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Dermabrasion is a type of surgical skin planing, generally with the goal of removing acne, scarring and other skin or tissue irregularities, typically performed in a professional medical setting by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon trained specifically in this procedure. Dermabrasion has been practiced for many years (before the advent of lasers) and involves the controlled deeper abrasion (wearing away) of the upper to mid layers of the skin with any variety of strong abrasive devices including a wire brush, diamond wheel or fraise, sterilized sandpaper, salt crystals or other mechanical means.
Dermabrasion procedures are surgical, invasive procedures that typically require a local anaesthetic. Often, they are performed in surgical suites or in professional medical centers. Since the procedure can typically remove the top to deeper layers of the epidermis and extend into the reticular dermis, there is always minor skin bleeding. The procedure carries risks of scarring, skin discoloration, infections and facial herpes virus (cold sore) reactivation. In aggressive dermabrasion cases, there is often tremendous skin bleeding and spray during the procedure that has to be controlled with pressure. Afterward, the skin is normally very red and raw-looking. Depending on the level of skin removal with dermabrasion, it takes an average of 7–30 days for the skin to fully heal (re-epithelialize). Often, the procedure is performed for deeper acne scarring and deep surgical scars. Dermabrasion is currently rarely practiced and there are very few doctors who are trained and still perform this surgery. Dermabrasion has largely been replaced by technologies including lasers, CO2 or laser. Laser technologies carry the advantage of little to no bleeding and are often less operator dependent than dermabrasion.
The purpose of surgical dermabrasion is to help diminish the appearance of deeper scars and skin imperfections. Often, the goal is to smooth the skin and, in the process, remove small scars (as from acne), uneven skin tone from scars or , sun damage, , age spots, Stretch marks or fine .
Dermabrasion is a mechanical surgical skin planing method which has remained popular partially because it may afford an overall lower cost and may provide similar or superior results as newer laser methods for certain skin conditions.
Traditionally, a "crystal" microdermabrasion system includes a pump, a connecting tube, a hand piece, and a vacuum. While the pump creates a high-pressure stream of inert crystals (aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, sodium chloride, or sodium bicarbonate) to abrade the skin, the vacuum removes the crystals and exfoliated skin cells. Alternatively, the inert crystals can be replaced by a roughened surface of the tip in the diamond microdermabrasion system.
Unlike the older crystal microdermabrasion system, the diamond microdermabrasion does not produce particles from crystals that may be inhaled into patients' nose or blown into the eyes. Hence, diamond microdermabrasion is regarded as having higher safety for use on areas around the eyes and lips. Generally, the slower the movement of the microdermabrasion handpiece against the skin and the greater the numbers of passes over the skin, the deeper the skin treatment.
One of the safest methods of microdermabrasion involves the use of corundum or aluminum oxide crystals suspended in an antioxidant cream. This version of microdermabrasion is generally the most cost efficient as it involves the use of a small handheld skincare tool instead of expensive equipment used by a salon. This method of microdermabrasion rose to popularity in the early 2000s and is widely available today.
Often called "microderm" for short, microdermabrasion is a procedure to help exfoliate or temporarily remove a few of the top layers of the skin called the stratum corneum. Much like brushing one's teeth, microdermabrasion helps to gently remove skin "plaque" and skin debris. Since human skin typically regenerates at approximately 30-day intervals, skin improvement with microdermabrasion is temporary and needs to be repeated at average intervals of two to four weeks for continued improvement. Multiple treatments in combination with sunscreen, sun avoidance and skin care creams yield best results.
Dermabrasion is generally used to refer to a true surgical procedure that aggressively abrades away the top to mid layers of the skin. The term microdermabrasion generally refers to a non-surgical procedure that abrades less deeply than dermabrasion. Although the mechanism of the two procedures is similar, the difference in the depth of the abrasion results in different recovery times. Dermabrasion recovery time may take as much as several weeks to several months whereas microdermabrasion recovery time may be as little as one to two days. After microdermabrasion, skin will be much more sensitive to sun exposure. It is best to keep out of the sun and wear sunscreen at all times after the procedure.
Microdermabrasion may be performed to help diminish the appearance of superficial hyperpigmentation or sunburn (sunburn), as well as diminish fine lines, wrinkles, acne and shallow acne scars. A further benefit of microdermabrasion is enhanced skin penetration by skin creams and serums. Removing dead skin (stratum corneum of the epidermis) will aid in the penetration of skin care products and medications by up to 10-50%. The controlled skin exfoliation afforded by microdermabrasion will allow make-up and self-tanning products to go on much more smoothly.
Microdermabrasion treatment carries minimal to very few possible side effects or complications. However, some patients may experience temporary mild dryness, sun sensitivity and rarely temporary bruising or scratches in the area of skin treated.
Microdermabrasion crystals are typically made of a very fine, abrasive material like Aluminium oxide. Other inert microderm crystals include magnesium oxide, sodium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate. All ultra-fine white crystals are disposable and should be discarded after each use. The microdermabrasion vacuum removes the crystals and exfoliated skin cells. Inhalation of crystals should be avoided and masks are sometimes worn by the operator doing the treatment. Ocular injury may occur if crystals are inadvertently sprayed in the eye or if crystals remain around the eye and cause a corneal abrasion. There are some possible concerns of inhalation exposure and basic safety precautions should be taken. Patient goggles or eye shields, as well as operator face masks are recommended when treating with crystal based systems. Alternatively, microderm crystals can be safely replaced by the roughened surface of a diamond tip microdermabrasion system. The newer diamond based systems like Vacubrasion utilize a fine diamond dust that is essentially electroplated onto a stainless steel round tip that comes in contact with the skin.
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