With each passing year, especially as wrinkles and fine lines set in, you may find that you don’t always love the way your skin looks. Makeup can only do so much. If you’re ready for a new, more youthful glow, a chemical peel might be just the thing.
It's important to understand chemical peels before committing. At her practice in Kinston, North Carolina, Dr. Lori Scott is an aesthetics specialist who offers a number of treatments to help you love the skin you’re in. This brief guide helps explain how chemical peels help you achieve an appearance you want to show off.
These popular aesthetic treatments use a topical solution to remove dead skin cells and layers of damaged skin. Chemical peels typically use trichloroacetic, salicylic, or glycolic acid to exfoliate and treat skin with scars, uneven pigmentation, wrinkles, or fine lines.
Varying levels of chemical peels are available depending on how dramatic you want the results to be. A chemical peel is slightly invasive, and the deeper peels require some downtime and a recovery period. Dr. Scott tailors your peel to your goals and skin type.
Several skin conditions can benefit from chemical peels, including dark patches, sun spots, acne and scarring, and wrinkles and fine lines. A peel offers a chance to renew your skin by creating controlled damage and promoting collagen production.
Choosing the best peel for your skin requires a consultation and a discussion of your goals. Dr. Scott offers three forms of chemical peels.
Also called a “lunchtime” peel, this type is gentle on the skin and requires minimal recovery. It removes the outermost layer of skin, revealing fresh, healthy skin in a few days. Consider a light peel if you’re beginning your skincare journey and have fine lines or rough skin.
You can repeat a light peel every two to four weeks for optimal results. There’s no downtime, recovery is fast, and there are minimal side effects.
A medium chemical peel penetrates the outer layer and into the middle layers of skin. It addresses acne scars, skin discoloration, and age spots well. Recovery from a medium peel takes about two weeks, and you may experience significant redness, blistering, and crusting as the old layers of skin slough off.
Deep chemical peels penetrate to the lower middle layer of your skin and offer the most dramatic results of any peel. It often requires pretreatment for several weeks before the procedure, and this peel requires significant downtime afterward, typically 2-3 weeks.
A deep peel may be an option for severely sun-damaged skin, blotchy patches, or moderate lines and wrinkles.
A chemical peel removes old, damaged skin and reveals new, healthier skin, and it’s a great option when you want a fresh look without undergoing a dramatic cosmetic procedure. Consider a peel if you notice dullness, acne, rough skin, fine lines, large pores, or pigmentation issues.
Winter is ideal for a chemical peel because there’s less sunlight. It’s important to avoid sun and UV exposure after any type of chemical peel.
Discuss your goals with Dr. Scott. She’s happy to answer your questions about recovery times and the best treatments for you. Contact Lori Scott Family Care today for skin that’s healthier and has a youthful glow you love.
