What does Dr. Steinsapir think of the “Madonna Lift?”
For the last few years, the “Madonna Lift” — yes, named for the famed pop star — has received attention for purportedly dramatic results akin to an eyelid lift without the surgery. The procedure itself involves fractional CO2 laser resurfacing, with a goal to tighten the periocular skin in the eyelids and adjacent facial regions. Marketing claims for this procedure promise that it will give the effect of an eyelid lift through use of light columns to treat and tighten the skin. Claims include a diminishing of wrinkles, tightening of the skin, reduction of under eye circles, and elevation of the eyebrows. In essence, we are talking about the full benefits of an eyelid lift but without any surgery at all.
Does the Madonna Lift live up to the hype? Reasonably, the Madonna Lift can make a modest difference in your eyes’ brightness, but individuals undergoing the procedure might feel that it didn’t seem worthwhile. To get real results cosmetic procedure must address the root causes of your concerns. The best and most natural results come from addressing actual issues — which may include excess tissue or tissue deficiencies or both; stretched, sagging, and sun-damaged skin; ptosis; a drooping brow; or other concerns. Short cuts may help but they can also be disappointing because the lack the power to make a real difference.
Dr. Steinsapir is a leading advocate of minimally invasive facial cosmetic procedures, including nonsurgical procedures like under eye Restylane, the chemical peel, and Microdroplet BOTOX when indicated. There are many nonsurgical procedures with minimal downtime that can make a huge difference in your appearance. However, the key to satisfactory results is catering to your unique facial structure and goals, while choosing the best procedure to match your needs (whether surgical or not)–rather than setting your heart on a procedure full of promises but that may not be right for you.
The Madonna Lift is not a substitute for surgery if that is what you actually need. This is just another example of a modest procedure with a catchy name. For real results, we strongly encourage you to seek a personal consultation with a physician who is an eyelid specialist and can advise you on a personalized treatment plan. This may or may not include eyelid surgery, but the key is that your treatment will be based on your needs rather than a promise of a one-size-fits-all cure with a catchy name.
Dr. Steinsapir is an international leader in both eyelid surgery and minimally invasive, nonsurgical facial cosmetic procedures. Much of the appeal of the Madonna Lift is the absence of surgery, and it’s of course understandable that you may be hesitant to consider surgery. Dr. Steinsapir’s philosophy is that all treatments should be both individualized and minimally invasive. What does this mean? If surgery is not indicated, he will not recommend it. And when surgery is indicated to address the cause of your concerns, he opts for a treatment that is conservative and preserves as much of your natural tissue and eyelid contour as possible, enhancing your features, speeding up recovery time, and avoiding the “surgical look” famed by gossip magazines. Many people see phenomenal results from an upper eyelid blepharoplasty and related eyelid surgeries, and many also see incredible improvements from nonsurgical procedures like undereye Restylane and an individualized chemical peel. The bottom line is, you may or may not need surgery to get the results you desire — but for an outcome that meets your needs, you should never limit yourself to one procedure just because it was marketed to you. For the best results, consult with a leading oculoplastic surgeon to determine which treatment plan is right for you.
We invite you to consult with Dr. Steinsapir today, a pioneer in minimally invasive cosmetic facial procedures with particular attention to the eyelid and its balance with the rest of the face. Dr. Steinsapir has proven results for both surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic facial procedures; and his friendly, approachable, and honest demeanor will help you feel comfortable asking questions, receiving answers, and planning for the procedure(s) right for you.
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.
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.
Feeling Pressure to Look Feminine
With an abundance of fashion magazines like Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and Elle there is a lot of pressure to look a certain way in order to be considered “feminine;” full pouty lips, large eyes, flawless skin, and high, full cheeks are the aesthetic standard these days. The internet has only become a tool to fuel this obsession with female perfection, but the reality is, makeup and Photoshop go a long way in making starlets and models meet the modern standards of beauty. Nevertheless, the desire by women to meet the ideal is strong, and it doesn’t always require major surgery to achieve. More often than not, it’s the little touches that make the big difference and starting small can preserve a more natural look and prevent you from looking like you’ve had major surgery.
Lips
Your lips are one of the first parts of your face to appear aged. With a loss of volume and an increase of lines around the the mouth makeup has a tendency to exacerbate the problem by feathering. Full soft lips are not just a sign of beauty, but also a sign of youth. Fortunately, your lips are one of the simplest fixes without the need for surgery. Fillers can provide a very natural solution to lips that are thin or losing volume.
With so many fillers available on the market today – Restylane®, Radiesse, Perlane, Juvederm, Artefill, Sculptra, Matridex, and even silicone oil – it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the options. However, not all of these fillers should be used as lip fillers under normal circumstances. Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane are much more suitable for lip augmentation than permanent and semi-permanent fillers. This is because they are much more forgiving, do not tend to lump, and can be simply and easily adjusted with the enzyme hyaluronidase.
Dr. Steinsapir prefers the use of Restylane as the best filler for lip volume deficiencies. This is because the lips are very sensitive and irregularities can arise. Fortunately, Restylane doesn’t tend to form bumps, and an experienced physician specialist can skillfully place Restylane for natural looks and long-term benefits.
Under Eye Fill
Dark circles under your eyes, or even a hollowness above your cheekbones is easily improved using a similar method as with the lips. Dr. Steinsapir also prefers Restylane to reduce the appearance of dark circles because it can be easily adjusted. Despite what the old wives tales say about dark circles and getting enough rest, persistent dark circles are actually the result of your lower eyelid muscle showing through the delicate and thin skin of your lower lid area. When there is no subcutaneous fat between the skin and the muscle, the area appears dark and sunken.
The treatment requires a skillful hand but once placed and adjusted, the treatment is completely natural and can’t be detected by others. No wonder this has become the most popular eye dark circles treatment.
It is critical that the injecting physician assess how you do after the treatment because a certain percentage of treatments require an adjustment. Dr. Steinsapir explains that everyone holds a slightly different amount of water in the tissues and small areas of fullness can spoil an otherwise great result. For this reason, he encourages his patients to follow up about a week after treatment to assess how the service has settled.
Microdroplet BOTOX® and Dysport®
Of course, forehead wrinkles and brow lines are considered unfeminine, even among the older generations of stars like Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, and Jane Fonda. Despite all of these women being over 60, all their photographs show them with smooth foreheads and full cheeks despite their features showing other signs of aging. Maintaining a youthful appearance is a large part of looking feminine because it’s these features in women that are signs of femininity.
Unlike standard treatment methods, Microdroplet™ BOTOX® and Dysport create brow lift without forehead paralysis. Microdroplet™ BOTOX® works with greater precision with your facial muscles. The care and interest Dr. Steinsapir has shown in inventing this treatment demonstrates his dedication to achieving a beautiful, more youthful appearance without impeding the ability to express emotion.
Standard injection methods tend to freeze the forehead. The forehead can’t move and the eyebrows drop like stones. What looks good is a gently lifted eyebrow, no crows feet lines or brow pinch, and a forehead with reduced lines that is still able to move. Imagine a BOTOX® or Dysport® treatment that allows you to have natural expressions!
Chemical Peel
Flawless skin has always been the ideal for beauty and as we all age, men and women alike, our skin develops flaws and spots that may not have been there when we were young. But cosmetic products are not marketed to men so there is even more pressure on women to maintain clear, beautiful skin.
There are many types of chemical peels available and they treat many types of concerns, 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.
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. 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. The range in skin colors and complexions is complex, so this is something to consider with your doctor on an individual basis. Fortunately there are many people 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 also help improve concerns with irregular pigmentation.
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.
Invisible Eyelid Surgery―Be Careful What You Look For
Throughout Los Angeles and Beverly Hills there is a buzz about a “new and innovative” procedure that promises eyelid surgery without scarring. The promise of no scars following surgery sounds appealing; who doesn’t want to walk away from surgery with all the benefits of a refreshed look without the evidence of surgery? But as the old adage goes, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
How does invisible eyelid surgery work?
According to the doctor who “invented” this procedure, invisible eyelid surgery involves both “subconjunctival blepharoplasty” (usually called transconjunctival blepharoplasty) and a simultaneous “advanced” laser treatment performed by a dermatologist. Using a micro-fractional CO2 resurfacing laser to treat lower eyelid skin by “tightening” the area following removal of fat through an incision made on the inside of the lower lid (transconjunctival incision), this procedure touts a younger and refreshed appearance of both the upper and lower lids without cutting surgery. And all this has a recovery period of about a week and no one will be able to see any evidence that you’ve had surgery! Now that sounds too good to be true.
Why the skepticism?
When you break down the idea of “invisible eyelid surgery” into its basic parts, all you’re really left with is lower eyelid blepharoplasty and CO2 resurfacing; two procedures that have been offered by cosmetic and oculoplastic surgeons for years. Invisible eyelid surgery isn’t a new idea as the advertising physician would have you believe. It’s simply two existing procedures packaged together and given a brand new name! No surprise this is often how “new” things are invented in Beverly Hills all the time.
The risks of transconjunctival blepharoplasty
The idea behind the transconjunctival blepharoplasty is to remove the lower eyelid fat pads to eliminate puffiness around the lower lid that makes you look tired and aged. But transconjunctival blepharoplasty is not without some serious risks that, if performed without skill or experience can result in permanent damage. This approach of permanently removing eyelid fat is an old approach to lower eyelid surgery. It can be effective for a small number of people. The more current approach is preservation of this fat using a procedure called an arcus marginalis release. Simply throwing away the fat can cause a hollow lower eyelid.
The risks of CO2 laser resurfacing
Deep CO2 laser resurfacing has fallen out of fashion because of the negative experience many have had healing from these treatments. There is a very 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!
Micro fractional C02 laser is an effort to reduce this damage. These treatments do provide freshening of the skin but generally are not powerful enough to reduce lower eyelid lines. Chemcial peels, although they require much more training than a laser treatment are still the preferred methods. In some cases, the chemical peel was all that was needed for the lower eyelid contour to be much smoother even without lower eyelid surgery!
What kind of eyelid surgery will work for me?
Dr. Steinsapir says this a lot, so it should come as no surprise: the best lower eyelid surgery is customized for the individual and designed to meet his or her particular features, goals, and medical needs. This means that the lower eyelid surgery ideal for one person may be a specialized type of blepharoplasty while for another it may be a midface lift designed to correct tissue descent and return it to its proper anatomical location in the lower eye area. Once you and your oculoplastic surgeon determine the best procedure, together, you and your surgeon must customize it even further to fit your features and obtain natural results. Dr. Steinsapir observes: “people don’t do well with a one size fits all, cookie cutter approach.”
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.
