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Dermabrasion

Irregularities of the skin and scars can be made less visible with a technique called dermabrasion. It is used in particular for removing tattoos, wrinkles and scars caused by acne.

The treatment

Depending on the size of the area that will be treated this procedure is carried out under local or general anaesthetic. It can last between a few minutes to about an hour.
The plastic surgeon will start by disinfecting the skin.
Dermabrasion consists in scraping away (abrasion) the skin (derma) as far as the second layer papillary dermis (the layer underneath the upper skin). This is done with a rotating steel wire brush or disc with diamond grains.
The scraping is done at a high speed rotation while the pressure with which this happens will determine how deep one will go. For deeper skin problems more than one treatment with dermabrasion will be required.

After the treatment

The treated part of the skin is dressed after first applying a hydrating ointment. You will have to continue doing this at home.
In most cases the skin heals in 1 to 2 weeks, but it can remain pink for some months. Do not expose the skin to either the sun or solar lamps. You may use make up to cover any redness.
The result obtained with dermabrasion is lasting, it does not, however, prevent new wrinkles being formed due to ageing.