Types of Chemical Peels
What exactly is a chemical peel? This treatment is a process that includes a specially formulated solution to safely exfoliate the top layer of your skin. After the shedding process, what is left is a new layer of radiant, soft, and glowing skin. Medical-grade chemical peels address various skin concerns like fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, melasma, acne scars and so much more.
At Guerra Plastic Surgery Center in Scottsdale, we offer three different types of professional peels from SkinMedica: Illuminize, Vitalize, and Rejuvenize. All of these peels will penetrate different levels of the epidermis depending on your skin goals. The gentlest approach is the Illuminize Peel. This one is great for minor skin imperfections and to brighten the overall appearance of your skin. One level higher would be the Vitalize Peel which is great for mild skin imperfections like dryness, skin texture, and color. The strongest peel is the Rejuvenize Peel which is appropriate for moderate to severe skin imperfections like sun damage, acne scarring, and melasma. To determine which peel is right for you, make an appointment to see our medical esthetician.
How to Prepare
Preparing for a chemical peel is crucial to the success of your treatment. Two weeks before your scheduled time, you will want to avoid tanning and any other treatments like microdermabrasion and any other deep exfoliant treatments. You will also want to stop any use of retinol a week before your peel. A couple of days before you will want to make sure you don’t wax any areas that are going to have the peel applied to the skin or use any chemical hair removal treatments.
During Treatment
The actual application of the chemical peel is virtually painless and takes less than an hour! When you arrive, Rebeca Cekala will assess your skin, determine what peel is perfect for your skin concerns, and then prepare your skin by thoroughly cleansing the area. Once this step is complete, the application process of the chemical solution will be applied. Depending on the peel you get, this could be done in two to three steps. With a few swipes over the area, fanning, and then the entire process is complete! Your skin may be red for a few hourss, but that will quickly subside. The final step in the process is to apply Colorescience’s Mineral SPF 50 sunscreen to protect your face from the sun’s harmful rays.
Post Care Routine
Keeping your skin cool, clean, hydrated, and protected is the key to optimizing your peel. For the first two to three days, you will not want to do anything that will raise your body’s temperature drastically (ie: hot showers, strenuous exercise activities, sunbathing, etc.). Use a gentle cleanser like one from CeraVe to wash your face morning and evening. After cleansing, moisturize your skin with a medium to thick moisturizer to reinforce your skin’s barrier. Make sure to also drink plenty of water. The most important post-care step is to always, always wear sunscreen that contains zinc oxide (at least 6%). Preventing any sun exposure to the area that was treated is a must. If not, this could cause even more damage to your skin from the sun.
If you’re looking for a treatment with minimal downtime, non-surgical, and that can be done in-office in less than an hour, a chemical peel might be the right option for you! Click here or call our Scottsdale office at (480) 571-7625.