Scottsdale – Last month we introduced a blog post on dermabrasion, a plastic surgery procedure used to improve the appearance of the skin and reduce wrinkles and other signs of aging.

Dermabrasion involves the mechanical removal of the damaged top layer of the facial skin using a high speed rotary wheel. Dermabrasion is performed using a hand-held engine that can reaches a rotation speed of 18,000–35,000 rpm. Rapid planing of the skin is achieved through the combination of this rotation speed, the abrading device, and the pressure applied by the operator. This technique is one of the best wrinkle treatments available. What else do you need to do before having dermabrasion and achieve the best results possible?

Here’s the answer! Pretreat your skin to maximize healing:

  • Avoid sun exposure for a minimum of 8 weeks before and after dermabrasion.
  • Apply Retin-A 0.05% at night for 2 weeks and then 0.1% for 6 weeks before the procedure. This medication will enhance the ability of the skin to heal – faster and smoother – when compared to no pretreatment.
  • Apply Hydroquinone 4%, a skin lightener, for 8 weeks before dermabrasion to avoid blotching after the cosmetic surgery procedure.
  • Select a plastic surgeon with significant experience with this procedure.
  • Take your medications as prescribed! This will be critical to prevent cold sores or breakouts after the procedure.
  • After the procedure, the treated areas are dressed for healing. Be sure you perform your dressing change as instructed.

Spots and wrinkles before Dermabrasion

After Dermabrasion - 3 years

We see in the example above is the results of diamond-fraise dermabrasion with pretreatment of the skin for 8 weeks as prescribed by AB Guerra, MD, a Scottsdale plastic surgeon. There is a drastic reduction in the number of wrinkles around the lips and face. Dermabrasion has a great reputation as a powerful wrinkle treatment. The combination of Hydroquinone and Retin-A has reduced most of the pigments and spots on the patient’s lower face.

Please remember! Throughout the entire process, at our plastic surgery Phoenix office, we will assist you with the most important information about FDA-Approved dermal fillers, Botox, and Dysport, which are also great therapies to reduce wrinkles.