Recent developments in surgical skin planing

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Surgical Procedures
• Skin Regeneration

Background:

• Steel wire brushes are largely replaced by diamond chip burs or serrated steel wheels for surgical skin planing.
• Actinic keratoses and wrinkling are key indications for skin planing.
• Skin planing offers a non-scarring treatment for existing keratoses and prophylaxis against skin cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate skin planing as a treatment for actinic keratoses and acne pits.
• To assess the safety and efficacy of different refrigerants in skin planing.
• To understand the regenerative components of skin following planing.

Main Methods:

• Surgical skin planing using diamond chip burs or serrated steel wheels.
• Experimental comparison of refrigerants (ethyl chloride, Freon 114, Freon 12) on animal and human skin.
• Correlation of clinical planing depth landmarks with microscopic findings.

Main Results:

• Human facial skin tolerates freezing with ethyl chloride or Freon 114; Freon 12 mixtures may be undesirable.
• Refreezing skin for adequate planing is not hazardous.
• Epidermal, adnexal, and dermal regeneration occurs post-planing, with equipotential epidermal and adnexal cells.

Conclusions:

• Skin planing is a viable, non-scarring treatment for actinic keratoses and acne pits.
• Understanding skin anatomy is crucial for effective acne pit treatment.
• Successful treatment of facial acne pits via planing in patients with keloids is reported.