Dermabrasion is an intensive skin-resurfacing procedure performed by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. It involves the controlled sanding or planing away of the outer to middle layers of skin, to remove surface (epidermal) and deeper (dermal) damage and encourage new skin growth.
It’s a surgical procedure, one that’s much more invasive than microdermabrasion and offers more significant benefits for treating scars (including acne scars), age spots, sun damage, and fine lines and wrinkles. It can spot treat small areas, like the upper lip or cheeks, or it can be performed over the entire face.
Despite this treatment’s intensity, it’s important to have realistic expectations about results. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery notes that “typically, a 50% improvement in the skin condition is considered a good result.”
Dermabrasion was a very popular treatment option, but it’s been overtaken in recent years by newer skin rejuvenation procedures such as laser resurfacing, which often comes with less downtime and carries a lower risk of complications. Lasers can also treat specific areas more precisely, and the treatments are easier to perform safely.
Dr. A. David Rahimi, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, still performs dermabrasion, especially for patients with severe acne scarring. “I combine it with fillers and subcision to improve deep atrophic and rolling scarring,” Dr. Rahimi explains. However, he does warn his patients that the recovery time takes twice as long as after a CO2 laser treatment. He also cautions that dermabrasion can permanently change skin color and texture in the treated area.
Dr. Ava Shamban, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, also cautions that there’s a much higher rate of infection during the healing process with dermabrasion versus fractional lasers. “To treat deep lines, folds, and wrinkles, there are better procedures available—including lasers and chemical peels—with far fewer negative potential outcomes and significantly less downtime,” says Dr. Shamban.
