You may have noticed that we offer some of the best treatments available in combination skin therapy. We combine laser, Botox, microdermabrasion, and other applicable facial treatments to help you gain the more youthful, less damaged, skin you desire. One of the therapies we sometimes employ is the chemical peel.
You may have heard about peels, and both wondered what they were and if they really worked. Your only exposure to the idea of a chemical peel could be from the frightfully funny, but largely inaccurate portrayal of the process on Sex and the City. Most chemical peels are what are known as superficial or medium, and they would not bring on the side effects portrayed on the fictional comedy.
The chemical peel is most often employed to remove tiny surface wrinkles and age (liver) spots on the face. A superficial peel only removes the uppermost layers of the epidermis and never goes past the first layers of skin. A medium peel will remove old skin down to the dermis, but will not go past the top of this living layer of skin. Depending on the severity of the wrinkles or spots, even a superficial peel can be quite effective.
The chemical solutions used with a peel can include alpha or beta hydroxy acid, trichloroacetic acid, or phenol. A chemical peel can provide a solution to sun-damaged skin, and also can remove the earliest precursors to skin cancer, actinic keratosis. There are many over-the-counter treatments calling themselves chemical peels, but they do not even remove skin beyond the most superficial epidermal layers, if at all.
When administered by a trained medical professional, and used in combination with microdermabrasion, laser, and Botox therapies, the chemical peel becomes an invaluable tool in our ongoing fight against the premature aging of facial skin, and is a proven early stage skin cancer treatment. Your treatment team and DeLaine specialist can explain the chemical peel process in complete detail and answer any questions you have prior to undergoing treatment.