An Affordable and Universal Treatment for ‘Barcode’ Upper Lip Wrinkles
A study was conducted to assess the cost-benefit ratio of manual dermabrasion with an electrocautery scratch pad for upper lip wrinkles. The study included 15 patients with a follow-up ranging from 4 to 108 months. The post-operative course was uneventful without serious complications and all patients were pleased with the results. The mean healing time was 10 to 15 days. The procedure can be performed safely for out-patients with a mean operative time of 30 minutes. The medical supply for the procedure is easily available worldwide and the cost does not exceed 20 euros per patient. It is also a versatile technique that can be performed under local anaesthesia by a surgeon trained with facial nerve blocks. The only drawback is the social exile during the healing time.