Chemical Peeling and Laser Resurfacing:
Chemical
peels and laser resurfacing ultimately should remove
the top layer of skin, thus smoothing out fine
wrinkles, decreasing discoloration, and pigmentation
problems. Areas of wrinkly skin can also benefit
from a peel or laser resurfacing procedure resulting
in a shrink wrap type of effect.
The old skin that is peeled off within a few days
leaves behind a newly rejuvenated healthier looking
skin which has underwent collagen regeneration and
rearrangement.
There are many types of acids used in chemical
peeling including but not limited to trichloracetic
acid (TCA) with various percentages, glycolic peels,
phenol peels and jessners peel. These peels run the
gamut of light lunchtime to very heavy deep peels.
Depending on your skin type, skin thickness and
coloring a tailored chemical peel could be fashioned
to meet your skin rejuvenation needs. CO2 lasers
could be used to resurface the skin much in the same
was chemical peels would.
These procedures are very commonly done alone or in
conjunction with other cosmetic surgical procedures.
Areas to resurface are anywhere on the face and
chest. The most common requests are the skin around
the eyes and mouth which are the first to show signs
of aging.
The procedure takes about one hour and is usually
performed with sedation anesthesia, as well as
local. A few days later the top layer of the peeled
skin sloughs off, and the underlying skin must be
lubricated with ointments or Vaseline.
At the end of a week, the skin is usually repaired
(sometimes longer if a deeper penetrating peel is
performed) and one should use sunblock regularly and
avoid the sun when possible. Most patients may
return to normal activities and work within 1-2
weeks.
