Am I a candidate for a chemical peel?
Overview
The chemical peel is a minimally invasive, nonsurgical cosmetic procedure with the potential to vastly improve the appearance of damaged and aging skin on the face. There are different agents used for chemical peeling, including Alpha Hydroxy agents, Jessner’s Solution, Trichloroacetic Acid, and Phenol. The type or types of chemicals used depends on the type and extent of damage in each region. Receiving a carefully designed and performed chemical peel can make huge and rejuvenating impact on your looks.
Indications
Damaged skin is usually the greatest indicator that you may benefit from a chemical peel. They type and extent of the damage will determine what type of chemical peel(s) is right for you, as determined with your doctor. Sun damage and chronic exposure to UV rays over time is the most common cause of damage to skin, but the damage can also come from acne scars and intrinsic skin aging. Over time, these types of skin damage show up as irregularities in the epidermis, with abnormalities like fine lines, loss of elasticity, scaly skin, creases, brown spots, and a yellowish hue. These details are usually associated with an aged and tired look.
Expertise
For a refreshed look, you need a treatment that will address the root cause of your concerns. While there are “lay peelers” and medi spas that offer chemical peels, these tend to be very mild peels that require you to return for treatment each month, or they are given by underqualified “assistants” rather than a board-certified surgeons. The chemical peel can be understood as both a medical procedure that requires a high level of training and expertise, as well as an art form that necessitates experience and individualization for optimal results.
Dr. Steinsapir makes the chemical peel a major specialization of his private practice in Beverly Hills, where he provides sophisticated customizing chemical peels. He did not invent these skills after taking a weekend course. He was extensively trained in chemical peels as part of a two-year cosmetic surgery fellowship. Since his training, Dr. Steinsapir has developed his own system to make a full-face chemical peel a remarkably comfortable experience. The procedure is very effective due to a high level of individualization in your treatment planning, as well as the fact that Dr. Steinsapir always personally performs your chemical peel and never relies on “physician’s assistants” and technicians to administer your treatment. We welcome you to call us today to learn how a chemical peel by Dr. Steinsapir can rejuvenate your features.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculoplastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician or surgeon and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
What should I expect with my chemical peel?
A chemical peel is a great way to refresh your appearance, renew your skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and even your skin tone, all in one go. But a chemical peel is no home remedy. Just because it sounds like an easy, nearly risk-free, non-invasive procedure doesn’t mean that you should try performing one at home. It’s important to find a skilled and experienced surgeon who has training in the performance of chemical peels. The results of a properly-performed chemical peel can be phenomenal, so choose your surgeon carefully to ensure the best possible outcome. There are significant risks associated with these procedures.
Where is Surgery Performed
Chemical peels are an in-office procedure that can be performed in a relatively short period of time. You can combine your treatment with other in-office procedures when appropriate. However, trying to perform a chemical peel on yourself is a sure way to turn a safe procedure into a disfiguring one. Chemical peels are safe and highly beneficial when performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon. They are not appropriate as a do-it-yourself, home project to save some money.
It might be possible to obtain the agents used for a chemical peel from unscrupulous merchants from the Internet. However, if you try to perform this procedure on yourself, you can permanently alter the coloration of your face by introducing irregularities, scars, and hypopigmentation. Improperly performed, these agents can burn your skin with permanent consequences. A great deal of skill, judgment, and experience is needed to safely perform a chemical peel. A surgeon who has mastered chemical peels will also instruct you in follow-up care for your skin after the initial treatment and closely follow you. With this guidance in monitoring your progress, long-term problems that might develop can be managed, mitigated, or avoided altogether.
Types of Anesthesia
There are many different types of chemical peels. The type that is best for you depends greatly on your skin type and concerns. The issues that affect your skin determine the type of peel procedures that will provide the most benefit. Common concerns include: acne with or without scaring, dark spots that have developed over time, skin aging from sun exposure, and intrinsic skin aging including lines. As peels increase in strength, the need for anesthesia in the form of oral sedation, and local numbing of the face to make the procedure comfortable increases. Also the post-procedure skin care demands increase in complexity and length to ensure that the face heals quickly and with the best possible result. Please do not underestimate the need for expert care in this regard.
Common Complications
As with any cosmetic surgery procedure, invasive or non-invasive, complications can occur. Infections may occur anytime after the second or third post-operative day. The signs are prominent swelling, significant amounts of devitalized skin and redness beyond what would normally be expected, and pain. Infections are often the result of neglecting post-procedure instructions. It is for this reason that Dr. Steinsapir insists on close follow up. The procedure represents an important investment in time, energy, and expense but it is essential to proper healing. Other potential complications include: scarring, temporary or long term eyelid malposition, color and pigmentary change, persistent redness, and possible allergic reactions. There is no way you can handle these concerns on your own after try to do your own chemical peel.
Estimated Time for Recovery
Generally, the deeper facial peels produce results that rival what can be accomplished with surgery. Redness following TCA 35% can persist for 3 weeks to 6 weeks; following phenol 89%, redness can persist for 3 months to 6 months, and following a Baker’s phenol, it can persist for 5 months to 12 months. However, it will only take 9 days to 12 days to reach the point at which make-up can hide facial redness. Men tend to heal faster than women. Only a personal consultation with an experienced chemical peeler will provide a basis for estimating recovery time for your personal considerations.
About Dr. Steinsapir
Dr. Steinsapir is a board certified eye surgeon and fellowship-trained in oculoplastic surgery and cosmetic surgery in Los Angeles where he specializes in balanced facial cosmetic surgery for natural results, with an emphasis on minimally invasive techniques, fast recovery time, and leadership in medical technology. Dr. Steinsapir has a private practice and also serves as an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Contact us today to learn how Dr. Steinsapir’s experience and training make him an expert in cosmetic surgery, which can be a vital part of your evidence-based treatment plan.
Services described may be “off-label” and lack FDA approval. This article is informational and does not constitute an advertisement for off-label treatment. No services should be provided without a good faith examination by a licensed physician and an informed consent with a discussion of risks, benefits, alternatives, and the likelihood of treatment success. Only you and your treating physician or surgeon can determine if a treatment is right for you.
Which chemical peels are best for Asian Eyelids?
There are many types of chemical peels available and many types of concerns they treat, so it can be difficult to figure out which chemical peel is right for you. But the chemical peel is truly an art form with versatile abilities depending on your needs, so it’s vital to understand that for a successful face peel with profound results, you’ll need an expert in performing facial peels who has extensive treatment experience and understands how to combine science and aesthetic planning for the best results possible.
Before and After Chemical Peel for Asian Eyelid
Before and After Chemical Peel for Asian Eyelid
If you are interested in whether a chemical peel may help your Asian eyelid, please realize that the tremendous diversity between every eyelid, including Asian eyelids, means that there is no one approach that will work for every Asian eyelid. The right solution for you will depend on other factors, like the precise nature of your concern, the condition of the skin and eyelid, your skin’s pigmentation, and so on. Your doctor will take all of these factors into and design your treatment approach accordingly.
How can a chemical peel help me?
Chemical peels can effectively treat facial concerns like aging skin, fine wrinkles, dark spots, acne, creases, loss of elasticity in the skin, and other concerns. There are many cases when a chemical peel will compliment an eyelid surgery. For example, an eyelid surgery like Asian blepharoplasty can correct excessive fullness of the eyelid by removing some of the fat, creating a double fold, or addressing Asian eyelid ptosis. Since removing extra fat can slightly loosen the skin in that region, a chemical peel can help to firm the skin here. This frequently makes the chemical peel an excellent alternative to surgery that removes excess skin for the lower eyelid. A chemical peel in the eyelid region is a minimally invasive procedure that preserves your natural features while rejuvenating your appearance.
Pigmentation is always an important consideration to any chemical peel, including a chemical peel for Asian skin. The range in skin colors and complexions is as complex as the range in eyelids, so this is something to consider with your doctor on an individual basis. Fortunately there are many people with Asian skin complexions who can and do benefit from chemical peels. Your doctor can tell you more about skin-types as classified by the Fitzpatrick scale, and let you know what that means for you and your candidacy for a chemical peel. A chemical peel can often help improve concerns with irregular pigmentation.
Who can provide the best chemical peel for Asian eyelids?
You need an expert in providing the most effective and safest chemical peels in conjunction with the best eyelid treatment available. We recommend that you consult with a specialist who makes facial and eyelid surgery the core of their practice to help you reach your facial aesthetic goals, and be sure that he or she has extensive experience in your specific concerns. Dr. Steinsapir specializes in both chemical peels and Asian eyelid surgery, with an emphasis on surgery and minimally invasive techniques customized for your particular situation and goals. Contact us today for your no-risk consultation, where you can learn more about how to best meet your eyelid concerns, and if an individualized chemical peel will help.
I completed Accutane treatment 6 months ago. Is it ok for me to have a chemical peel?
Chemical peels have long been considered a great procedure that, when performed by a qualified and experienced doctor, produce great results. They are also correctly understood to be an art form that requires great skill and aesthetic judgment, which a doctor develops through a specialized fellowship and extensive practice. Dr. Steinsapir has been performing facial chemical peels for many years to help improve complexion, correct sun damage, tighten skin, and reduce acne for many people.
Chemical Peel Before and After Photo
While many people greatly benefit from different types of chemical peel, including an acne facial peel, not everyone is a good candidate for the chemical peel. For example, certain skin types are sometimes not compatible with chemical peels, and certain medications are not either. Unfortunately, if you’ve had recent Accutane treatment, a chemical peel that might be a great fit for you under normal circumstances may need to be postponed.
Why can’t I have a chemical peel during Accutane treatment?
Accutane, also called isotrentinoin, is a highly effective medication that controls severe acne. It effects the oil glands and stem cells in the skin while inhibiting angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels). Accutane has long term effects, including some of the above as well as inhibited healing of the skin. Medical reports associate Accutane use with increased scaring after facial treatments, as Accutane delays healing this increases the risk abnormal healing after a chemical peel.
Since there is evidence that these healing inhibitions can be long-lasting even after Accutane treatments have been completed, we recommend that you wait twelve to twenty-four months to pursue a chemical peel treatment. The chemical peel is a profound procedure that works because of the skin’s ability to heal itself while improving epithelial covering. When performed by an expert specialist, the results are truly astounding, but if you’ve had Accutane treatment within the last two years then you may heal with scaring while people without a history of Accutane treatmet will not scar. Accutane and chemical peels should never be undergone at the same time, even though both are excellent options for the right people. Due to your increased risk of scarring, you should always wait after Accutane treatment before considering any facial procedure that has the potential to create scarring. It’s a good idea to wait two years after treatment to get your facial peel, and be sure to consult your dermatologist and inform the doctor who will perform the chemical peel of your complete medical history, including Accutane use. If we examine laser resurfacing vs chemical peels, we find that the risk that laser treatments may result in scars is at least as high as the risk of chemical peel scars, with the added risk of changes in skin texture and discoloration. The best thing you can do right now is take excellent care of your skin, follow your doctor’s advice, and wait a couple years until after you have complete Accutane treatment, and then seek out a consultation from a master chemical peeler.
Consult with a Physician Who Cares
Chemical peels help to open up pores and can reduce acne, but you must be sure to not use a chemical peel with an incompatible treatment. Dr. Steinsapir performs expert chemical peels in Los Angeles and always prefers to err on the side of caution rather than risk scarring. That is why he will ask you about your medical history, including Accutane treatment, and advise you to consult with your dermatologist too before proceeding with a chemical peel. If enough time has passed, you may be an excellent candidate for a chemical peel or another treatment like Fotofacial in Los Angeles, depending on what you and your cosmetic doctor decide is your best option.
We invite you to a no-risk consultation with Dr. Steinsapir. He’ll help you understand how chemical peels work and if you are a good candidate for one. Dr. Steinsapir has an extensive background in chemical peeling combined with practical experience, and he is esteemed as having both the medical and artistic vision needed to masterfully perform a chemical peel. Call us today to learn more about how Dr. Steinsapir can help you.
Is it safe to do a home chemical peel?
Trying to perform a chemical peel on yourself is a sure way to turn a very safe procedure into a disfiguring one. Because chemical peels are safe and highly beneficial when performed by an experienced cosmetic surgeon, and because they are a nonsurgical treatment, many people wonder if they can give themselves a chemical peel at home to save some money. The internet has made these chemicals available. When someone asks us for advice on how to give themselves a home chemical peel, our advice is always this: Don’t!
Yes, the facial chemical peel cost is higher if you have it done right by a doctor, but that’s before you consider the cost of damaging yourself. If you try to perform this procedure on yourself, you will likely permanently alter the coloration of your face by introducing irregularities, scars, and hypopigmentation. Further, you will not know how to care for your skin after the initial treatment without a doctor’s guidance in monitoring your healing. In the end, you will have to bear the emotional cost of your damaged appearance and the financial cost of finding the best doctor who can help you reverse some of the destruction you have caused. You wouldn’t do brain or heart surgery on yourself, right? How about facial surgery? That really is what is involved in doing your own chemical peel.
What can a doctor do that I can’t?
A chemical peel may seem deceptively simpler than it is. Those who are just learning about the procedure often mistake it is merely a matter of dipping the face in a beneficial substance and then washing it off. In truth, correctly performing a facial chemical peel takes a cosmetic surgeon years to master through education and first-hand chemical peel experience. A licensed and highly trained cosmetic surgeon can perform a chemical peel so well because he or she understands the following:
• The indications for a chemical peel treatment
• The different skintypes classified in the Fitzpatrick scale
• How each skintype responds to chemical peels
• What concentrations and combinations help each skintype
• How to give you enough treatment to see results
• How to not give you too much treatment, which will damage you
• How each type of problem respond to different treatments
• How to assess the condition of your skin
• Factors like skin thickness, sensitivity, sun damage
• How your medical history effects your current treatment needs
• Who is a good candidate for a chemical peel
• Who is not a good candidate for a chemical peel
• What to do in the rare incidence in complications
• Post chemical peel treatment and how to follow up with care for your skin during and after the healing process
• How to apply the chemical peeling agents differently to each facial area depending on the needs of the skin in each area
• The powers and limits of each type of chemical peel
This is not something that any instruction manual can give you. This is not something you can learn without training in biology, anatomy, medicine, and chemistry and many years of clinical experience. This is not something you can learn without being mentored over a year or more. This is not something you can “pick up” this weekend with a kit you ordered on the internet. Most importantly, chemical peels are not a do-it-yourself activity.
Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of nonsurgical, minimally invasive treatments like the chemical peel is the fact that there are those who think that because it is so safe in a doctor’s office, it is something they can do at home in the kitchen. Individuals trying to save a few bucks by treating themselves may be surprised and upset to see their experiment go so horribly wrong, but these poor at-home results don’t surprise a cosmetic surgeon who specializes in chemical peels and understands their complexity. It is true that chemical peels are very safe, but only when performed in a medical setting by a qualified, experienced cosmetic physician who specializes in chemical peels.
Think of it this way: If you broke your leg, would you try to make a cast for yourself at home? Of course not! Doctors treat broken bones in emergency rooms everyday and consider this a safe, important procedure, but you would never dream of doing this to yourself. Similarly, there is a lot more to the art of a chemical peel than you may imagine.
Finding the Best, Safe Treatment
Dr. Steinsapir specializes in individualizing each chemical peel to a patient’s unique facial needs. He will answer your questions and develop a safe, effective treatment plan based on your individual goals. Call us today to find out how a chemical peel performed safely on an outpatient basis can help you.
Should I get laser resurfacing?
As we often say, the key to receiving excellent results from cosmetic treatments is making sure that the treatment is customized to your needs and powerful without being over aggressive. For a procedure to be beneficial, flexibility is essential. If your doctor cannot tailor the procedure to your needs, it is likely to be either relatively ineffective or cause problems.
Forms of laser resurfacing are appealing to many doctors because they are easy to learn the public’s infatuation with lasers make the services easy to market. In fact, surgeons can be trained in a two-day course on how to use a laser while it can take two years of intense fellowship to understand the art and versatility of the chemical peel. The chemical peel is complex and adaptable, but after spending $150,000 on a laser, a doctor will want to recoup these costs and will have little incentive to offer laser resurfacing alternatives.
Superficial Improvements
There are several facial laser treatment problems, one being that you may pay a lot for an expensive technology that doesn’t make a meaningful difference in your appearance.
The cost of this expensive technology is passed onto you, the client, which is fair, but it can mean that results are disappointing when you consider the price you pay. For example, Fraxel laser treatments are considered very mild. They do freshen up your complexion but will you be disappointed with the results if you don’t make enough progress in tightening the skin or providing dramatic improvements?
Laser peels are also usually performed with an erbium laser, and they are considered so mild that the treatment is rendered superficial, producing results comparable to microdermabrasion. While this provides minimal improvement, the machine is still very costly, and you will have to pay a lot for this type of service. Fractional C02 laser resurfacing achieves results that are similar to light chemical peels and certainly much more effective than microdermabrasion. Again how you feel about the improvement has to be balanced against what you have had to pay for the service.
Side Effects from Overagressive Treatments
Deep CO2 laser resurfacing has fallen out of fashion because of the negative experience many have had healing from these treatments. Before considering such a treatment it’s important to understand the real risk that your skin will suffer from permanent depigmentation, and that the scarring caused by such treatments will likely affect the texture of your face. This is because the treatment depth needed to improve deep facial lines makes post laser resurfacing scars, particularly skin texture changes, relatively common. In fact these types of skin texture changes and skin depigmentation are so common that many surgeons think that this is the expected outcome of the service! This creates a permanent unnatural color change in the skin. Will this type of change be worth living with? For many younger individuals, the answer is no. However, some older women who rely on foundation to improve the tone of the complexion may find that it is not a problem to continue the use of foundation to add color to the face after deep CO2 laser and appreciate the improvement in facial lines.
Facial laser procedures began as a promising technology that some even believed would replace the time tested and reliable chemical peel, but now we are seeing that the technology has ultimately been a disappointment. In order to achieve line improvement with laser resurfacing, the unwanted treatment side effects are unavoidable. With other kinds of laser, we see that the laser peel is so mild that the improvements, for many, are not worth the financial costs. These problems can be traced back to the inflexibility of laser treatments making them suitable for treating a narrow range of complexion issues.
Laser Resurfacing vs. Chemical Peel
A chemical peel has the ability to rejuvenate your skin and restore your face’s youthful appearance through a carefully designed treatment plan. Chemical peels are truly an art form with many options that make your treatment customizable and safe, and they’ve been the preferred facial resurfacing method for much longer than laser treatments have been available. There is still a very small chance of change in pigmentation, but when we look at the chemical peel vs. laser treatment we see that the chemical peel is less likely to produce unwanted skin color and texture problems. However, due to the experience and level of skill needed to perform this procedure, only a very limited number of surgeons are truly qualified to perform these procedures
You need an expert in chemical peels.
Dr. Steinsapir is a considered a master chemical peeler who is able to custom-tailor a peel to your unique needs. He specializes in achieving natural results with little down time by using minimally invasive procedures like the chemical peel. It is his philosophy to approach your needs on an individual basis and then carefully plan your treatment. Because Dr. Steinsapir never standardizes cosmetic treatments into a cookie-cutter, assembly-line approach, he can help you achieve benefits that work just right for you. Please contact us today to learn more about how a chemical peel or another option can achieve your personal goals.
