To eliminate acne, skin discolorations, enlarged pores, and other facial problems, a number of people choose to get facial peels. There are variations to this procedure called chemical peels that make use of special solutions to enliven the skin. An example of a chemical peel is the VI Peel. The VI Peel solution contains acids which improve the natural exfoliating powers of the skin. Dead skin is removed from the face faster so a fresh layer of skin is revealed. The amount of collagen produced, which is an important factor of skin health, is also increased in this facial peel. How It Works Conventional facial peels usually need the skin to undergo preconditioning routines before the actual application of the solution. On the other hand, no such thing is needed in a VI treatment. Skin cleansing and eye protection are the only steps taken at the start of the procedure. The VI solution is then lathered on the surface of the skin for thirty minutes. This is allowed to remain on the face for five hours before it is washed off. Patients are not kept down by the treatment; they can even go home and return to their usual activities immediately after the serum is applied. There is little to no pain in this chemical peel - patients will most likely only feel a prickling sensation during the process. Peeling starts in about three to seven days. Drinking lots of fluids and avoiding sun exposure contribute to better results. Multiple sessions are also necessary for more enduring effects. Long-Term Benefits of the VI Peel for Skin Rejuvenation Patients who...
Decoding Skin Conditions: When to See a Dermatologist Most diseases affect the skin in some way. This is especially true with infections and immune system diseases. Hands down, dermatologists are the experts at recognizing subtle differences in the way diseases affect the skin and at making diagnoses the old fashioned way, without a lot of expensive tests. Sure dermatologists will take skin biopsies and send out for blood work, but the field of dermatology rests on visual identification. When other medical professionals are stumped about a particular skin lesion (and with the skin that happens a lot), a dermatologist is the professional to visit. Common Skin Conditions Dermatologists Treat Dermatologists specialize in diagnosing and treating a wide range of skin conditions beyond just acne or skin cancer. Common issues like eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and fungal infections often require targeted medical interventions to control symptoms and prevent flare-ups. For individuals dealing with chronic skin disorders, seeing a board-certified dermatologist can help identify effective long-term management plans, including prescription treatments, lifestyle adjustments, and ongoing skin care routines. Searching for terms like “best dermatologist for eczema” or “psoriasis treatment near me” is a great first step for those seeking professional help. The Importance of Annual Skin Exams Routine skin checks are essential for early detection of potential skin cancers and other abnormalities. Many dermatologists recommend scheduling a full-body skin exam once a year, especially for individuals with a personal or family history of skin cancer, fair skin, or frequent sun exposure. These exams allow professionals to monitor moles, lesions, and other changes in the skin that might otherwise go unnoticed. For people...
The hands are arguably the most important parts of the body, in terms of going about everyday life. Because of this, the hands take a lot of abuse, and over the years, it can show. Wear and tear, aging, and stress, all change the appearance of the hands. But why should people be concerned? The hands are also social tools. We use them to interact with other people in many different ways, and how people perceive the hands can be, in turn, how they perceive the person. This is why it is very important to also preserve the youthful look of the hands. And this can be done in a number of ways, one of which, is hand rejuvenation surgery. What Is Hand Rejuvenation Surgery? Hand rejuvenation surgery is the method of revitalizing the appearance, feel, and texture of the hands. This is done by moisturizing and softening the skin, reducing excess flaps of skin, removing age spots, eliminating scars, reducing the visibility of veins, and more. There are specific methods that are available to deal with each specific problem, that all comprise the hand rejuvenation process. Microdermabrasion, for instance, is a very non-invasive treatment of the hand’s skin that uses very tiny micro-crystals to scrub the skin, gently polishing it, and revealing the newer, younger skin beneath. This treatment reduces the visibility of age spots, and can lessen the visible damaged caused by sun damage. Fat grafting is yet another method, which deals with the loss of volume, or “thinning” of the hands. The procedure requires taking fat from a different part of the patient’s body, and then...
Several types of acne treatments are useful for the treatment of scarring from acne. Scars can be a devastating result of acne from both the teenage years and adult acne. Chemical Peel Acne Treatments Chemical peels use the application of an acid to the skin needing acne removal treatment. This causes the top layer of the skin to slough off and stimulate new skin. Acids range in strength from mild – which can be applied at home or in a spa acne treatment procedure to much stronger acne scar treatment acids which must be applied by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. The milder acid treatments can be considered to be a natural acne treatment method as they are composed of fruit acids such as beta hydroxy or alpha hydroxy acids. These types of acid peel acne treatments are also used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Dermabrasion Acne Treatment Techniques Microdermabrasion is the process of using a machine to exfoliate the top layer of skin. Microdermabrasion is used for mild acne scarring and must be repeated occasionally. It may be performed by a doctor or aesthetician or by a person at home using a home acne treatment. Actual dermabrasion involves the removal of more of the skin by essentially sanding off skin layers with a dermabrasion tool. It is thought to stimulate collagen and new skin formation resulting in acne treatment for scarring. It is generally painful, produces redness and swelling and must involve some type of anesthesia. Dermabrasion acne procedures require a week or more of recovery time and though it is not useful for...
A number of different acids and other agents are available for the treatment of cosmetic skin improvement. Some of these facial peel agents may be applied at home for the treatment of superficial issues while others must be applied under medical supervision to treat deeper skin conditions. At home application of low concentration skin peel products have few side effects other than some minor tingling and redness. More concentrated chemical peels will often cause redness, swelling and heavy peeling which will often require the patient to take several days of recovery time before returning to work because of the appearance of the face. How to Choose the Right Facial Peel for Your Skin Type Selecting the appropriate facial peel depends largely on your specific skin type and cosmetic goals. Individuals with sensitive skin may benefit from gentle alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) peels, which offer mild exfoliation with minimal irritation. For those dealing with stubborn acne scars or deeper wrinkles, a TCA peel or phenol peel performed by a board-certified dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon may deliver more dramatic results. Consulting with a skincare professional is essential to determine which type of facial peel is best suited to address your concerns while minimizing the risk of complications such as hyperpigmentation or prolonged redness. Uses for Facial Peels Face peel solutions can be used to treat a number of cosmetic skin conditions such as: -Wrinkle Reduction -Sun Damage Elimination -Skin Rejuvenation -Acne Improvement -Acne Scarring Types of Facial Peels Plant Acid Peel Glycolic, Beta Hydroxy and Alpha Hydroxy acids are derived from plant products and are all common ingredients in skin care...
Skin peeling procedures are incredibly popular in the United States for the simple reason that they are minimally invasive and very effective. In 2024 alone, there were over 800,000 chemical peel procedures, making it the second most popular skin care procedure only after Botox™. What Makes Skin Peels So Desirable in Skin Care? Skin peeling is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, photoaging, minor scarring and hyperpigmentation. It can also reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. Another advantage to chemical peels is that they can be used on the face, arms, neck, chest, hands and legs for the treatment of photoaging, scarring, acne and hyperpigmentation. A chemical peel can peel away the years of sun damage, acne scarring and signs of normal aging. In comparison to other cosmetic surgery procedures, chemical peels are minimally invasive, less painful and have a shorter recovery time period, while still effectively improving the appearance and health of your skin. It is a revolutionary skin care regimen and has been the boon of women in the western world. How Does It Work? Simply put, a chemical peel works by removing the outer, dead layer of the skin. By peeling away the dead outer skin, this improves the appearance of the skin and stimulates new skin growth. Skin peeling should only be done by a qualified doctor. Your doctor will examine your skin and prescribe the appropriate type of skin peel for you. He or she will also tell you how many treatments are necessary for you to achieve the desired results, this varies. Peeling procedures are classified by type...
A chemical peel is a non-surgical treatment that uses chemicals to exfoliate the skin. The chemical solution is rubbed onto the skin and the solution works to dissolve the outer skin layers. As the tissue is being dissolved, new tissue is stimulated, that is reacting to the body’s natural healing process, and a new skin layer is revealed underneath. There are different depths and strengths to chemical peels; also the length of time the solution is left on can vary. There are several different types of acid peels. Phenol Peel This is the strongest type of facial peel. It is used to treat severely aged skin and deep wrinkle tissues. One risk includes hyper pigmentation, or a darkening of the skin. Recovery time for a phenol peel is longer than other peels. Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) Chemical Peels This type of face peel is the most popular and is often sold in low doses over-the-counter in most drugstores. Stronger doses are often performed by a professional. AHA peels usually treat mild to moderate acne and other skin blemishes. Risks include mild scabbing, itching and rash development. Glycolic Acid Peel A glycolic peel is similar to a alpha hydroxy acid peel. It carries the nickname, “lunchtime peel,” as the treatment is performed very quickly. It treats acne and is used to rejuvenate the skin. Results last about a month or so. Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA Peels) Trichloroacetic Acid, or TCA peels, are facial peels that are very common. They can be deep or superficial, depending on the concentration level. They work to tighten the skin, improve brown spots, reduce blemishes, smooth...
Your skin doesn’t have to resemble a moon crater, crumpled clothing, or a spotty Dalmatian. Now, there is an innovative way of reducing the ugly marks left by acne, or the lines that accompany aging, and the dark spots that ruin your looks. Fractional laser resurfacing or fractional thermolysis is a new method of skin rejuvenation that was commercially introduced since 2003. What sets this apart from other laser resurfacing methods is that it only treats a fraction of the skin, leaving the surrounding areas alone. This allows a faster or virtually no downtime than the earlier laser technologies. How Does Fractional Laser Resurfacing Work? A fractional approach to resurfacing means that only specific areas are targeted using lights that are delivered in small, closely spaced micro beams. Both the epidermis and dermis are penetrated. Only a small proportion of the skin receives the laser light, while the other zones in between are left intact. This way, the skin heals much faster because only fractional damage was caused by the heat of the light source. The micro injured cells start the process of healing with collagen remodeling. The healthy unaffected tissues help to fill in the damaged area with new cells. The skin tightens and its texture improves. The treatment is comparable to a pixel by pixel retouching of a digital photograph. Some of the fractional laser systems commonly used are Fraxel, Active Fx, Palomar Starlux 1540, Pixel CO2, PROFractional Erbium, Pearl Laser, Juvia, and Affirm. Skin Conditions That Can Be Treated with Fractional Laser Resurfacing Wrinkles Acne scars Traumatic scars Sun damage Brown spots Is Fractional Laser Resurfacing...
Our skin is consistently exposed to elements including ultraviolet rays of sun, dust, environmental pollutants, and chemicals in various cosmetics and toiletries. Moreover, our skin also continues to age alongside our body, sometimes in a more accelerated manner than the rest of body because of the free radical and oxidative damage of highly processed foods we ingest. The forces of gravity, hormonal imbalances, drug ingestion, smoking, pregnancy and various illnesses also play their role. The end result is premature aging of skin which manifests itself in lines, wrinkles, blotchy skin color and various types of spots. Various methods have been devised and used for combating these effects and to rejuvenate the skin once again. As expected, face, head and neck are the most common areas for which rejuvenation treatments are sought. The most commonly used and reliable methods for treating the sun damaged and aging skin are chemical peeling, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing. Chemical peels, dermabrasion and laser skin resurfacing all achieve results in basically the same way. Layers of your skin are removed and, as the healing process progresses, a new, healthier-looking skin emerges. Am I a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing? You will be a good candidate for laser skin resurfacing if you have any one or more of the following conditions: Wrinkles including ‘laughter lines’, ‘frown lines’, skin changes around mouth that cause ‘lipstick bleed’ Sun-damaged facial skin Lines around eyes- ‘crow’s feet’ Brown spots or blotchy skin coloring Skin growths that have potential to become cancerous Scars of acne or chicken pox Superficial facial scars from a past injury You will not be...
The use of chemicals to exfoliate the skin dates back to the ancient Egyptians who used lactic acid, alabaster, and salt to smooth out the skin. Much later, in the 1800’s, trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, resorcinol and phenol were introduced as chemical peeling agents. Today, with the advent of more sophisticated methods of skin resurfacing, chemical peeling still remains one of the most widely performed cosmetic dermatological procedures. Chemical peeling, or chemexfoliation, utilizes chemical solutions to be applied to the skin, causing it to peel off gradually. It enables damaged skin to shed off and be replaced by a healthier-looking skin cells. The efficacy and recovery time will depend on the type of chemical used, its strength, and duration on the skin. Levels of Chemical Peeling Superficial Peeling It exerts its effects on the outermost layer of the skin called the epidermis. It is safe for any skin type, with minimal downtime. This is suitable for the following skin conditions: Fine lines due to sun damage Hyper pigmentation or skin discoloration Mild acne scars Dull-looking skin Actinic and seborrheic keratosis Medium-Depth Peeling It affects both the epidermis and the upper part of the dermis. This is also used as a supportive procedure to laser skin resurfacing and deeper chemical peels to blend the demarcation lines between treated and untreated skin. This is best suited for the following skin conditions: Mild to moderate wrinkles due to sun damage Hyper pigmentation Age spots Texture irregularities due to acne scars Actinic keratosis Deep Peels It extends deep into the lower layers of the dermis and yields the most dramatic effect. These are...
