Every day is a new battle for your skin. Between UV radiation, extreme temperatures, environmental pollutants, bacteria, injuries and more, your skin comes face-to-face with danger on a daily basis.
And that’s not even factoring in the effects of the natural aging process. Wrinkles, fine lines, breakouts, acne scars, age spots, skin discoloration… so many things are constantly working against your skin. It’s hard to keep up even if you have a consistent skincare routine.
But what if we told you there was a way to peel away all those battle scars on your skin, leaving behind a newer, fresher, healthier and younger-looking complexion? At Worcester Dermatology Associates in Worcester, MA, that is precisely what we do with our selection of chemical peels.
Light, Medium, Deep: The Three Different Types of Chemical Peels
A chemical peel is a chemical solution that’s applied to the skin and left to sit for 10 to 30 minutes. During that time, the acids in the solution disrupt dead and damaged cells in the skin’s outer layer (the epidermis). In the days and weeks after a chemical peel, the layer of treated skin cells sloughs away to reveal a smoother, tighter, brighter, healthier and younger-looking layer of skin.
This process is called exfoliation. While you’re probably familiar with that term and may have tried exfoliating at home, what we can do in-office goes far beyond the harsh scrubs or low-strength exfoliating serums you can find in a drugstore.
Like many cosmetic procedures, there is a wide range of different types of chemical peels, and they’re not all created equal. In fact, some even penetrate deeper than the surface layer of your skin for dramatic rejuvenation.
Light Chemical Peels
Also known as a superficial peel, light peels are the most gentle type of chemical peel. They only penetrate the outermost layer of skin, leaving the middle and innermost layers unscathed. This depth is appropriate for improving skin texture, addressing mild sun damage and softening minor wrinkles and lines.
Light chemical peels are usually made with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). Discomfort is minimal, recovery only takes a few days, and treatment can be repeated once every three to five weeks.
Medium Chemical Peels
Medium chemical peels remove the outermost layer of skin (just like a superficial peel), but they also remove the papillary dermis. This is the thin upper part of the dermis, or the middle layer of your skin.
Medium chemical peels are usually made with trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and used to treat sun damage, fine lines and pigmentation. Recovery time can take one to two weeks.
Deep Chemical Peels
Deep chemical peels remove the epidermis and papillary dermis, like a medium chemical peel), but they also penetrate much deeper into the dermis (up to the midreticular dermis) for more dramatic results. They’re often used to treat deep wrinkles, pre-cancerous growths and severe sun damage.
Since a deep chemical peel penetrates so far into the skin, patients will experience peeling, crusting, skin redness and other post-treatment effects that can take weeks to resolve. It’s a one-time treatment and the results are worth the wait.
MicroLaserPeel: Predictable Results, Shorter Recovery Time
Here at Worcester Dermatology, we’re confident that you’ll love the results from your chemical peel, but we’re always looking for new ways to exceed our patient’s expectations.
That’s what the MicroLaserPeel does for us.
As the name suggests, the MicroLaserPeel uses a laser – an erbium laser, to be specific – to remove a very thin layer of skin. In other words, it does what a chemical peel does, but with light energy instead of chemicals. It can be used to treat sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin tone.
Some patients benefit from combining a traditional chemical peel with the more modern MicroLaserPeel. It’s a powerful duo that can turn back the aging process like few other nonsurgical technologies can.
What to Expect Before and After a Chemical Peel
Before Your Peel
Whether you’re interested in a chemical peel, the MicroLaserPeel or both, treatment won’t begin until you come in for a consultation. You will meet with Dr. Simkin, Dr. Kates or one of our other talented providers to go over your goals and put together a treatment plan.
You will receive a set of instructions to follow in the weeks leading up to treatment. The guidelines before a peel usually include limiting UV exposure, using sunscreen and avoiding the use of irritating makeup and skincare products.
During Your Peel
Most patients are done within one or two hours. You may experience mild tingling or a burning sensation (especially with a deeper peel), but the discomfort is easily tolerated by most patients. An anesthetic is used for deeper peels.
After Your Peel
The recovery period will depend on the type of peel used. Light chemical peels can sometimes be “lunchtime peels” with no downtime, while medium and deep peels will require a downtime period.
Once treatment is done, we’ll give you a set of aftercare instructions to accelerate healing and reduce the risk of complications. Aftercare usually requires gentle cleansing, regular moisturizing and limiting UV exposure.
Worcester Dermatology: Revealing Your Most Radiant Skin
Do you have facial wrinkles around your eyes and mouth? Is your skin suffering from sun damage, age spots or hyperpigmentation? Do you wish those acne scars would disappear? Do you have uneven skin?
All of these concerns and more can be addressed with a chemical peel at Worcester Dermatology. Peels are one of the most popular skincare treatments in the world today, and we can’t wait to show you why. Contact our offices at 508-744-3055 in Worcester or 978-705-6511 in Chelmsford to schedule a consultation.