The recently published article by Kurtin1 warrants some comments. It is unquestionably to his credit that he has reintroduced a method which was known for several decades and that he has modified the abrasion technic in that instead of using burrs he has made use of stainless wire brushes.
It was Kromayer2 who, 30 years ago, described this method, which consisted of the combination of freezing the skin with ethyl chloride, and the subsequent use of various-sized dental burrs mounted on a motor driven flexible cord (Fig. 1). This method became a recognized cosmetic procedure, and is known to most European3 and to a good many American dermatologists. Its usefulness was proved in the treatment of some keloids, pigmented nevi, freckles, lentigines, tattoos, berloque dermatitis, and pitted scars. Kromayer also recommended this method in the treatment of the hyperpigmented borders of vitiligo.
I have had extensive experience with