Plastic Surgery: Chemical Peels Overview

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About The Skin

The skin has many functions. As it is made up of many millions of cells, it protects us from the enivironment and also regulates the temperature of our body.

Thousands of cells of the skin die every day, fall off, and are replaced by new cells formed under the skin.

Aging casues this process to slow down, and our skin may become dull. Fine lines, dark blotching, and other types of sun damage being to appear as we age.

Chemical Peels and Skin Rejuvenation

Chemical peels are used to create an even and controlled shedding of skin cells that are damaged. A chemical peel involves the application of a solution to the skin to first remove dead skin cells and increase the production of new skin cells, which tightens the skin, reduces wrinkling, and brings back a more youthful appearance.

You will want to explain the expectations of your skin improvement during your consultation with your surgeon, who will then review your medical history and take an extensive look at your skin type and pigmentation. This will determine if you are a good candidate for skin rejuvenation by chemical peel. Both you and your surgeon will evaluate the pros and cons of the different types of chemical peels, review your options, talk about your expectations, and determine what treatment is right for you.

It is important to also mention any history of viral infections, sun-sensitivity, or any other skin treatments like Acutane or dermabrasion in the past six months.

Skin Conditions to Improve With a Chemical Peel

This wide variety of skin conditions can be greatly improved by the use of chemical peels, and include the following:

• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Uneven pigmentation
• Freckling
• Shallow acne scars
• Age spots
• Sun-damaged skin

Please keep in mind that a chemical peel is not a viable substitute for a facelift, which means it cannot eliminate excessive or loose skin. However, a chemical peel is often accompanied by these types of procedures.

What Can I Expect from Treatment?

Different from laser peels, the chemical peel can be performed on the face, as well as the hands, neck, chest, and even the legs and arms.

Often chemical peels are simple outpatient procedures in the surgical suite or doctor's office. Your physician may recommend a superficial, medium, or deep chemical peel, depending on your skin type and expectations. Based on these criteria, your surgeon will choose the proper chemical or mixture of chemicals (carbolic acid, glycolic acid, beta lift, Jessner, TCA or trichloroacetic acid) and apply the solution to the appropriate areas of the skin. This will produce a separation and peeling of the outer skin layers, which will then stimulate the production of new skin from beneath.

Many times patients will experience a warm to hot feeling at the location of the chemical peel, which may last up to ten minutes and followed by a stinging sensation. Deeper peels may require anesthesia.

For Chemical Peel Plastic Surgery & Dermatology Information and before and after photographs folow the links above. For a free no obligation chemical peel consultation at Allure Plastic Surgery & Dermatology use this convenient on-line form.