Chemical Peel

A chemical peel uses a chemical solution to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin by removing its damaged outer layers. It is helpful for those individuals with facial blemishes, wrinkles and uneven skin pigmentation. The peels Dr. Rajagopal’s office uses are: Fruit Acid Peels, Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA), Obagi Blue Peel, Refinity Peel, and Salicylic Peel.

Fruit Acid Peels

Fruit Acid Peels, such as glycolic and lactic are the mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels. These types of peels can provide smoother, brighter-looking skin for people who can’t spare the time to recover from a phenol or TCA peel. These peels may be used to treat fine wrinkling, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. Fruit acid peels:

Smoothes rough, dry skin
Improves texture of sun-damaged skin
Aid in acne control
Can be mixed with bleaching agent to correct pigment problems
Can be used as TCA pre-treatment
A series of peels may be needed
As with most peel treatments, sunblock use is recommended

Refinity Peel

Lighter peel for superficial skin improvements
A fruit acid peel using 70% strength glycolic acid
Improves hyper-pigmentation problems
Stimulates Collagen production
Exfoliates the dead skin cells on the surface of skin
Refines, tones and reduces the appearance of dull skin
Leaves the skin glowing and youthful
The recovery period is quicker (usually one day) than with most peels

Considerations:

Four to six treatments (2 weeks apart) are recommended for maximum results
Treatment takes half an hour
There may be some pinkness to the skin right after treatment
Patients can usually return to work or other activities right away
Mild skin flaking may occur up to 7 dats after the treatment

Salicylic Peel

A B acid peel
A gentle peel
Removes the stratum coreum layer
Great for acne prone skin
Gentle enough for rosecea
For enlarged pores, rough and oily skin, melasma, post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and photo aging

Considerations:

4-6 treatment for maximum results.
Treatments take half an hour
There may be some pinkish to the skin right after treatment
Patients may return to work/activities right away

Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA)

Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) can be used in many concentrations, but it is most commonly used for medium-depth peeling. Fine surface wrinkles, superficial blemishes and pigment problems are commonly treated with TCA. The results of TCA peel are usually more dramatic than the Fruit Acid Peels. Characeristics of a TCA peel:

Medium strength peel
Smoothes out fine surface wrinkles
Removes superficial blemishes
Corrects pigment problems
Can be used on neck or other body areas
Can be used for light-skinned to olive-skinned individuals
Can be used for darker-skinned patients
Peel depth can be adjusted

Considerations:

Peeling lasts for two weeks after the treatment with significant redness
Pre-treatment cream must be applied 4 – 6 weeks prior treatment
Sunscreen must be applied 4 – 6 weeks prior to treatment and 6 months after treatment
Repeat treatment may be needed to maintain results

Obagi Blue Peel

Medium strength peel similar to the TCA peel
Can be used for light-skinned to olive-skinned individuals
Corrects blotches caused by sun exposure, aging, acne, photoaged skin
Smoothes some fine wrinkles
Removes pre-cancerous lesions
Corrects pigmentation problems
Removes superficial blemishes
Reduces large pores

Considerations:

Pre-treatment cream must be applied 4 – 6 weeks prior treatment
Sunscreen must be applied 4 – 6 weeks prior to treatment and 6 months after treatment
One full week to ten days is required to heal
Right after the treatment your skin will be blue
The treatment will take one and half to two hours

If you have any questions regarding Chemical Peels, or wish to schedule a consultation, please call the San Francisco Plastic Surgery & Laser Center at 415-392-3333.

Dr. Usha Rajagopal discusses why a Chemical Peel may be advised over laser treatments for darker skin:

*Disclaimer: Results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person.