What is Dermabrasion?

Acne scars can be a severe detriment to a patient's appearance. When a patient has poc marks from acne, or wrinkles around the mouth, the time-proven most effective method for improvement is dermabrasion. This consists of surgical planing of the skin to a lower level (the level of the wrinkle or scar). This can be successful in areas where the skin is of sufficient thickness, as in the face and lips. It can also be helpful in many cases of post-traumatic scars.

The operation is generally performed under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. The involved skin is taken down to deeper layers using fine surgical wire wheels and diamond burrs. A dressing post-operatively absorbs the drainage for the first day; after that antibiotic ointment is applied. The face heals rapidly. After six or seven days it will look like a severe sunburn. At ten days cover make-up can be used. Patients find the improvement significant and gratifying.

What is a Chemical Peel?

Chemical peel is a controlled second degree burn of the face designed to eliminate the outer layers and allow the deeper layers to regrow a new epithelium without the former imperfections, keratoses, or varied pigmentations. For correcting superficial pigmentation, chemical peel is effective. It is also useful in fine wrinkling. Like any other superficial burn, when the skin surface regrows it has a younger, fresher appearance. There is also some tightening of the underlying collagen when occurs.

What is Laser Treatment?

Laser treatment of the skin consists of a controlled second degree burn of the outer layers of the skin using light as the energy source for the burn. As in the chemical peel, when the outer layers slough, the regrowth on the skin surface has a younger fresher appearance. The indications are the same as for chemical peel.