Chemical Peels
Exfoliate your skin.
Human skin is continually exfoliating - shedding dead cells and replacing them. It doesn’t always do this as fast as we’d like, so sometimes it helps to give natural processes a little boost. Chemical peels are useful for accelerating that process. Periodic peeling of the skin helps stimulate cellular activity and can be used for addressing a variety of skin issues.
What Is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is a cosmetic treatment that involves the careful exfoliation of the skin using an acid. Our skin, the largest organ of the human body, is comprised of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis, and the fat layer. Chemical peels primarily deal with the epidermis, exfoliating the upper layer, but can also penetrate the dermis layer. The surface skin loosens and eventually peels off, allowing new, unblemished skin to take the place of the older, dead and damaged cells. Chemical peels are an easy, non-invasive option for skin rejuvenation. Cleopatra was one of the earliest proponents of chemical peels. She used sour milk, which contains lactic acid, as the peeling agent. Romans also used the tartaric acid found in grapes.
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What Skin Problems Can Chemical Peels Treat?
While chemical peels do not address deep facial lines and cannot tighten loose, sagging skin, they can help to improve these skin conditions:
Acne and acne scars
Fine lines and wrinkles
Pigmentation problems
Sun damage
Age spots
Freckles
Scaly patches
Texture issues
Light and Medium Chemical Peels
Light Chemical Peels make use of glycolic acid or salicylic acid and are the mildest form of the treatment. We commonly use naturally derived alpha-hydroxy acids or glycolic acids (derived from sugar cane, grapes, or sugar beets). Superficial chemical peels are excellent for exfoliating the outermost layer of the epidermis, removing dead and damaged skin cells and refreshing the skin’s glow. We use light peels for the following:
Dry skin
Fine wrinkles
Improve acne
After your first few light peels, your skin may have some redness and irritation, but as your skin becomes more exfoliated this will pass and your skin will simply glow after your peel. Because of its mildness, a light chemical peel can be administered to the patient once a week for up to six weeks, depending on the results that you want to achieve.
Medium Chemical Peels
Medium Chemical Peels not only remove skin from the outermost layer but also from portions of the upper part of the middle layer of the skin (the dermis). We use them to treat the following:
Acne scars
Deeper wrinkles
Uneven pigmentation
The peeling agent is trichloroacetic acid. Medium peels will require some recovery time, as they leave the skin red and sensitive. There will be some crusting, and the redness can linger for up to a few weeks. Medium peels can be repeated, but not more than three or four times per year.
Deep peels are not available in our office, as they are typically performed under anesthesia.
