When the term dermabrasion is used, it generally refers to abrasive or mechanical dermabrasion rather than laser dermabrasion, which is more often called laser resurfacing or lasabrasion. An abrasive dermabrasion literally sands down the skin with a rotating wire brush or diamond drill, whereas laser resurfacing utilizes a powerful light which heats up individual cells to 100' centigrade and vaporizes them. Lasers are rapidly replacing dermabrasions as a resurfacing technique because the results are more reliable, the laser is more versatile and the postoperative healing time is shorter and less traumatic.

Dermabrasions are classified according to the depth of the procedure, Superficial dermabrasions, also referred to as epidermal dermabrasions or epiabrasions, sand only the top layer of the skin. Deeper dermabrasions enter the second layer of the skin and are usually referred to simply as dermabrasions.