Chemical Peels
COSMETIC DERMATOLOGY
Dermatologists use chemical peels to ‘peel’ away the aging process from the skin. Chemical peels are also used to treat a variety of skin conditions, including acne, age spots, uneven skin tone, fine lines, melasma (excess pigmentation on the skin) and sun damage, resulting in rough skin or pre-cancerous spots. Chemical peels come in a variety of strengths. ‘Lunch time’ peels may be performed by our aesthetician and involve no downtime, but may result in some mild redness and peeling over the following 1-5 days. Medium or high strength peels (performed by a dermatologist) may result in significant short-term redness and peeling, but ultimately will have more dramatic results than a lower strength peel.
> Cryotherapy (CO2 Slush)
> Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Augmentation)
> Earlobe Reduction
> Fat Transfer
> Hair Transplant and Platelet Rich Plasma (Tru-PRP)
> Intense Pulse Light / Photofacial (IPL)
> Kybella® (Deoxycholic Acid) Injection
> Lasers
> Laser Hair Removal
> Minimal Incision Facelift
> miraDry
> Nipple Reduction Surgery
> O-Shot (Orgasm Enhancement)
> Sclerotherapy
> secretRF (Non-surgical Facial Resurfacing)
> Titan
> Tru-PRP (Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma
> Tumescent Liposuction / Tummy Tuck
.png)
On the day of your peel, your skin will be cleansed thoroughly and then prepped. Then the acid peel will be applied. The acid may be glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and or retinoic acid. This may result in some mild stinging or burning sensation. The peel is then neutralized and a sunscreen is applied. Post procedure skin care is explained thoroughly. To get the best results, plan to do several peels if choosing the low or medium strength peels. Your skin will have a nice glow after the procedure and soon after you will see the results. Healing time ranges from 1 to 5 days for a refreshing or lunchtime peel (mild peeling skin comparable to a mild sunburn) to 14 days or longer for a high strength peel. To get the results you seek from a refreshing peel or lunchtime peel, you may need to have 3 to 5 peels. It is very important to avoid the sun after a peel and to avoid picking at the skin. Side effects of the lower strength peels tend to be mild and may be skin discoloration or redness.
TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid) Chemical Peels
TCA chemical peels are a good option for patients requesting a more aggressive chemical peel than can be performed with the typical spa-type chemical peel. The process is very similar to the application of the spa-type chemical peels, but the active ingredient used, trichloroacetic acid, gives a much deeper peel resulting in a more aggressive treatment and more noticeable results. The TCA peel can be used as an alternative to laser resurfacing with the fully ablative CO2 laser or the fractional CO2 laser.
Procedure & Post-Op
The TCA peel is applied evenly to the face, usually after a topical numbing agent has been applied. There is likely to be a slight warming or tingling sensation. Within a matter of minutes, the skin will become “frosted” and have a very white appearance. The TCA peel is then neutralized and a topical ointment is applied. Over the ensuing few days, the top layers of skin will slough off, leaving fresher, healthier appearing skin. The resulting healing and new collagen then produces a younger, smoother appearance. There will be approximately a week and a half of downtime or recovery during which time you may wish to avoid public appearances. The skin will tend to be a little pink or splotchy for several weeks before gradually fading. You may wish to discuss any concerns you have for potential side effects with you doctor prior to receiving treatment.