American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [778]
After the Application
After a retinol application, your skin may become red, dry, and irritated, especially during the first few weeks after you start using it. If the irritation becomes excessive, your doctor may recommend decreasing the application to every other night or every third night. Because retinol thins out the skin and makes the skin more sensitive to the sun, you need to be vigilant about wearing sunscreen and minimizing sun exposure. During the first few months of application, your skin will have a rosy glow. Within about 6 months, the fine wrinkles and age spots will disappear.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion, also known as dermaplaning, is the removal of the top layers of facial skin for cosmetic purposes using a handheld instrument with a small, high-speed, rotating wheel that has a rough surface similar to fine-grade sandpaper. The procedure is especially effective for removing fine wrinkles, particularly the vertical lines around the mouth. It also works well for facial scars, including those resulting from acne. The technique is less effective for burn scars. Doctors can perform dermabrasion on selected areas of the face as well as on the entire face. The final color of the treated area usually blends well with surrounding areas of skin.
The Procedure
Dermabrasion can take from a few minutes to more than an hour to complete, depending on the size of the area to be treated. If the treated area is small, a person may need only an anesthetic spray applied to numb the skin. Otherwise, either a local anesthetic with sedation or general anesthesia is used. Dermabrasion is almost always done on an outpatient basis. To perform the procedure, the doctor uses the rotating wheel to mechanically sand the parts of the face needing treatment.
After the Procedure
Dermabrasion usually causes temporary swelling, tingling, burning, itching, and redness of the skin. Your doctor can give you medication to relieve the pain. A crust forms over the treated area and then falls off within 3 to 5 days, revealing new skin growth underneath. For the first 6 to 12 months after treatment, the new skin will be lighter than surrounding skin, sensitive to the sun (and more vulnerable to damage from the sun), and incapable of tanning because of loss of pigment. You will need to protect your new skin from sun exposure. Avoid direct and indirect sunlight and wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunblock outdoors.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars by sanding away the top layer of skin using an instrument with a high-speed, rotating wheel. The wheel has a rough surface similar to fine-grade sandpaper.
The main risks of dermabrasion are infection, permanent scarring, and permanent skin-color abnormalities. Some people who have dermabrasion experience a recurrence of skin allergies or cold sores, brought on by the stress on the skin.
You will be able to hide the facial redness with makeup after about 2 weeks. The effects of dermabrasion are permanent, but the procedure does not prevent new age-related wrinkling.
Laser Resurfacing
Laser skin resurfacing is a newer technique developed to reduce or remove the upper layers of facial skin to improve its appearance. During the procedure, a surgeon uses a powerful beam of pulsing light to vaporize unwanted skin tissue. Laser resurfacing can improve facial wrinkles, lines around the lips, crow’s feet, lower eyelid wrinkles, acne or surgical scarring, and uneven skin color. Laser resurfacing carries fewer risks—such as scarring, infection, skin color loss, or bleeding—than chemical