Dermabrasion for Acne Scars - Aftercare & Recovery


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The success of your dermabrasion treatment depends largely on the skill of your practitioner, however, a good result is also often due to good aftercare. The way in which your skin heals is very important to the final look of your skin.

How to Care for your Skin after Dermabrasion

After your treatment your wound will be dressed. There are a number of ways in which this may be done so be sure to consult your nurse or practitioner thoroughly about how to deal with it yourself. If you have any further questions about how to look after the dermabraded skin do not hesitate to ask. It is very important that you care for your skin well.


Some of the most common dressings require changing daily for five days after the treatment. After this the skin is usually left open to the air.

Here are some extremely important general tips for dermabrasion aftercare:

  • Never, ever, under any circumstance, should you tamper with your healing skin. No matter how sore, itchy or uncomfortable it is you must absolutely not pick, scratch, rub or in anyway damage the healing area. This could cause lasting scars and send you straight back to square one.
  • Try to avoid sleeping or putting weight on the dermabraded area. This will slow healing and cause more discomfort than necessary.
  • You may wish to avoid any particularly drastic exercise for around six weeks after the procedure in order to avoid any knocks or bumps, which may hinder its recovery.
  • It is of pivotal importance to wear sunscreen. It does not matter how grey the weather may be. If it is daylight, there is are UV rays around and these can wreak havoc with the healing of your skin. Exposure to UV can cause soreness, excess swelling and discolouration of the healing skin. Make sure to use a high factor.
  • Avoid wearing make up until your skin has properly healed.
  • Avoid shaving, especially with a manual razor, until your doctor or dermatologist gives you the all clear.

Recovery from Dermabrasion

Recovery from dermabrasion can take more or less time depending on the extent of the dermabrasion, the depth that the skin was abraded to, the quality of your aftercare, your overall health and how fast your body naturally heals. The average time for a full recovery is around two months and after this time some redness of the skin may still be visible. The initial wound around the acne scar should scab within the first week and later fall off. Meanwhile, the growth of new, healthy skin layers can take much longer.

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