Dermabrasion and microdermabrasion improve your facial complexion. The one that is right for you will depend on your preferences and your cosmetic surgeon can help you decide the best one for your situation. You may not even know what each process is or what it does. Yet if you have ever been unhappy with the complexion of your facial skin, this is a subject you will definitely want to learn about.

Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that uses a mechanical instrument to take off the top layers of your facial skin. The point of this intense peel is to resurface your skin, reducing deep wrinkles, lightening up scars, smoothing out acne pock marks, and improving hyper pigmentation.

This treatment typically requires just local anesthesia but general may be needed in some circumstances. The procedure can last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. It is performed using a hand-held device with one of three attachments: a rotating metal wheel, a diamond fraise, or a wire brush.

After the procedure, your face will be quite red, with some swelling and plenty of soreness. The surgeon will prescribe antibiotics to help your skin ward off infection during the recovery period and you will also be given a painkiller prescription to take the edge off the tenderness and discomfort.

The redness and swelling will start to subside within the first ten days post-op. Normal reactions to the procedure include scabbing and uneven pigmentation. The recovery period is significantly more involved and longer with dermabrasion than with microdermabrasion.

The doctor will recommend that you refrain from shaving or waxing your face for two weeks, hold off on active sports and exercise for up to eight weeks, and stay out of direct sunlight for 3 months. If the recovery process is more dramatic, so are the results. After two or three months, the final results will be visible, revealing much clearer, smoother, more evenly toned facial skin. This procedure is particularly useful for improving specific facial blemishes or scars.

Microdermabrasion

Microdermabrasion involves the same principles as dermabrasion-removing layers of skin to create a resurfaced look. Microdermabrasion, however, removes only the top few layers compared with dermabrasion which chunks off a dozen or more layers.

This procedure involves a device to blast off the top layers, but the recovery is very minimal. In fact, most patients can head right back to work or other activities immediately after treatment. There will be some redness, but little or no pain and swelling. This procedure is good for improving the general complexion of the skin and minor blemishes but is not very helpful in getting rid of deep wrinkles and scars. It is good, though, for treating the skin on the neck.

Microdermabrasion is much more affordable than the other procedure but treatments are also required much more often to achieve the best results. Dermabrasion usually runs into the thousands of dollars, while the micro-versions can be priced under a hundred dollars per treatment. Both procedures are great for different outcomes and each offers benefits that that the other does not. The one that is right for you will depend on your preferences and your cosmetic surgeon can help you decide the best one for your situation.

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