Dermabrasion For Acne Scars
Saturday, August 28th, 2010Dermabrasion (also called surgical skin planing), can be described as a cosmetic surgical technique. The skin is numbed, then a special tool is utilized to buff off imperfections. To put it plainly but, harshly, the numbed skin is “sanded”. Once the damaged layer is taken away, new skin is now able to replace it. The fresh, new skin generally posesses a smoother appearance. Dermabrasion surgery is performed by a certified doctor.
| How Does It Work? |
| Dermabrasion can be performed in your dermatological surgeons’ office or in an outpatient facility. As a way to help with relaxing, a patient might be given a sedative of some kind. The affected area is thoroughly cleaned employing an antiseptic cleansing agent. Then the doctor will apply an anaesthetic to freeze the skin. A rotary tool with an abrasive wheel or brush is used. Using this, the surgeon carefully removes the outer, damaged, layers of skin. |
| What Happens Before The Treatment? |
| This is a surgical procedure. Any surgical procedure for removing acne scars must have at least one consultation occur before hand. This consultation will give the doctor a chance to describe the anesthesic they’ll use, discuss the actual procedure and fill you in on what results you can expect. They need to explain the risks and possible complications. These are slight and uncommon, but the doctor needs to explain them, and you need to know them. Pictures are taken before and after surgery to help evaluate the amount of improvement. Pre-op and post-op instructions will be given to you before that numbing spray touches your skin. |
| What Happens After? |
| Your skin will feel like it has severe “brush burn”. It sort of does, so that’s to be expected. Your doctor can prescribe or recommend medications to help reduce any discomfort you may have, such as an over-the-counter pain reliever. Healing usually occurs within seven to ten days. The newly exposed skin; pink at first, gradually develops a normal color. In most cases, this pinkness fades by six to eight weeks. Makeup can be used as a cover-up as soon as the skin is healed. Generally, most people can resume their normal activities in 7 to 14 days after dermabrasion. Unnecessary exposure to sunlight should be avoided. In particular direct sunlight, but indirect sunlight should be avoided to a reasonable level as well. When being outside, sunscreen should be used and reapplied fairly often. It’s best to keep this up for about three to six months. |
| What About Side Effects and Complications? |
| Side effects are uncommon but they do occur. They often include: - Uneven changes in skin color (temporary or permanent) - Darkening of the skin. The freshly exposed skin can overproduce melanin to protect itself. In rare cases, your skin ‘gets confused’, doesn’t stop like it should, and darkening becomes permanent. - In rare cases, some scarring can happen (ooh, brutal irony!) - Infection Darkening of the skin usually occurs because of sun exposure in the days and months following the treatment. |
| Care Afterwards |
| Avoid alcohol based drinks for 2 days after the procedure. Don’t take aspirin (ASA) or any products that contain aspirin or ibuprofen for one week following the surgery. Skip any smoking to the very best of your ability. The day right after the operation, you will have a mandatory appointment so the doctor may follow up; they will give you more tips for ongoing care of the brand new skin. |
So, now you know a bit more about dermabrasion, and - “Knowing is half the battle!”
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