Most teens and adolescents suffer through normal acne breakouts, some of which leave scars if severe blemishes were a problem. Adults who deal with acne often find that they feel self-conscious and that it tends to hamper their personal and professional lives. However, some people continue to deal with the aftermath of acne, despite the healing of their blemished skin. Scars are evidence left behind of trauma to the skin. While there can be some “cool” scars with great stories behind them, acne scars are not ones that anyone wants to remember or be remembered for.
Dermabrasion is an excellent non-invasive treatment that can help patients successfully lessen the appearance of blemish scars. Dermabrasion is a procedure that unveils softer, healthier skin by removing damaged cells on the top layer of the skin. This skin procedure is an excellent choice for both male and female patients, and it can be used to treat small, medium, and large skin surface areas.
Dermabrasion uses a diamond wheel with rough edges to damage the upper layers of the skin. This may seem counterproductive, the procedure actually wounds the skin in order to promote new skin cells to replace the damaged skin. The depth and severity of acne scars will determine how coarse the diamond wheel is, how fast it spins, how much pressure is applied to the skin, and for how long the procedure will be performed.
Throughout the procedure, patient comfort is always a priority. The areas of the skin that are going to be treated will be treated with a local anesthetic to numb the skin. Ice packs are also placed on the skin for up to 30 minutes in order to firm up the skin. Small areas are treated at a time using a rotating diamond wheel to move over the skin and take off the top layers of skin. Gauze is used to stop any bleeding, and the area is covered with an ointment and clean dressing.
The healing process after dermabrasion depends on the size and depth of the area that was treated. In most cases, a week’s time will pass as the skin grows back. The new skin will be pink to reddish, but will fade within a few weeks. Once the skin heals, blemish scars will be much less noticeable and the facial skin will have a smoother, healthier appearance.
Contact Dr. Maurice Khosh in Manhattan today to learn more about reversing blemish scars with dermabrasion.
