Dermabrasion Overseas

What is Dermabrasion?

Dermabrasion, in simple words, is wearing away unevenness of the skin using abrasive devices. 

It softens the sharp edges of surface irregularities, giving the skin a smoother, more refined appearance. 

Dermabrasion can be used to either remove the upper layers of facial skin, left scarred by accidents or to smooth out wrinkles for aesthetic reasons. 

It can also sometimes be used to remove pre-cancerous growth in skin, called keratosis. 

The old skin is purposely injured or wounded in the process. As the wound heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin, such that it is cosmetically superior to the old one. Despite its ease of applicability anywhere on the body, the procedure is most commonly administered on facial skin. 

Dermabrasion is performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons.

What is time duration required?

Dermabrasion is usually conducted in small patches over the skin. The procedure usually takes from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how large an area of skin is involved. Patients are recommended to stay abroad for 7-10 days, as they should ideally arrive a day or two prior to the actual surgery. Follow up appointments are not a must if the surgery is performed abroad but it is advisable to visit your surgeon after 6-7 months.

How Inexpensive Is Dermabrasion Overseas?

What is the procedure?

Dermabrasion surgeries are invasive procedures that require a local anesthetic, to numb the skin before treatment. The operational area is marked preoperatively and cleaned, following which, ice packs are applied to the skin for up to 30 minutes. A freezing spray may sometimes be used to harden the skin for deeper abrasions.

After this, a rotating burr or brush is used to take off and level the top layers of skin. The rotating head is kept parallel to the skin surface, and the handpiece is in motion at all times. A gauze is used to stop any bleeding and the area is covered with a clean dressing or ointment. 

The key to successful dermabrasion is controlling the wound created. Although each operational site bleeds only minimally, a multitude of bleeding sites can result in considerable blood loss. As the depth of abrasion increases, the superficial reticular dermis is reached, and bleeding might become brisk and confluent. Dermabrasion should not be performed below the superficial reticular dermis. Below this level, if dermabrasion is continued, yellow fat globules are encountered and can result in clinically significant scarring.

Things To Know About Dermabrasion

• Dermabrasion can be used to treat or remove scars caused by acne, surgery, injury, fine wrinkles and sun-damage. Age spots, tattoos, uneven skin tone, swelling and redness can also be treated.
• The recovery and healing time after dermabrasion depends on the size and depth of the area that was treated. Someone who has had a full-face dermabrasion will have a longer recovery time than someone whose area of treatment was small. Deeper abrasions take longer to heal.
• Dermal abrasions have more reliable effects on patients with lighter skin.
• Postoperative care of the treated skin is extremely important. This involves cleansing the skin several times a day to avoid infection and changing the ointment or dressing on the wound to keep the area moist. Sun exposure must be diligently avoided to promote healing.
• Candidates for dermabrasion should not have used isotretinoin (a drug used to treat acne) within the last 6 to 12 months or have recently had a facelift or browlift, although areas that were not affected by the lift can be treated.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Microdermabrasion And Dermabrasion?

Microdermabrasion is much less invasive as it exfoliates the skin using aluminium oxide crystals. It can be performed in a beauty center, doctor’s office or at home and is not performed by a physician. However, the skin becomes exceedingly sensitive post procedure.

How long will recovery take?

The new skin will be a bit swollen, sensitive and pink for several weeks. During this time, the patient can gradually begin to resume routine activities. S/he can expect to be back at work in about two weeks after the procedure.

At what age can dermabrasion be performed?

Dermabrasion can be performed at any age, with the youngest patients typically being teenagers.

Is dermabrasion painful?

Dermabrasion causes minimal pain as it is performed under anesthesia. However, patients can experience minor discomfort.

Are the results permanent?

The results of dermabrasion are permanent, provided that the patient takes utmost care for his/her skin after the treatment.

Source: medhalt