Dermabrasion for Acne Scarring
Once the first signs of acne show up, treatments are
sought after right away. A wide range
of possible remedies is available for different forms of acne vulgaris and
different skin types. Some cases do
not affect one’s skin too much after treatment.
There are others though, that will
suffer from above average acne scarring. This
is why as much as treatments are sought for the acne itself, there are many
post acne procedures available as well to deal with the damage.
One of these procedures is called
dermabrasion, and it has proven quite effective in dealing with certain
types of scarring after a bout of acne.
Now dermabrasion’s effect on scars and even certain
forms of lesions is similar to that of sanding a rough surface.
This may sound like it’s scratching
the heck out of your face, but it can actually be mild enough when done
right. How it works is with a motor
driven fine-wire brush or diamond fraise removes the most external layer of
one’s skin. This allows your skin to
re-grow a tighter, better-looking outer layer.
One should know, however, that
dermabrasion is not a miracle procedure, and normally one treatment is not
enough. Several are needed to get the
desired effect, and sometimes it is only possible to get close to that
effect. This can be a little
expensive, since the cost of the procedure can range from 1,500 to 4,000
dollars depending on the severity of scarring.
A full examination of the skin will be needed before a
doctor can sign one off for dermabrasion. People
prone to keloids may not be suitable to undergo the procedure.
Once a person is given the go signal,
then the procedure will be performed in a sterilized operating room.
One’s skin will be cleaned and
applied with ice packs at the start, followed by an anesthetic.
Then a freezing agent will be used on
the area to be operated on, as it is important for the skin to be as firm as
possible when the dermabrasion is occurring.
A freezing topical anesthesia may be used as an alternative to both
the anesthetic and the freezing agent. Bleeding
is normal after the freezing effect wears off, and the wounds will be
appropriately dressed. The whole
procedure can last from 15 minutes to around an hour.
It may take about a week for healing of your face to be
complete after undergoing dermabrasion, and some swelling and discomfort is
normal. One should clean one’s face
everyday during this time. Since
there is a high probability of pigmentation for this type of procedure, it
is important to stay away from the sun for a few weeks, and undertake the
necessary precautions like using sunblock. It
should be remembered that the results for everyone will differ.
Do not set yourself up for
disappointment by thinking your face will be perfect after one outing.
Again, it is most likely that several
treatments will be required for more severe cases of acne scarring. Even
after one treatment however, there should be a visible improvement.
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