Study of Effectiveness of Diamond Fraise Microdermabrasion in Treatment of Lichenified Skin Lesions

Background: Although used much less often since the introduction of laser resurfacing, dermabrasion continues to be a viable treatment that has been reported to have quicker healing times and being more effective in eliminating some types of lesions, particularly surgical scars. The present study was designed to assess the effectiveness of motor powered diamond fraise dermabrasion in treatment of lichenified skin lesions. Methods: Patients with lichenified skin disease were divided into two groups; one in whom lichenification was treated with motor-powered diamond fraise (4x17 mm regular grit) dermabrasion and the other who were only kept on emollients. Clinical variables such as skin thickness and itching severity was assessed during 1 month of follow up period. Results: At the end of three sessions of dermabrasion, marked changes in skin thickness was observed in 35% of patients undergoing the procedure, while 57.5% patients showed moderate changes in skin thickness. Majority of the patients demonstrated a decrease in Pruritus severity score by 2 followed by 25% of patients who showed score decrement by 3. Patients treated with emollients only mostly demonstrated unchanged pruritus severity, while few showed a decrement in score by 1. Conclusion: The study emphasizes the effectiveness of motor driven microdermabrasion in treatment of lichenified skin disease.