Facial Peel

What is a chemical peel?
A chemical peel is a procedure used to treat facial discoloration such as brown, mottled or muddy pigment usually from the sun or the combination of sun and/or hormone treatment. They also help tighten the facial pores and smooth fine lines and wrinkles. Chemical peels can also improve whiteheads and blackheads that are seen with acne. There are different types of chemical peels. We usually think of them as superficial or light chemical peels versus medium depth chemical peels or deep chemical peels

What are light chemical peels?
We use glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, for our light chemical peels. Glycolic acid has been found to loosen the upper most layers of dead skin so that new skin can develop more normally and it also seems to stimulate growth of collagen and elastin fibers in the deeper layers of the skin. When patients come to the office for a light chemical peel they are to wash their faces and clean off all makeup and dirt. A prepping solution is applied to the skin usually using cotton swabs or gauze pads and then once the face is clean and prepared either a 50% or 70% glycolic acid solution is applied to the skin. This is left on for a period of time that varies from 3 to 9 minutes. Afterwards the acid is immediately neutralized and washed off with water.

What will I look like after the treatment?
The response to these treatments can vary depending on the patient's skin type and depending on how many peels the patient has had. Most will just have some mild redness of their skin right after the peel that will look like they have had a mild sunburn and if desired, women are able to put on moisturizer and make-up directly after the treatment and can go back to work and resume their regular activities. Over the next several days, there may be a fine peeling or scaling of the skin, very rarely some crusting or scab formation may form and oftentimes there is actually no visible exfoliation. However, even without visible peeling or irritation most patients will notice that their skin feels softer and smoother and will see fading of areas of discoloration.

How many treatments are necessary?
Depending on the reason the patient is having the chemical peels; most patients require a minimum of 8 treatments to see results from these light chemical peels. These treatments are separated by about 2 weeks. For tougher problems such as dark brown blotches or melasma, it may take up to 12 treatments to get the best results.

Who is a good candidate for light chemical peel?
Almost any patient and any type of skin is a good candidate for this type of peel which has very few risks or problems associated with it.

What are side effects from this peel?
There are very few side effects associated with this peel. It may sting or tingle when the acid is on the face but it doesn't really hurt and there can be some redness associated, but other than that we have had very few problems.

Does this chemical peel hurt?
There is a burning and stinging that is associated with the chemical peels but it only lasts for a few minutes. Most patients will tolerate this without any form of anesthesia.

Are there any risks with this peel?
The risks are minimal. It can result in some hypo-pigmentation, that is some lightening of the facial skin which may make the facial skin look lighter than the neck. It can also be associated with hyper-pigmentation or brownish discoloration particularly if the patient gets into the sun to soon after the chemical peel has been performed. In general it is recommended that direct sun be avoided for at least 3 months but with the use of sun block SPF 45 or above patient can go out in the sun following this type of chemical peel.

How long do the results of the chemical peel last?
The answer to this question varies depending on how well the patient takes care of their skin after the chemical peel. We recommend that a daily sun block be used after either a light or deeper or moderate depth chemical peel and that glycolic acid products with lower strength be used to maintain the results.

How much does it cost?
The light chemical peels are $70-$110 depending on the strength of the glycolic acid used.

Glycolic Wash Series

What you can expect:

The following describes what a patient generally will experience when they go through a Glycolic Wash Series.

Wash #1 - Skin appears brighter and smoother. There is a general overall improvement.

Wash #2 - Skin appears much smoother. There may be some red patches around the mouth, chin, and cheekbones.

Wash # 3 - Skin may appear excessively dry and flaking may occur. The patient may even experience some scabs. Patients sometimes refer to this stage as the "uglies." You may wish to give yourself an extra week prior to the next wash. This allows the skin to rest and refresh itself. You should continue on the at-home maintenance program.

Wash #4 - Skin appears smoother. Fine lines are diminished. Complexion has better color due to improved circulation. A patient on the full program, one who has been using Bleaching agents (Hydroquinone) should also be seeing the skin tones even out giving your face a more uniform complexion.