Besides using the dermabrasion technique for your scars you can also go for it for removing your facial rhytids and for treating various other skin conditions troubling you. The ablation in a dermabrasion rejuvenates the skin by stimulating the production of new layers of skin.
As a surgery procedure dernabrasion needs a lot of care before and after. Preparing for dermabrasion surgery is as important as the actual surgery itself.
Preparing the skin before the procedure
Preparation for dermabrasion includes the application of ointments such as Retin-A to be applied to the area every night before going to bed.
In case you are prone to cold sores, the doctor may prescribe you a course of antiviral pills a few days before the dermabrasion surgery. You should not be taking Accutane for the past eighteen months, if you have so you will not be considered for the procedure. Similarly, dermabrasion cannot be performed for a minimum of 6 months, preferably up to 1 year, after taking oral isotretinoin. Its use needs to be stopped well before the surgery.
You need to tell your cosmetic surgeon about any herbal supplements that you may be taking as some of these supplements may interfere with anesthesia and cause problems during the surgery because of their blood thinning properties.
Even some over-the-counter vitamins can be hazardous to you, for example vitamin E, which reduces your body’s ability to clot blood. Similarly, you may have to discontinue the use of anti-depressants.
Just before the dermabrasion is performed for acne scars under anesthesia, your skin will be pretreated with an ice pack for 20 to 30 minutes and sprayed with the a liquid refrigerant. Most dermabrasion procedures for scar treatment are performed using local anesthesia with or without the sedative. Your cosmetic surgeon may also give you some medication.
As great care needs to be taken for dermabrasion before and after, a great degree of care is also needed while moving the diamond fraises or wire brushes and controlling the depth of the ablation.
Care after dermabrasion
Wrapping your skin with the bandage after the dermabrasion is an absolute priority. The dressing may need to be changed and sterile bandages and tape should be used every time. Your skin may start re-epithelializing after 5–7 days of proper post-operative dressings and care. Some residual erythema for up to 4 weeks is common which gradually subsides.
Risk and complication after the surgery can be avoided completely if you comply with pre- and post-operative medicines and meticulous wound care. A scab or crust forms over the treated area as it begins to heal. You face may itch as new skin starts to grow from beneath.
