Therapeutic Dermabrasion

IN THIS ISSUE of theArchives, Hamm et al1demonstrate that Hailey-Hailey disease can be well controlled and potentially cured with dermabrasion. The evidence suggests that by removal of involved epidermis and superficial dermis, this disease process can be markedly altered. In disorders where amelioration or cure can be obtained by selective tissue destruction, ablative therapies can be invaluable. If the pathologic process does not extend below the deep reticular dermis, complete removal with dermabrasion is possible. Because facial skin heals without visible scarring when it is dermabraded into dermis, there is an advantage over other modalities. Scarring is more common when dermabrasion is performed on nonfacial areas, as evidenced in Hamm and colleagues' study. Of course, if the cutaneous manifestations of the disease are induced by systemic factors or are the result of pathologic processes extending deep into subcutaneous tissue, ablative therapies may result in either recurrence or