The effects of aging and exposure to the elements take a toll on your skin, particularly your face. Lines, wrinkles, skin pigmentation, and scarring each creep forward with every birthday, adding up to make you look your age or, heaven forbid, older than your years.
Still, your body retains remarkable regenerative powers, though it takes an event to kick-start these systems into action. Chemical peels are one such treatment, available in a variety of strengths, that can match your unique needs to achieve younger looking skin.
Radiance Wellness MediSpa is a chemical peel specialist. Dr. Carrie Morris and her team customize each treatment to match your skin conditions and aesthetic goals, resulting in the most conservative treatment plan that’s still aggressive enough to meet your needs.
Here’s what you need to know about chemical peels and how they can help you when you visit any of our four Texas locations.
As your skin ages
Typically beginning in your 20s, skin starts to lose collagen, a support tissue in the middle layer of your skin, called the dermis. This layer traps moisture and adds volume to your skin, so as it loses collagen, your skin becomes drier and less elastic.
This lets gravity start to take a toll, as your skin can now stretch and droop in less than flattering ways. Combined with the drying and pigmentation effects generated by the ultraviolet portions of sunlight, skin can take on a tired, mottled appearance.
This is why you may look to chemical peels, which remove the outer layer of skin, along with dirt and oil. The peels trigger your natural regenerative processes.
The depth gauge
Chemical peels invoke a healing response by creating controlled levels of damage to your skin. As your body perceives this damage, it begins a healing process. The extent of the process depends on how deep the peel penetrates.
Generally, peels are classed by the depth of penetration. Light peels focus primarily on the epidermis, the outer skin layer, treating fine wrinkles, dryness, uneven skin tone, and acne.
Medium-depth peels address the same issues, but more aggressively, penetrating into the dermis. Deep peels extend even further into the dermis, producing the most dramatic results; we sometimes recommend these if your skin shows signs of precancerous changes, as a treatment to avoid skin cancer.
Recovering from a chemical peel
Because a chemical peel starts a controlled skin damage reaction, you need some time to recover, and it varies in proportion to the depth of the peel. Mild peels create redness and scaling, similar to the after effects of a sunburn, and these show effects for the shortest time, from one to five days, depending on the specific formulation.
The mildest peels may let you return to your regular day, giving them the nickname “lunch hour” peels, as these show little skin irritation after treatment. Medium and deep peels can cause blistering, swelling, and crusting of your skin, taking up to two weeks to heal.
However, you can expect much more dramatic improvements from a single treatment with a medium or deep peel. You may need several mild peels to achieve the look you’re after.
For a personalized evaluation, contact Radiance Wellness MediSpa to book a one-on-one consultation. You can call the closest office directly or book your appointment online using the link on this page. Schedule your visit today.