Dermabrasion

No matter how much we’d like our faces to be perfect, few of us ever attain that goal. Many of us learn to accept the irregularities of our skin, even the light wrinkles around our mouths and eyes which signify those early stages of aging. However, we don’t have to accept them if we don’t want to. Procedures such as dermabrasion can help us come closer to our goal of having a face we’re happy with and can improve your self-confidence.

Is Dermabrasion right for you?

Dermabrasion may be a good choice for you depending on what you hope to achieve through the procedure. For example, if you have very deep wrinkles, you may want to consider an alternative, such as Restalyne. However, if your skin has been scarred by accidents or other procedures or if you have fine wrinkles, then Dermabrasion may be able to help you correct those problems. Essentially, Dermabrasion offers the same type of treatment as a chemical peel but without the use of the strong chemicals.

What is Dermabrasion?

With Dermabrasion, your physician will use a specially designed electrical instrument to scrap away the upper layers of skin in the targeted areas. After those layers are removed, the skin underneath will be smoother. After it heals, you shouldn’t have any noticeable signs of the wrinkles, scarring, or problems you sought the treatment to correct.

Dermabrasion, like many cosmetic procedures, is done either at an outpatient facility or in your doctor’s office. Generally, your physician will numb the area using a local anesthetic or a numbing spray depending on the size of the area being treated and the amount of work being done. You’ll probably receive a sedative to help you relax during the procedure as well.

Are you a good candidate?

Dermabrasion may not be right for everyone, and the best candidates have realistic expectations about the procedure and don’t expect to leave the physician’s office looking like a totally different person. The procedure is meant to correct imperfections in your skin, but it will not significantly impact any other aspect of your appearance.

For some people, dermabrasion is simply not a good option. For example, if you have a dark complexion, your skin may become patchy or discolored after dermabrasion. Individuals who have frequent skin-related reactions, including core sores or allergies, would be better off choosing a different treatment option because the procedure can worsen these pre-existing problems.

Your physician may also decide not to do the procedure if you’ve had recent chemical peels or burns to the targeted area. Under those situations, you stand a greater risk of developing a serious infection. Physicians, in general, prefer to perform this and other cosmetic procedures on healthy, non-smokers because health conditions can cause complications and smoking can interfere with proper healing.

How is the procedure performed?

Before your procedure, you will have an individual consultation, in which you and your physician will discuss which areas of your face or skin need to be treated. However, he or she may not know how many layers will need to be removed until the procedure actually begins. During this initial consultation, the two of you may also discuss whether the entire treatment will be completed during this single setting or whether multiple sessions will be required.

On the day of the procedure, your physician will make sure the targeted parts of your skin are number, then he or she will turn on their scraping instrument. The instrument will be rubbed across your skin to remove those layers. It may take several trips across one part of your skin to remove the layers. When your physician decides he or she has gone as deep as necessary to correct the problem without jeopardizing your safety, he or she will repeat the procedure at another spot.

Depending on the size of the targeted area, Dermabrasion may take less than 10 minutes or over an hour.

How long will it take before I feel normal again?

Immediately after the surgery, you probably won’t feel very good. Dermabrasion causes the face to become swollen so depending on where it was performed you may have trouble eating, seeing, or talking because of the swelling. You can also expect to feel pain and may need to take prescription pain medication provided by your physician. The good news is that these problems go away after about a week.

As the areas start to heal, a crusty scab will start forming over them while new layers of skin are being formed. When these scabs are gone, you’ll see pink layers of skin below them. At this point, your skin will probably be somewhat itchy.

During the first two weeks, you’ll need to be off from work and will want to avoid any activities that may involve damage to your face. You’ll also need to avoid swimming and other outdoor activities for at least four weeks. For the next six months to one year, you’ll want to use a strong sunscreen to protect your face whenever you go out. However, by this time, you should start looking and feeling back to normal.

Are there any risks?

Dermabrasion is a relatively safe procedure; however, it does come with some risks. The most common risk is a change in coloration of your face or of the treated area. For some patients, the treated area becomes permanently darker or blotchy after the procedure, and for a short time after the procedure, you may notice enlarged pores in the treated area - but this is not usually a long-term problem.

The more serious but less common risks include infections and scarring. Darker-skinned patients are also more likely to develop excessive scarring which may need to be treated by the physician.

Will I be happy with my results?

Although the first days after the procedure will be tough, once you start seeing the improvements from the treatment you’ll undoubtedly be pleased with the experience.

Further information

This web site has been prepared to give a basic understanding of the procedure before a consultation takes place, and to cover many of the questions frequently asked about this type of cosmetic surgery. Final decisions should not be made until an individual assessment has taken place with the surgeon.

There is no obligation on the part of the patient to undergo surgery by attending for consultation.

If you have any further questions or would like to arrange a consultation please fill in the online form or call us on 07590 666 302. All enquiries are always treated confidentially.