For the millions of acne sufferers spread across the globe, clear skin is the ultimate goal. Unfortunately, however, clear skin is not always perfect skin; acne often leaves behind visible scarring. Acne scars form when the deep connective tissue layer of the skin, called the dermis, is injured or damaged in some way. This damage triggers the body to start producing collagen, a tough, fibrous protein meant to hold the wound together while it heals. Sometimes collagen is overproduced, creating a hypertrophic scar, or not properly taken apart once the wound has healed, creating a depressed-type scar. Both types of acne scars can be more obvious than one might like, mainly because they aren't at the same level as the surrounding skin, either too high or too low.
While scars do fade, this process can take several years, and for some people that can be too long a wait. Topical treatments are useful for superficial scars, but those with deeper scarring generally look for cosmetic surgery as a more effective form of acne scar treatment. Laser skin resurfacing is a particularly popular procedure, partly because the physician is able to see the effects of the treatment as it progresses, allowing them to provide a more personally tailored procedure. It is also thought to allow the greatest amount of precision in treating acne scars. So rather than a laser, what about allowing a surgeon to use a hand-held knife to resurface the face? The image may make us cringe, but dermaplaning is one of the least invasive surgical scar treatments, and often has excellent results.
Dermaplaning, similar in concept to dermabrasion, uses a small, sharp handheld instrument called a dermatome to gently scrape off layers of skin. The idea is that the process removes damaged and scarred skin, allowing new, healthy, and smooth skin to grow in its place. Although it may sound kind of scary, it is actually a very simple and said to be relatively painless; in fact, reports suggest that there is usually no redness at all from the procedure! Other positive aspects of dermaplaning include the lack of chemicals, the short treatment time, immediate results, and the incidental effects of treatment, such as the removal of wrinkles and unwanted hairs...always a nice bonus!
Despite all these good points, some people still have reservations about using dermaplaning to remove acne scars, the first of which is that it's too gentle. Given the recovery times of other forms of cosmetic surgery, gentleness seems like a good thing, but it has been suggested that similar results can be accomplished by at-home exfoliators. Another more obvious criticism is that the face could so easily be nicked during the procedure. There are limited reviews of dermaplaning, and I was not able to find any complaints to this effect.
Dermaplaning is very inexpensive, particulary compared to other methods of surgical acne scar treatment, and there are many positive aspects to recommend this procedure. The biggest complaint seems to be its gentleness, and in my mind, it is better to start out being too gentle with your skin than too rough. If you're interested, be sure to book a consultation with a professional; dermaplaning must be performed by a doctor, who would be able to advise you before-hand whether or not the procedure will satisfy the changes you desire.
