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Dermabrasion and Dermaplaning or Refinishing the Skin
in Bethesda Maryland - Washington DC Metro Area
Dermabrasion and dermaplaning help to "refinish" the skin's top layers through a method of controlled surgical scraping. The treatments soften the sharp edges of surface irregularities, giving the skin a smoother appearance.
How dermabrasion can help you
If your facial skin has been scarred by an accident or previous surgery, or if you have fine facial wrinkles, such as those around the mouth, then dermabrasion may be for you. Pre-cancerous growth called keratoses can also be removed. If you have deep acne scars, dermaplaning can help. Both dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed on small areas of skin or on the entire face. They can be used alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, scar removal or revision, or chemical peel.
Your surgical consultation
Your surgeon will evaluate your general health, skin type, coloring, and medical history. For example, black skin, Asian skin, and other dark complexions may become permanently discolored or blotchy after a skin-refinishing treatment. People who develop allergic rashes or other skin reactions, or who get frequent fever blisters or cold sores, may experience a flare-up. If you have freckles, they may disappear in the treated area.
The surgery
Your treatment may be performed in a surgeon's office-based facility, an outpatient surgery center.
Dermabrasion and dermaplaning may be performed under local anesthesia to numb the area, combined with a sedative to make you drowsy. You'll be awake but relaxed, and will feel minimal discomfort. Sometimes a cold, numbing spray, such as freon, is used along with or instead of local anesthesia. In some cases, your surgeon may prefer to use general anesthesia, in which case you'll sleep through the procedure.
Dermabrasion and dermaplaning can be performed fairly quickly. The procedures usually take from a few minutes to an hour and a half, depending on how large an area of skin is involved. It's not uncommon for the procedure to be performed more than once, or in stages, especially when scarring is deep or a large area of skin is involved.
In dermabrasion, the surgeon scrapes away the outermost layer of skin with a rough wire brush, or a burr containing diamond particles, attached to a motorized handpiece. The scraping continues until the surgeon reaches the safest level that will make the scar or wrinkle less visible.
In dermaplaning, the surgeon uses a hand-held instrument called a dermatome. Resembling an electric razor, the dermatome has an oscillating blade that moves back and forth to evenly "skim" off the surface layers of skin that surround the craters or other facial defects. This skimming continues until the lowest point of the acne scar becomes more even with the surrounding skin.
Ointment, a wet or waxy dressing, dry treatment, or some combination of these is used to cover the treated skin after surgery.