Benefits, costs and how it works

• Dermabrasion is a procedure that exfoliates your skin by scraping off the outer layer of skin cells.
• It can help treat sun damage, scars, hyperpigmentation, stretch marks and wrinkles.
• The procedure comes with risks, including painful recovery, infection, and uneven skin.

Dermabrasion is a process that deeply exfoliates your skin using a sanding tool. It can treat skin conditions on your face such as acne, scars, sun damage and wrinkles.

But the process has become less popular in recent years, probably due to the recovery it can be painful and it takes months for your skin to heal completely.

“For minor cosmetic procedures, you may want to explore a less intense procedure such as microdermabrasion, facial peels, or laser treatments,” she says. Dendy Engelman, MDboard certified cosmetic dermatologist at Shafer Clinic, NYC.

See what a dermabrasion procedure looks like and how it can help your skin.

What is dermabrasion?

During a dermabrasion treatment, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon will use a dermabrasion to remove the outer layers of your skin. This can help repair damaged or scarred skin by increasing the production of new skin cells in the treated area, Engelman says.

When your skin cells turn over, dead skin is shed and newer skin is brought to the surface. This results in brighter skin, with smaller pores and can even reduce the appearance of dryness.

Dermabrasion is different from microdermabrasion — a procedure that uses a less abrasive tool and removes fewer layers of skin. Dermabrasion is more effective for removing deeper skin imperfections such as deep scars, but microdermabrasion has an easier recovery.

On average, a microdermabrasion procedure costs about $170while skin scraping costs about $1800. There are also at home microdermabrasion kit you can try.

The dermabrasion process: Before, during and after

A dermabrasion procedure should be performed by a skin care professional. You cannot do dermabrasion at home because the procedure requires surgical tools and dangerous such as infection and scarring if done incorrectly.

Before the procedure

BlouserepairFor a dermabrasion procedure, you should take steps to ensure you get the best possible results:

A few weeks before the procedure:

• Stop smoking. You should stop smoking for a week or two before the procedure. Smoking can restrict blood flow to your skin and slow healing.

A few days before the procedure:

• Take antiviral drugs. Your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to prevent infection.
• Get botox injections. Your doctor may recommend that you get Botox about three days before the procedure to prevent wrinkles during the healing process.

Ask your doctor:

• Stop some medications. You may need to stop taking blood-thinning medications such as aspirin before skin scraping. Ask your doctor how long you should start stopping your medications before the procedure;
• Avoid sun exposure. Too much sun exposure before dermabrasion can cause permanent spots of discoloration on your skin. Your doctor can advise how long you should take these precautions.

During the process

Because it’s relevant low risk, skin scraping is usually done in the doctor’s office and not in the hospital. Here’s how it’s usually done:

1. Your doctor generally gives you local anesthesia to numb your skin or put you under sedation for longer, more extensive procedures.
2. Your skin will be cleansed with one antiseptic gel.
3. Your doctor will move the dermabrasion across your skin, removing the outer layers of the epidermis and dead skin cells. Depending on how much skin you are treating, this may only take one a few minutes or more than an hour. For example, a small scar removal may be a quicker procedure, while a full face procedure may take longer.
4. After the dermabrasion, your doctor will cover the treated area with a wet bandage to prevent your skin from crusting over and delaying healing. You’ll have to keep the bandage on all day, and your doctor will change the bandage in the office the next day, Engelman says.
5. You can go home immediately after the procedure, but you will need someone else to drive you if you have been sedated.

After the procedure

• You should notice some improvement within a week or two, but it takes about three months for your skin to fully heal, Engelman says.
• During the treatment process, you may have normal symptoms like:
• Red and swollen skin
• Burning or pain sensation
• Itching as new skin grows
• Crust or scab formation in the treated areas
• To treat any pain, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever or offer a prescription pain reliever.
• Do not use any makeup to cover the redness until a new layer of skin has fully developed. Generally, the new skin comes back five to eight days and it should appear pink in appearance.

The benefits and risks of skin scraping

Dermabrasion can help reduce the occurrence of certain skin conditions, but it also carries risks.

Benefits of skin scraping

• Scar reduction. Studies show that dermabrasion works well to reduce the appearance of scars from acne and face surgery.
• Post-burn treatment. ONE 2007 study found that dermabrasion can help treat skin discoloration in people who have suffered burns.
• Reduce sun damage. A small study from 2008 found that dermabrasion, along with surgery, helped improve skin discoloration in people with severe sun damage to their lips.
• Reduce stretch marks. ONE 2019 study found that receiving 10 dermabrasion treatments made stretch marks appear shorter and thinner for women with stretch marks on their backs.

The results of dermabrasion are permanent, but often needed three to six treatments to get full results. If the treatment is intended for anti-aging, you may need to have follow-up treatments to maintain your results.

Risks of skin abrasion

• Abnormal skin. Treated skin may develop tiny white bumpsbut they often go away on their own with regular face washing.
• Contamination. In rare cases, you may develop a bacterial, viral or fungal infection on your skin.
• Scars. If the dermabrasion goes too deep, you may experience scarring.
• Greater resources. Your pores may appear larger after dermabrasion treatment.
• Skin discoloration. In rare cases, your skin may become permanently lighter or darker after treatment. People with darker skin tones are at greater risk.

Packaged interior

Dermabrasion can be a great way to “restore” your skin by removing damaged skin, evening out your skin tone and reducing scarring. It can also be a non-invasive way to remove small but potentially dangerous precancerous spots.

“However, dermabrasion has downtime and side effects such as tenderness and redness,” says Engelman. Carefully following your doctor’s instructions can help avoid complications and give you the best possible results.