Dermabrasion Treatment

Dermabrasion is a skin resurfacing procedure which uses a method of controlled surgical scraping to rejuvenate the skin. Dermabrasion is good for treating areas of uneven pigmentation, sun damage, wrinkles, age spots, and facial scarring from acne, chicken pox, injury or other causes. It may also be used to remove pre-cancerous growths called keratoses, as well as tattoos. The treatment removes the top layer of damaged skin to reveal the smoother, fresher, more youthful looking skin below.

Dr. Miller and Dr. Steinbrech perform dermabrasion treatments on an outpatient basis at their JCAHO accredited office-based facility at Gotham Plastic Surgery of New York City. Local anesthesia is often used, though more extensive cases may be performed with general anesthesia. Depending on the size of the treatment area, the procedure may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour to perform. More than one session may be needed. During the treatment, a high-speed rotary instrument is applied to the treatment area, abrading the skin to reveal a dramatically smoother, fresher look.

Patients may experience sensations similar to sunburn for a week or so after treatment. Any discomfort can be controlled with medication. Some swelling may occur which will fade within a few days to a week, and the skin may appear pink for up to three months. For most patients, work can be resumed within one to two weeks.