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 precise formula used may be adjusted to meet each patient's needs. Although chemical peel may be performed in conjunction with a facelift, it is not a substitute for such surgery, nor will it prevent or slow the aging process.

The peel

Your esthetician will apply the AFA solution to your cleansed facial skin, a process that usually takes no more than 10 minutes. No "after-peel" ointment or covering is required. Depending on the strength of the peel, periodic treatments may be necessary until the desired effects are achieved.

For some patients, the application of an AFA-based face wash or cream once or twice a day at home will be sufficient to accomplish the desired goal. Your esthetician may add product or to your at-home treatment schedule. After several weeks of at-home use, your esthetician will examine your skin to determine if your regimen needs adjustment.

Deciding if chemical peel is right for you

Chemical peel is most commonly performed for cosmetic reasons—to enhance your appearance and your self confidence. Chemical peels may also remove pre-cancerous skin growths, soften acne facial scars and even control acne. 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. AFA peels may be used to treat fine wrinkling, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. Various concentrations of an AFA may be applied weekly or at longer intervals to obtain the best result. Your esthetician will make this decision during your consultation and as the treatment continues you may want to add our medical Grade skin care line to help enhance the procedure.

A chemical peel is normally a safe procedure when it is performed by a qualified, experienced esthetiician. However, some unpredictability and risks such as infection and scarring, while infrequent, are possible.

AFA peels may cause stinging, redness, irritation and crusting. However, as the skin adjusts to the treatment regimen, these problems will subside.

What is a chemical peel?

The cumulative effects of the sun, age, and smoking make the skin appear wrinkled and thin. In addition, abnormal cells may grow and multiply, creating unsightly spots or in some cases, skin cancers. Luckily for us, the skin is unique in its ability to regenerate itself. The normal pace of regeneration, however, is slow and does not prevent the accumulation of abnormal skin cells. A more efficient way of ridding the body of those abnormal cells and replacing them with 'new' skin is to 'peel' off the top layers of skin. The body then replaces these layers with new skin that is healthier and younger looking.

What are the different types of chemical peels?

Mechanical peels work by 'rubbing off' the top layers of skin. Older methods used a pumice stone. Dermabrasion also enjoyed popularity. More recently even salons have started using systems that 'sandblast' the skin. How well these methods work is highly technician dependent.

Chemical peels work by putting a chemical on the skin that reacts with and breaks up the top layers of skin (epidermis). Examples of this are the AFA peels which is our medical grade skin care line by Biopelle. Depending on the nature and concentration of the chemicals used these peels can strip off only very superficial layers of skin or they can go deep into the skin.

How do chemical peels differ from laser surgery?

Laser Resurfacing works by vaporizing layers of skin and can penetrate deeper into the skin. Depending on the type of laser, there can be heating of the tissues underneath the top layers of skin that will also affect how the skin regenerates. Laser resurfacing can yield a longer lasting result.

Which chemical peels are better?

There is no one peel that is better than the other. Choosing a peel depends on the amount of recovery time you are willing to invest. Peels can be classified as 'superficial' or 'deep' depending on how many layers of skin are eliminated.

The more superficial peels have little downtime. Thus the popularity of the 'lunchtime peels'. The deeper peels require medically supervised care during the healing phase for optimal results, and patients may need to be homebound for several days. The visible effects of the superficial peels are subtle, whereas the effects of deeper peels are dramatic.

After your treatment

After an AFA peel, it is common to experience some temporary flaking or scaling, redness and dryness of the skin. However, these conditions will disappear as the skin adjusts to treatment.

Getting back to normal

With an AFA peel, the temporary redness, flaking and dryness that you experience will not prevent you from working or engaging in your normal activities. A fresher and improved skin texture will result with continued AFA treatments. Remember, protecting your skin from the sun is also important following these mild acid peels. Ask your esthetician to recommend a sunblock with adequate UVA and UVB protection and use it every day.

Your new look

Improvements from AFA peels may be very subtle at first. You may detect a healthier glow to your skin. With continued treatments, you will notice a general improvement in the texture of your skin.