Dermabrasion, Plastic Surgery for Saving Face

Filed in archive Dermabrasion , Procedures on February 7, 2010

Drought
Originally uploaded by Katie Tegtmeyer

Dermabrasion, the method of removing the upper layers of the skin (dermis) using a rotating diamond wheel or wire brush, is one popular plastic surgery answer for saving your face from the scars of acne or the ravages of time. In this process, the top layers of skin are removed by abrading or planing them away. Bleeding occurs, but the body works to heal this initial damage, causing new skin to grow, replacing the injured skin.

The treatment is most often performed on an out-patient basis, usually in the doctor's office under local anesthesia, though for deeper scarring a longer procedure under general anesthesia may be called for. According to WebMD, the depth of skin resurfacing is dictated by several important factors:

• How rough the wheel or brush is
  


• How quickly it rotates
  


• How much pressure is applied
  


• How long the procedure lasts
  


• What the natural characteristics and healing properties of your skin are