Last week the Timeless Skin Solutions staff treated themselves to chemical peels. Read their stories ….
Kristy Suttle
When it comes to chemical peels I have always thought Samantha Jones from Sex and the City and her crazy red face! For those of you who watched the show, you know what I am talking about! With the image of Samantha in my head I had serious concerns, ok maybe even fears, about getting a chemical peel. I was relieved to learn that while there are peels that can leave you looking like this, there are also milder peels that do a great job of freshening up the skin.
My chemical peel experience went as follows:
While Allyson applied the chemical peel I experienced a slight burning sensation. This was followed by itchy skin for several hours later. I took a Zantac, yes the medicine for heartburn, to stop the itching. My skin was pink the day I received the peel. The following day my skin looked pretty normal. Day 3 and 4 my skin was peeling and flaking but looked fine as long as I kept a bit of moisturizer on it. The key is to have a moisturizer that does not irritate the skin at this point. I used SkinMedica's TNS Ceramide Cream. I am now on day 5 and my skin looks glowy and radiant! I plan to make chemical peels part of my overall skin care plan!
Amanda Logan
My skin has been uncharacteristically broken out lately and I've actually been pretty down about it – I was lucky enough to never have suffered from acne in the past, so this has been an interesting lesson for me. Allyson suggested that I do a SkinMedica Illuminize Peel to start out because I'm not very "good" at the kind of peeling you have to go through with the deeper peels. The Illuminize is a really light, superficial peel that doesn't actually make you shed all that much skin. It has alpha hydroxy acids, phytic acid and salicylic acid and then Allyson topped off the peel with some retinoic acid to give it a boost. The retinoic isn't always added with this peel, but I'm glad she chose to do so because I think it has given me a better result. Today is day 3 of my peel, and I'm still a little peely, but my skin is way smoother than before and all of my zits have dried up! This probably isn't the peel for a more severe acne patient, but for someone who wants a quick pick-me-up, little downtime, and smoother, clearer, more rejuvenated skin, it's definitely the way to go.
Allyson Sterling, PA-C
Staff Education at Timeless Skin Solutions: Chemical Peels
Each month at Timless Skin Solutions we have a staff meeting where I take some time to provide staff education over one of our treatments, products, or dermatologic issues in general. This past month we reviewed chemical peels because everyone at the office was getting them! Below are some of the specifics (probably more detail that you want to know!) of what our staff education entailed.
Uses:
Chemical peels can be used on the face, neck and body, including the décolleté and back. Chemical peels can be used to treat a wide range of skin conditions. Some of these include: acne and mild scarring, a more youthful, refreshed and radiant appearance to skin texture and tone, restored sun-damaged, wrinkled, or blotchy skin and younger, tighter and fresher looking skin. It is important to note that chemical peels cannot treat all issue; deeper lines, wrinkles and other flaws will require additional intervention.
Mechanism of Action:
Chemical peels are used to improve the skin's appearance by applying a chemical solution to the skin, causing the top layers of skin to dehydrate, separate and peel off removing the skin's damaged outer layers. The precise formula and depth of a peel can be modified for each individual's needs. Patients will note immediate improvement after 1 peel, and dramatic results after a series of peels with little downtime.
Comparison to other treatments:
We can enhance the results of a chemical peel with laser/light-based rejuvenation techniques, or combine with another procedure, such as dermal fillers or Botox. In comparrison to microdermabrasion or Silk peels, chemical peels utilize a chemical solution which is applied to the skin to remove the surface tissue. During a microdermabrasion we use a mechanical method to achieve a similar result. The goal of both procedures is to rejuvenate and exfoliate the skin. A chemical peel, however, has the ability to go much deeper than physical microdermabrasion.
Treatment duration:
During a chemical peel, most patients experience a warm to hot sensation that may last about 5 to 10 minutes and may be followed by some stinging. The skin will become pink/red, which is followed by scaling that lasts three to five days. Sometimes Retin A or alpha hydroxy acid is used to pre-treat the skin. This thins out the skin's surface layer, allowing the chemical solution to penetrate more deeply and evenly.
Complications/Contraindications:
Patientswho are allergic to salicylates or aspirin should not receive a chemical peel. Other patients who are not candidates for a chemical peel include patient's taking Accutane, pregnant or breastfeeding patients, patients with excessive sun exposure, patients with active herpes simplex, warts, history of keloidal scarring, or patients who have recently waxed or used a depilatory such as "Nair" or "Vaniqua." There are several complications that could occur following a chemical peel. Do NOT ever pick or pull at the flaking or peeling skin, it can cause scarring or an infection. Certain skin types also have a risk of developing a temporary or permanent skin color change. Hyperpigmentation (excessive coloration) and hypopigmentation (lack of pigmentation) can be problematic of misdiagnosed skin types, failure to reveal any skin problems or ethnicity and improper post-peel care.
Limitations:
While chemical peels are a wonderful tool to refresh, rejuvinize and improve skin texture, quatity and tone, they do have their limitations. Chemical peels cannot tighten loose or sagging skin, remove deep scars, change pore size or remove broken blood vessels on the face; however, the procedure may improve the appearance of these conditions.
We are all big fans of chemical peels here at Timeless Skin Solutions!
