dermabrasion
Meaning of dermabrasion: Controlled sanding of the skin, relying on the fact that skin regrows from below when only the top is taken away.
Definition of dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a procedure that sands away the upper layers of skin with a rapidly rotating wheel or burr, so new skin grows back over the treated area with a smoother surface. It is used for deep acne scars, for some wrinkles around the mouth, and for uneven scars left by injury or by earlier surgery. The skin is numbed beforehand.
How does removing skin improve it?
Skin regrows from below. The outer layer is replaced continuously from a base layer, and repair also comes from cells lining hair follicles and sweat glands that reach down into the deeper layer. As long as those structures survive, the surface heals over without leaving a new scar. Dermabrasion is calibrated to remove tissue down to the upper part of the dermis, deep enough to level an irregular surface but shallow enough to leave the reservoir of repair cells intact. Go deeper and the result is a fresh scar rather than a smoother one.
How does it compare with the alternatives?
| Method | How it removes skin | Typical depth |
|---|---|---|
| Dermabrasion | A rotating wheel or wire brush | Into the upper dermis |
| Microdermabrasion | Fine crystals or a diamond tip | Surface only, no anesthetic needed |
| Chemical peel | An acid applied for a set time | Varies with the agent chosen |
| Laser resurfacing | Light energy vaporizes tissue | Controlled precisely, layer by layer |
The names are close but the procedures are not. Microdermabrasion is a superficial cosmetic treatment, while dermabrasion is a surgical procedure carried out by a trained operator, usually within plastic surgery or dermatologic surgery.
What does recovery involve?
The treated area weeps and crusts for several days, then heals under a dressing as new skin covers it. Pink or red discoloration follows and fades slowly over weeks to months. Sun exposure during that period can leave lasting dark patches, so the area is kept covered while it recovers. The color and texture take considerably longer to settle than the surface takes to close.
What are the risks?
Uneven pigmentation is the commonest problem, and it is both more likely and more persistent in darker skin, where the technique is used with greater caution. Infection can occur while the surface is open, including reactivation of cold sores across a treated face. Too deep an abrasion causes scarring, and small white cysts can appear as the skin heals. The procedure changes surface contour only, so a scar tethered to deeper tissue will not lift, and that kind is addressed instead by excisional skin surgery.
Used in a sentence
Dermabrasion was performed to improve the contour of scarring across the cheeks.
Good to know
Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion are different procedures despite the similar names, one reaching the upper dermis under anesthetic and the other treating only the surface, and uneven pigmentation afterward is more likely in darker skin.
Word origin
Where “dermabrasion” comes from
From the Greek derma, meaning skin, and the Latin abradere, meaning to scrape away.