Chemical Peel, Part 2

In the previous post, I explained what chemical peels are, the types of chemical peel and how chemical peels are applied. Here are a few more aspects to consider;

Which One Is Right For Me?

Chemical peels can remove just a few or many layers of skin. The key factors to consider in determining which chemical peel is correct for you include; the amount of skin problem/aging/sun damage, the skin colour or type, the amount of skin rejuvenation you would like to accomplish, and the amount of recovery time that is acceptable to you.

As a general rule, the deeper the peel, the more side effects and potential complications will be encountered. Usually the recovery period will also be longer. Also, the darker the skin type, the greater the number of problems may be encountered after the procedure. This applies especially to pigmentation problems such as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This occurs when the treated skin becomes darker than the untreated skin. Therefore, care should be taken when applying deeper peels in darker skin types. Consideration should be given towards performing several more shallow peels rather than one deep peel.

The extent of skin aging will also determine which peel to use. For patients with less skin damage, pigmentation and wrinkles, only superficial peels will be required. The opposite also holds true.

Different skin ailments respond differently to particular chemical peels. As an example, acne responds well to Jessner's peel and salicylic (beta hydroxy acid) peels. These chemical peels are very oil soluble, are able to penetrate deeper into pores to remove oil and sebum, and are anti-inflammatory. Both alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid help exfoliate the skin. TCA peels, alpha hydroxy acid peels and Jessner's peels are best suited to pigmentation issues and sun damage.

Wrinkles can be best treated using any medium to deep chemical peel, such as TCA peels. These peels can be a cost effective alternative to laser skin treatment.

How To Prepare For A Chemical Peel

Skin preparation can be done by applying skin care products containing retinoic acid such as Retin-A/Stieve-A, which are available by prescription only. Topical lightening agents, which are creams or serums used to help lighten skin and skin pigmentation problems, can also be used. These include hydroquinone, kojic acid or arbutin. This should be started at least two weeks before peeling to help with even penetration of the chemical peel, decreasing the healing period and to reduce complications like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Use of alpha hydroxy acid cleansers/exfoliants in the two weeks prior to chemical peeling can also help the peeling agent. These, however, do not reduce the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Medical Issues That Your Doctor Should Know About Before A Chemical Peel

Patients with cold sores (herpes simplex virus) should advise their doctor before chemical peeling. If the cold sore is active, they may need to wait until it has passed before having a chemical peel. Or if the person has a history of cold sores, the doctor may recommend a course of anti-viral medication as a prophylaxis to any re-occurence during the treatment.

A presence of keloid (thick, pigmented scarring) may exclude a person from all but the most superficial of chemical peels.

Patients with HIV/AIDS or immunosuppression should stay away from chemical peels as it may increase the possibility of infection and scarring.

Also those who have recently had a course of isotretinoin (or Roaccutane) for the treatment of acne should avoid chemical peels for six months before undertaking medium or deep chemical peels. Likewise, people who have recently had a facelift should not undergo chemical peels for at least six months.

Laser Eye Wrinkle Reduction

Here's a bit more on laser wrinkle removal. Specifically, laser skin treatment can be used effectively for lines around eyes and dark circles under the eyes.

Lines Around The Eyes

The "crow's feet" around the eyes are wrinkles caused by muscle contractions during facial expressions such as squinting or frowning, as well as slack, poor quality skin around the eyes. The excessive muscle tone can be smoothed out by Botox. However, if there is too much excess skin, Botox treatment is not the best solution. Laser skin treatment, by way of microscopic accurate incisions of the skin under the eyes, is the better option in this instance to tighten and rejuvenate the skin.

Not only will it provide laser skin tightening, it is likely to act like a mini upper eye lift.

Usually only one laser skin rejuvenation treatment is needed and the recovery period is short. There will be some swelling the next day however this will be gone within a week.

Dark Circles Under The Eyes

Dark circles under the eyes may be racial in origin, and is a common complaint particularly from people with olive or dark skin. Dark circles may also be associated with drug use or insufficient sleep.

The cause of dark circles is due to either pigmentation or amassed bluish blood vessels. Creams and lotions cannot remove dark circles alone. Surgical laser treatment remains the most effective solution. Laser skin treatment is used to remove the pigmentation and blood vessels, followed by the use of anti-pigmentation cream. It is a delicate operation requiring microscopic surgery and a lot of care. However, this laser skin rejuvenation procedure is a proven successful anti aging treatment.

The procedure should take less than 2 hours and some swelling can be expected. Pigmentation may initially get darker and will then flake off. Recovery usually takes 3 to 7 days.

Laser Wrinkle Removal

As a part of the multibillion dollar skin care industry, technology is advancing to assist in the combat against the signs of aging.

One such area of technology is laser skin treatment, or laser resurfacing. Lasers are being used to remove wrinkles, lines and unsightly scars from people's skin. Laser wrinkle removal rejuvenates by removal of the old skin, stimulation of collagen regeneration to support the skin, thus minimising wrinkles and by tightening of old loose skin.

Originally, laser resurfacing worked by using the high-intensity light pulses to remove the entire layer of the top skin. Unfortunately, recover time for this procedure was long, frequently painful and sometimes required the treated area to be bandaged. Swelling and redness could remain for weeks.

The latest laser technology, however, reduces the recovery time by half. And the end result is arguably the same, if not better. Laser resurfacing can treat acne scars, chicken pox scars, surgical scars, pigmentation, freckles, birthmarks, reduction of fine wrinkles, damaged capillaries and refinement of pores.

This latest laser skin treatment technique works by making thousands of tiny holes, each smaller than the thickness of a hair. In so doing, the skin heals in 1 to 2 days, rather than weeks. There will still be swelling and redness, just like the early procedure. However, patients can wear covering make-up as soon as peeling is completed in 3 to 7 days. While this is a much shorter recovery period than before, the length of time is related to the skin ailment that is being treated. For example, a straight forward skin rejuvenation procedure may take only 3 to 4 days to recover, while laser skin treatment of acne scars may take 5 to 7 days.

The revitalized skin will continue to improve for 6 to 12 months.