The purpose of a
skin peel is to remove the outer layers of damaged skin
and stimulate cells to produce new collagen. Skin peels
come in many forms such as laser, microdermabrasion
(known as the Power Peel),
and chemical peels. Depending on the type of peel that
is used, it is often necessary to have several sessions
to obtain maximum improvement. With all the peels, improvement
in the skin appearance is usually apparent within 2-8
weeks. Skin peels are often used in conjunction with
home care programs that are designed to continue to
rejuvenate the skin to maintain a youthful, healthy
appearance.
Doctors have recently discovered that
a youthful, attractive complexion can be restored relatively
easy and without the side effects and risks of the traditional
strong acid peels using phenol and other agents. This
is accomplished by specially treating the skin with
a fruit acid such as alpha hydroxy acid or Retin-A,
and then performing a series of light, superficial peels.
The result is equivalent to that of a much deeper peel,
but the risks of scarring and other side effects have
been greatly reduced.
What makes this
new method of peeling much safer and more effective?”
Pre-conditioning the skin prior to peeling with certain
fruit acids, alpha hydroxy acid or Retin-A enhances
results and allows the physician to use a much milder
chemical peeling agent. A series of these peels are
easily performed as an office procedure. These repetitive
peels separated by an interval of 1-4 weeks result in
a beneficial, therapeutic effect greater than that of
a single, deeper peel. This slow, less destructive,
gradual process produces excellent results, requiring
little or no postoperative care and has essentially
no visual complications.
“What is
the actual peeling agent?”
Most specialists perform the peels with either trichloracetic
acid, commonly referred to as TCA. TCA is a time-honored,
universally utilized peeling agent that has no known
systemic toxicity. Our modified TCA peel has produced
superior results in achieving a more youthful and natural
rejuvenated appearance in people with aging, wrinkled
and sun-damaged skin. Other agents that are commonly
used for mild wrinkling, acne scars or sun-damaged skin
are glycolic acid or salicylic acid. These agents work
more superficially, but after repetitive treatments,
the beneficial results will become apparent.
What are the beneficial
effects of a peel?”
It aids in the removal of fine lines and superficial
wrinkles, softens the appearance of enlarged pores,
smoothes the skin surface, improves the skin texture,
tightens and firms the skin, minimizes and softens scarring,
lightens brown spots and helps even out other irregularities
and pigmentation, rejuvenates and repairs sun-damaged
skin, and helps to eliminate pre-cancerous skin changes.
Will chemical
peels erase the deep lines and furrows?”
The answer is no. While deeper lines and furrows may
become less prominent, the improvement is limited. All
peels which are capable of erasing the deeper lines
also have the potential of scar formation and the removal
of natural pigments of the skin.
What changes are
expected immediately following the procedure?”
The skin looks and feels as though it has been sunburned.
On about the third to fourth day, the skin begins to
peel. The peel is complete in approximately seven days;
however, the healing time always depends upon the natural
healing abilities of the individual person. In general,
the more severe the reaction, the better results. However,
even where there is little or no visible reaction, gradual,
progressive improvement is noticeable.
“How many
chemical peels are necessary?”
Usually a total of 5-6 peels performed every 2-4 weeks
will give maximum improvement. Each peel has therapeutic
benefits, and each successive peel will have more effect
than the preceding one. The result is younger-looking
skin with a more natural, healthy appearance.
“What is
the cost of chemical peel?”
The cost of the chemical peel is dependent upon the
type of peeling agent used. The cost usually varies
between $200 and $600 per chemical peel.
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