The Procedure

Dermabrasion is usually performed under local anesthesia combined with a sedative. In severe cases, general anesthesia may be used.

Once your face is numb, the dermabrasion surgeon scrapes away the outermost layer of skin with a rough wire brush, a burr containing diamond particles, or a hand-held instrument called a dermatome that moves back and forth to evenly ‘skim’ off the surface layers of skin that surround the blemishes.

The skin will be covered in ointment (such as an antibiotic burn cream), a thin film, a wet or waxy dressing, a dry treatment, or a combination of these. Your skin will be red and swollen, but this swelling will subside in time, and the new, smoother skin will start to appear after a few months.