Dermabrasion for Acne Scar Treatment

Dermabrasion is commonly used to treat skin damaged by sun or uneven pigmentation. The dermabrasion device rotates at high speeds and shaves off the very superficial skin layers, thus removing all dead skin and debris. When the process is repeated many times, the area is eventually replaced with smooth, fresh, and younger looking skin (at least this is what it says in the books).

Dermabrasion removes the top layer of skin by means of an electrical abrasive tool. The doctor 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 rotates rapidly, 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 that was removed during dermabrasion.

Factors that affect the depth of the acne scars resurfacing include how coarse the burr or brush is, how quickly it rotates, how much pressure is applied and for how long, and the condition and features of your skin.

In a nutshell, it is sanding down the top layer of skin and works only for light , superficial or nearly flat acne scars. Depressed scars show little or no improvement. Deeper, pitted acne scars may require another form of treatment (such as punch grafting, elevation, or excision) in addition to or instead of dermabrasion.

How it is done

The areas to be treated are cleaned and marked. A local anesthetic (such as lidocaine) is usually used to numb the skin before treatment, and ice packs are applied to the skin for up to 30 minutes. A freezing (cryogenic) spray may sometimes be used to harden the skin for deeper abrasions if the anesthetic and ice packs do not make the skin firm enough. For deep abrasions, or if the entire face is going to be treated, you may need stronger anesthesia, pain killers, sedation, or general anesthesia.

One small area at a time is treated. The freezing spray (if needed) is applied for a few seconds and then the rotating burr or brush is used to take off the top layers of skin. Gauze is used to stop any bleeding, and the area is covered with a clean dressing or ointment.

In general, regrowth of skin occurs within 5 to 8 days. This new skin is a pink or red color, which usually fades within 6 to 12 weeks. Until then, your normal skin tones can be achieved using makeup. Care also has to be taken to keep skin clear of infection. There is also a higher level of risk involved as the person performing the dermabrasion has to be skilled in the procedure.

Why It Is Done

Dermabrasion is used to treat damage and defects in the upper layers of the skin, such as:

You may not be a good candidate for dermabrasion if you:

Microdermabrasion on the other hand, is a light or very superficial form of dermabrasion. It is a non-chemical, non-invasive form of treatment that uses a jet of aluminium oxide crystals to spray onto skin to remove dead skin cells. This helps get rid of acne scars by stimulating the growth of a new layer of skin. Microdermabrasion is very popular as it is fast, has no side effects and little discomfort.

The main difference between dermabrasion and microdermabrasion is that microdermabrasion peels off only the top 10-15 microns (which is a very fine layer) whereas dermabrasion exfoliates much deeper. This makes it more effective but also more invasive (and less attractive as a result).

Bioactive Ingredients in BIOSKINCARE ™ work to reduce acne scars and wrinkles and relieve the side effects of laser resurfacing when applied to the skin after such invasive procedures by:

● Enzyme digestion or dissolution of damaged tissues and all forms of acne scars

● Using the amino acid components of the digested tissues to promote new cellular growth in the affected area

● Improving communication between cells during inflammatory responses and antioxidants to save healthy tissues and prevent scars

● Triggering the regeneration of connective tissues like collagen and elastin. This rejuvenates skin and eliminates acne scarring problems

BIOSKINCARE™ works for acne scar removal by: