there’s no surgery involved you’ll definitely need a qualified cosmetic surgeon with significant experience of the technique.

As a result it can be an expensive process and there are lots of alternatives you could consider before forking out your hard earned cash.

The dermabrasion process is technically known as ‘controlled surgical scraping’. Your cosmetic surgeon will use a dermabrasion machine with a special tool which looks a little like a metal grinding head.

Despite the potential for damage and injury – you shouldn’t feel too much pain as you’ll be given a high strength local anesthetic beforehand and a sedative if necessary to calm your nerves.

The real pain and discomfort starts after the procedure as your skin will be left with a controlled open wound as part of the healing process.  You will be given a special anti bacterial dressing which will be changed often.

Immediately after dermabrasion your skin will be quite red and swollen and eating and talking may be difficult. There will be tingling, burning and aching and you will probably need to take painkillers. Swelling and pain should reduce within a week.

A scab or crust will form over the treated area as it begins to heal and this will fall off as a new layer of tight, pink skin forms underneath. Your skin may itch and you may be prescribed an ointment to rub into the affected area.

Skin pinkness from the dermabrasion procedure will take up to three months to fade. Sounds like a long time but you can wear a camouflage non-allergenic makeup during this time to disguise your treatment.  It is also essential not to let skin get exposed to damaging sunlight during the healing process and high levels of SPF will be necessary.

Once healing is complete your treated skin will match the surrounding skin areas and should be virtually undetectable. Dermabrasion will probably require two weeks away from work immediately after the treatment.

As an anti aging treatment dermabrasion is quite expensive due to the high level of skill required to carry out the procedure and avoid damage and injury.  It may not be suitable for all skin types and you need the advice of an experienced cosmetic surgeon who may be able to suggest alternatives.

Dermabrasion may not end up being your top choice as a non surgical alternative to face lift surgery. Dermabrasion was an early skin rejuvenation treatment and science has moved on considerably in recent years.

A better anti aging skin treatment for most people would be microdermabrasion which is a much less agressive form of skin resurfacing. Great wrinkle reducing and skin firming results are being achieved with LED skin treatments. State of the art LED machines offer totally pain free skin treatments for rejuvenating skin, fading age spots and lifting the whole face.

More and more alternatives to the original skin rejuvenation treatments are being discovered all the time. Find a cosmetic surgeon or cosmetic surgery center that offers state of the art non surgical face lift procedures and take advice.