How Painful is Dermabrasion on a Scale of 1 to 10?

Question

The research I did on dermabrasion shows that a metal wheel spins across your skin, peeling away the surface. Kind of like a mini-scalping. I'm guessing on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 = giving birth), dermabrasion is a 7. Is this to pessimistic or optimistic? I've also heard varying advice on recovery time. Some people say you're back to work in 1 week, others argue 3 weeks. That's a big difference for me. Can someone offer guidance here?

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS · Answer

Dermabrasion is almost always done under local anesthesia, so the only pain is the tiny needle prick at the beginning of the numbing-up of the dermabrasion site. Of course, if a large area is planned for dermabrasion, such as acne scarring of the face, there will be more injections and more needle sticks. However, a skilled dermabrasion expert can inject local anesthesia so that you only feel the first or several needle pokes, and all others will be done in already-partially numb areas.

	The real answer to your question relates to the area of planned dermabrasion: small scar or entire face?

	Once the dermabrasion is completed, your doctor will have you apply an occlusive dressing or ointment (I use Bacitracin for small areas, and Vaseline for large areas). If the raw skin is kept moist and occluded, the pain while healing is truly minimal, and only lasts a few days at most. After that, the nerve endings have healed and the skin repairs itself (if kept clean and moist and non-infected) in 5-8 days, just like a blister or mild burn..

Stephen Weber MD, FACS · Answer

Dermabrasion is very well tolerated under local anesthesia. For small areas (nose, cheek) dermabrasion paper can be used and is just as effective as the rotary dermabrader that you refer to. The wounds are relatively painless after the procedure as long as they are kept clean and moist to prevent scabbing.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

Sylvan Bartlett, MD · Answer

After your skin is anesthetized you should not have any discomfort but will feel tactle sensation such as pressure and touch.  After the procedure you will have onlly minimal discomfort as long as you keep it covered with ointment.

Ivan Wayne, MD · Answer

You do not indicate what it is that you want dermabraded? Your whole face or just one area of concern?
In my office we routinely perform Dermabrasion on patent's noses and cheeks using only topical anesthetic. I have never had any patient indicate it was uncomfortable. This compares to an ablative laser resurfacing where in-spite of local and topical anesthetic patients indicate significant pain during the procedure.

Tanveer Janjua, MD · Answer

Dermabrasion is a painful procedure. The pain can be completely avoided by injecting lidocaine in the area to be treated. Without numbing it would be close to 8 on a scale of (1-10) 10 being the worst pain ever.
Recovery depends on the depth of dermabrasion. If it is done superficially, you could be back to work in one week. However, you might have a pinkish color to the sking which might require make up. If it is a deeper dermabrasion, the face will still be healed in 10 days but the redness can be more dramatic and requires more make up.
Regards

How Painful is Dermabrasion on a Scale of 1 to 10?

Answers (9)

Answer: Almost no pain to dermabrasion

Answer: Almost no pain to dermabrasion

Answer: Dermabrasion Needs Numbing Medicine

Answer: Dermabrasion Needs Numbing Medicine

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Everything you need to know about Dermabrasion

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How Painful is Dermabrasion on a Scale of 1 to 10?

Answers (9)

Answer: Almost no pain to dermabrasion

Answer: Almost no pain to dermabrasion

Answer: Dermabrasion Needs Numbing Medicine

Answer: Dermabrasion Needs Numbing Medicine

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Dermabrasion

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.