Patients who are preparing for a dermabrasion procedure will need to take a couple of steps prior to their appointment. Since dermabrasion has a significant long term impact on the skin, it is considered to be a type of surgery and is often performed under local or general anesthesia. Patients will need to prepare for their procedure in the following ways.
Doctor Consultation
The doctor consultation is an important step in Dermabrasion preparation because this is the time that the patient will have her medical history taken, and will have a facial analysis. Patients with a tendency to scar heavily will get a test spot on their face evaluated at this time, to see if they can tolerate a full dermabrasion without making the scarring worse.
Patients who have cold sores or other skin conditions where the skin has open wounds will normally be told they need to postpone the procedure. The doctor will discuss the potential outcome of the dermabrasion with the patient at this time, and may make recommendations about how to further prepare.
Use a Topical Retinoid Product
Many doctors recommend that patients begin to use a topical Retinoid based skin cream for about one month before the dermabrasion procedure. These creams, which include products such as Retin-A, are used to encourage the new skin to grow faster and assist with collagen growth. Use of a product like this prior to dermabrasion may help patients to heal much more rapidly following the procedure.
