What is dermabrasion?

Dermabrasion is a treatment to improve the look of the skin. It uses a wire brush or a diamond wheel with rough edges (called a burr or fraise) to remove the upper layers of the skin. The brush or burr spins quickly, taking off and leveling (abrading or planing) the top layers of the skin. This process injures or wounds the skin and causes it to bleed. As the wound heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin.

The face is the most common site for this treatment. But other areas of the skin can be treated this way too. Dermabrasion is used most often to improve the look of acne scars and fine lines around the mouth. It also may be used to treat an enlarged nose (rhinophyma ) caused by rosacea, a skin condition.

How it is done

The areas to be treated are cleaned and may be marked. A local or general anesthesia will be used. One small area at a time is treated. Then the area may be covered with ointment and a dressing.

Dermabrasion is almost always done in your doctor's office or on an outpatient basis.

Dermabrasion may be used to treat:

• Fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.
• Scars on the face, such as from acne.
• Skin growths, such as rhinophyma.

Your skin type, the condition of the skin, how much experience your doctor has, the type of brush or burr used, and your lifestyle after the treatment can all affect the short-term and long-term results. Some types of skin problems or defects respond better to dermabrasion than others. People with lighter skin who limit their time in the sun after treatment tend to have better results. People with darker skin and those who keep spending lots of time in the sun may not have good results.

In general, dermabrasion results in a smooth, even skin texture. It can improve uneven skin coloring and remove fine wrinkles around the mouth and eyes. It also gives scarred skin a more uniform look.

The removal of scars, growths on the skin, and tattoos using dermabrasion is permanent. But changes in the color and texture of the skin caused by aging and the sun may continue. Dermabrasion is not a lasting fix for these problems.