Guide to Chemical Peels
With age, our skin eventually develops sun damage, age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles, but at Laser Lights, we offer a variety of treatments to minimize these concerns. Whether you’re just starting to see surface imperfections or searching for anti-aging results without surgery, we have something just for you. Since our chemical peels vary in strength, they are actually suitable for treating all types of skin conditions. If you’re not quite sure which chemical peel is right for you, check out our guide below.
It is important to understand that the name “chemical peel” comes from the treatment itself. During a chemical peel, a chemical solution is applied to the outermost layer of skin after the skin is cleansed, which typically induces peeling to eliminate the dead, outer layer of skin revealing the undamaged skin underneath. Downtime depends on the strength of the peel, but is minimal. The amount of peeling that occurs with a chemical peel usually depends on the strength of the chemicals used.
The lightest peel we offer is our fruit acid peel, which is composed of glycolic and lactic acids to smooth rough skin, regulate acne, and even out hyperpigmentation. Patients like the fruit acid peel because it requires no downtime and they can show off their refreshed appearance right away. Other patients who are in need of a deeper peel like to use the fruit acid peel as a pre-treatment to the TCA peel (trichloroacetic acid). The TCA peel is one of the strongest peels we offer and is great for reducing fine lines, age spots and hyperpigmentation. Although the treatment is not painful, patients report discomfort during the first few minutes and redness and irritation immediately following treatment that eventually subsides. Patients that choose this treatment can expect up to a week of skin peeling.
Patients with dry, acneic skin benefit from our glycolic peel, which also targets fine lines, acne scars, and melasma while stimulating collagen production. Peeling should be expected for a couple of days depending on the peel’s acid concentration. As with all of our chemical peels, we can customize the chemical peel’s strength depending on your specific needs. Patients with sensitive skin who are looking for a deeper treatment than that of our fruit acid peel can enjoy our mandelic peel that uses acid derived from bitter almond extract. Patients report reduced acne and hyperpigmentation and increased collagen production with no downtime. Patients who mainly want to focus on acne and uneven skin texture should try our salicylic peel.
While not as strong as our TCA peel, the Jessner’s peel uses salicylic and lactic acids to improve signs of aging, but is also great for patients who have moderate to severe acne or those with acne scarring. Patients should expect up to a week of peeling with the Jessner’s Peel. The latest addition to our chemical peel menu, the Vi peel corrects sun damage, minimizes lines and wrinkles, reduces acne and acne scars, and evens out hyperpigmentation. Since the Vi Peel stimulates collagen and elastin production, patients report tighter, younger-looking skin within a week of their treatment.
Our chemical peels can be used alone or in conjunction with some of our other treatments. In fact, we even offer a micro laser peel, which incorporates components of microdermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing, and chemical peel for a rejuvenated appearance. Before any treatment, our licensed estheticians take the time to thoroughly examine a patient’s skin to determine the right treatment for their skin condition, so schedule a consultation today even if you aren’t quite sure what you need. Visit our Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for skin care news and updates on special offers.
