Chemical
Peel Information
Chemical peels are a non-surgical alternative to total
facial skin refinement. For those who suffer from fine
lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and texture, brown
spots, age spots, discoloration from acne, sun damage
and premature aging, a facial peel might be right for
you.
All skin peels involve the application of chemical
solutions. This solution will sometimes cause a burning
sensation when first applied, but this solution acts
as an anesthetic, so the burning will only last momentarily.
Once the skin is properly numbed, a high-speed wheel
with a sandpaper-like brush is applied to the skins
surface causing abrasion. Each patient’s facial
peel will differ depending on skin tone, and the course
of treatment needed in order to maximize results. There
are three different levels of peels that can be used,
light, medium and deep.
Light Peels:
Light peels are the mildest form of chemical peels.
Like all peels, they work to burn off layers of the
skin, but light peels only burn the very outer layers.
Light peels use only the mildest chemical solutions,
mostly Alphahydroxy (AHA) and Betahyrdoxy (Beta). These
chemicals work best to smooth wrinkles, reduce some
acne scars, balance uneven skin pigmentation, and improve
overall texture of sun-damaged skin.
The light peel does not penetrate into the deeper layers
of skin therefore it typically requires repeated applications.
Patients might feel a slight burning sensation as soon
as the chemicals are applied to the skin, but it will
vanish quickly. Most procedures will last anywhere from
10 to 15 minutes. After the procedure, patients are
most often pain free, and there is no recovery down-time
needed.
Medium Peels:
Medium peels are the next step up from light peels.
A stronger chemical solution containing Trichloroacetic
acid (TCA) is used during this treatment. A TCA solution
is used with a medium peel in order to reduce wrinkles
and fine lines, correct the effects of sun damage, and
balance pigmentation abnormalities. Medium peels differ
from light peels only in that they more deeply penetrate
into the layers of the skin.
Medium peels take about 15 minutes to complete. Most
medium peels only need to be performed once and the
results have been known to last about a year. Medium
peels do require some down-time in order to recover
from the effects. These peels sometimes cause significant
swelling which should subside after the first week or
so. Skin will heal sufficiently after the first week
and patients should be able to resume normal daily activities
within 7 to 10 days after the surgery.
Medium peels do carry some risk of scarring if the
chemical solution is left on the skin too long. There
is also a risk of discoloration of the skin if you are
not the ideal candidate. Patients with light brown to
olive colored skin are the most ideal candidates. Those
with darker skin can still achieve successful peels,
but there is a higher risk of pigmentation discoloration.
Deep Peels:
Deep Peels are the strongest and most intense form
of facial chemical peels. Using a Phenol Acid solution, this
procedure penetrates to the deepest layers of the epidermis
in order to treat patients with heavy, coarse wrinkles,
redness sometimes caused by rosacea, acne scarring and
even pre-cancerous growths.
Most Phenol peels take anywhere between 1 to 2 hours
for a full face treatment, but small area peels can
be done in about 10 to 15 minutes. Phenol peels usually
only have to be performed once in order to produce dramatic
and most times permanent results.
Within 24 hours of the surgery, the face will scab
over in order to protect the newly uncovered layer of
skin. The scab will fall off within 7 to 10 days after
the procedure. The newly uncovered skin will be very
red, but the color will fade in the following weeks
and months. Most patients require at least two full
weeks of down-time in order to completely recover from
the procedure.
Like all other chemical peels, there are risks that can be associated
with deep peels. There is a greater risk of scarring
if the chemical solution is left on the skin for too
long because deep peels require the solution to be on
longer than the other types. When having a deep peel
done, there is also a risk of permanent change in skin
color. As skin ages, its color is somewhat influenced
by the elements. A peel will effectively be ridding
the body of the old skin and bringing about new skin.
The skin tones could end up being very different.
The Results:
Each chemical peel offers great results depending on what the
patient is hoping to achieve. Light peels are milder,
but have to be repeated several times. For medium peels,
one treatment should suffice and results will last up
to a year. Deep peels create permanent results after
one treatment, although new wrinkles may eventually
form.
Recent studies have shown that a series of peels performed
in short intervals could provide better results than
having just one individual procedure. A series of light
or medium peels could provide the same results as one
deeper peel, but the down-time will be significantly
less. Most surgeons will choose what chemical peel solution
will provide the best results, but it is always best
to confer with your doctor in order to make the best
decision possible.
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