Dermabrasion treatment is popular for treating facial wrinkles, scarring, pox marks or any other type of traumatic scars. It is also called the power peel process to improve skin tone and the condition of the epidermal layer. It is a non surgical process in which the epidermis is removed through abrasion or controlled surgical scrapping. A new layer of skin replaces the damaged one providing a smoother appearance and a tighter look to the skin.

Who is it for?

Dermabrasion can also be used to treat tattoo scars, lines around the mouth, moles, birthmarks and age spots. People who are prone to red keloid scars, hyper pigmentation or excessive scarring cannot have dermabrasion as it will not be effective. Also people having extremely thin skin, uncontrolled diabetes, warts, skin lesions, or active rosacea are also not ideal candidates for the process. Dermabrasion can be applied to people above 18 years of age.

The Process

The process is not too long and takes anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the size of the area being treated.  The skin is thoroughly cleaned with a good cleaning agent and a freezing agent is then applied.  The skin is sprayed with fine sand like crystals and using a controlled vacuum the top epidermal layer is sweep off. The sand like crystals helps in exfoliating the top layer of the skin. The device used is a special brush with rotating ball that can be easily moved over skin to cover every area to be treated.

The skin is covered with a thin film of antibiotic ointment after the procedure to protect the newly surfaced tissues.  Ice packs will be required to be used in the first 48 hours of the treatment as the skin will feel a lot of burning sensation. The skin will have a rosy complexion which will fade away in about two days.

Recovery

The skin must be properly cleansed for several days and any sort of makeup and creams are to be avoided except for those recommended by the surgeon. Regrowth of skin occurs in about 5 to 8 days. The complete recovery period can take about 6 to 12 weeks for the completely new skin to show. The obvious age spots, acne marks or lines will be less obvious and the skin will seem softer and younger with a fresh glow.

Side Effects & Cost

As the process exfoliates the external layer of the skin there are no serious complications. Common and temporary side effects can includes scarring, redness, swelling, flaring up of acne and tiny cysts and sensitivity to light. On serious side and in very few cases infections and tissue damage can occur but it is less common. Some people can also develop lasting redness and scarring however skin evaluation before the procedure can help in overcoming such effects. These can be treated with appropriate medications.

It is important to take care of the skin protecting it from extreme heat and sunlight by using sunscreen. The procedure can cost anywhere around $100 to $4000 for in depth treatments. In depth treatments will require more sittings to have a flawless result.