Chemical Peel

As we age, the accumulated effects of sun exposure, pollutants, acne, and scarring can damage our skin and cause us to look older than we are. Such skin damage can be treated with a chemical peel, a non-invasive procedure designed to promote cell growth and produce smoother, clearer skin.

Chemical peels are also used to treat melasma (a skin condition characterized by irregularly shaped patches of brown skin commonly found on the face and neck), and pre-cancerous changes in the skin. Chemical peels can be performed on the face, neck, chest, arms, hands, and legs.

A chemical peel can restore a more youthful appearance to wrinkled, unevenly pigmented, sun-damaged, or blotchy skin. However, a peel cannot reverse the aging process or completely remove deep scars. Wrinkled skin that is loose and sagging may also require a face-lift, laser resurfacing treatment, or combination of procedures for the best results.

Procedure:

All chemical peels involve applying a chemical solution to remove the outer layers of skin so that a smoother, more evenly pigmented, glowing layer of skin can appear. There are three basic categories of chemical peels. Each type works differently, and produces different results. Your physician may choose from the following three types of chemical peel, or they may tailor the treatment to the needs of your skin. In general, the stronger the chemical, the deeper the peel, and the more impressive and long lasting the results. However, the deeper the peel, the more pain you're likely to experience and the longer the recovery time will be.

• Light peels:
  • Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), Betahydroxy acids (BHAs) Light or "lunch hour" peels are the mildest of the chemical peels. These peels include glycolic, lactic, and fruit acid peels (AHA) or Salicylic Acid (BHA). They burn off only the outer layers of the skin to smooth out fine wrinkles and/or rough, dry skin. AHA and Beta lift peels will also be used to improve the texture of sun-damaged skin, balance out skin pigmentation, or diminish some types of acne scars. These peels are often repeated to achieve the desired results. Most of our patients purchase a series of these peels to achieve the desired skin changes. The application of AHA and Beta lift peels are relatively fast and simple. These peels are performed in our conveniently located office.
  • No sedation or anesthesia is required, since you will only experiences a slight stinging when the solution is applied. The treatment usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but our aesthetician may vary the concentration of the chemical solution or the length of time of the treatment. Our aesthetician will begin by thoroughly cleansing the area to be treated. Next, they will apply the AHA solution, wait up to 15 minutes, and then remove it. After the procedure, no ointments or salves will be necessary to cover the treated area. Monthly or weekly repetition is common.
• Medium peels:
  • Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution is used for medium depth peels. This is generally used to treat skin with moderate sun damage, surface wrinkles, and/or uneven tone or pigment abnormalities. Full-face TCA peels take approximately 15 minutes. Generally, TCA peels are performed in our office or in a surgery center as an outpatient procedure. Before applying the chemical solution, we will thoroughly cleanse the area to be treated. A sedative may be given, but TCA peels often do not require anesthesia because the solution itself has a numbing effect on the skin. At first, you may feel a warm or burning sensation, followed by stinging. Sometimes two or more TCA peel treatments, at intervals of one to two months, are necessary to achieve the desired results. North Valley Plastic Surgery offers 15%-50%TCA peels. The TCA concentration depends on your needs. The higher concentrations may require oral or liquid anesthesia medication.
• Deep peels:
  •  Phenol acid is the strongest chemical peel solution, and it is used for the deepest possible chemical peel. Phenol peels are used to treat skin with coarse wrinkles and blotchiness. They may also be effectively used to treat patients with precancerous growths.

Recovery:

• Light peels:
  • Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) AHA peels generally cause some flaking, redness and dryness, or skin irritation. These side effects diminish over time. Once the body heals itself naturally, the outer layer of skin will fall away. Patients are usually able to engage in normal public activities the day after an AHA peel.
• Medium peels:
  • Trichloroacetic acids (TCA) TCA peels may cause significant swelling, depending on the potency of the chemical solution that was used. Swelling should diminish after the first week. The skin will typically heal sufficiently to resume normal activities in 7-10 days.
  • After TCA peels, some patients also have outbreaks of small whiteheads, called milia, which are formed in obstructed skin glands. Generally, these disappear with washing, but in some cases we will need to remove them.
• Deep peels:
  • After a Phenol peel, we will prescribe a mild pain medication to relieve any discomfort. If a waterproof adhesive is applied to the treated area, it will be removed in 1-2 days, and you'll be instructed to cover the area with antiseptic powder several times a day. A scab will form and, within 7-10 days, new skin will appear. While the skin will be red at first, the color will lighten over a few weeks to a few months.