What are chemical peels?
Chemical peels are acids of varying strengths that have the ability to remove most debris and dead material from superficial layers of skin. By removing dead skin, chemical peels promote synthesis of new skin that appears younger and smoother looking.
What skin disorders can be used to treat with chemical peels?
Today, chemical peels are being used to treat many skin disorders like acne, acne scars, pimples, fine lines, wrinkles, skin discolorations, tattoos, freckles, age spots, melasma and photo aged skin.
Do chemical peels work well?
In general, there are weak chemical peels that can be used at home and are essentially a waste of money. The stronger chemical peels are used at a clinic or a spa and do work, but they also have a higher chance of complications. You can just imagine what would happen to your face if you repeatedly applied strong acid on your face- the result in most cases is poor cosmesis.
Strong chemical peels should not be used at home. Many chemical peels require some experience on part of the technician. If you leave the peel on your skin for too long, you are bound to develop severe complications. While many health professionals routinely brag about chemical peels, the results are not great. Strong peels may sometimes erase your fine lines and very mild scars. Chemical peels suck when it comes to treatment of acne scars, deep skin wrinkles, bulges, and creases.
Showing posts with label chemical peels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chemical peels. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Fine lines and skin wrinkles- part 3
Dermabrasion essentially involves polishing skin with a device. The treatment is only good for fine lines and can sometimes produce smooth and soft skin. The majority of people find dermabrasion to be very harsh and complications are very common. Definitely not a treatment that is recommended.
Chemical peels are widely used to treat fine lines and wrinkles. There are many chemical peels and they all act similarly. The higher strength acids peel your superficial skin, which is then replaced by new youthful looking skin. One goes to a spa and gets a peel applied like a facial. After about 20 minutes the peel is removed and you go home. The peels work by removing the superficial skin cells and debris. Multiple treatments are required. The end result is a soft and younger looking skin. Higher strength acids work but many are associated with pain, prolonged downtime and many customers have complaints. Complications are plenty and some of them are irreversible. The lighter strength acids do nothing for the skin, but can used to wipe the mold in the bathroom.
These days laser is the magic word in cosmetic surgery. People talk about lasers as if these instruments can solve all of man’s problems. Lasers have been used to treat a variety of skin disorders, including fine lines and wrinkles. There are many types of lasers and the topic gets more confusion because there is a new laser being introduced every week. Too many lasers with too many hyped up claims means only one thing- there is no perfect laser. While the doctors claim that lasers can erase your lines and wrinkles, this is stretching out the truth. Lasers can erase some lines, but they are painful, expensive and the results do not last long. Just to keep everything on even terms- there are a lot of negative testimonials about lasers on cyberspace.
Chemical peels are widely used to treat fine lines and wrinkles. There are many chemical peels and they all act similarly. The higher strength acids peel your superficial skin, which is then replaced by new youthful looking skin. One goes to a spa and gets a peel applied like a facial. After about 20 minutes the peel is removed and you go home. The peels work by removing the superficial skin cells and debris. Multiple treatments are required. The end result is a soft and younger looking skin. Higher strength acids work but many are associated with pain, prolonged downtime and many customers have complaints. Complications are plenty and some of them are irreversible. The lighter strength acids do nothing for the skin, but can used to wipe the mold in the bathroom.
These days laser is the magic word in cosmetic surgery. People talk about lasers as if these instruments can solve all of man’s problems. Lasers have been used to treat a variety of skin disorders, including fine lines and wrinkles. There are many types of lasers and the topic gets more confusion because there is a new laser being introduced every week. Too many lasers with too many hyped up claims means only one thing- there is no perfect laser. While the doctors claim that lasers can erase your lines and wrinkles, this is stretching out the truth. Lasers can erase some lines, but they are painful, expensive and the results do not last long. Just to keep everything on even terms- there are a lot of negative testimonials about lasers on cyberspace.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Glycolic acid peels: Are they worth the money?
There are many chemical peels used in cosmetic medicine. One of the oldest is glycolic acid. Glycolic acid peels come in various strengths; the lighter strength acids are for home use and do absolutely nothing. The higher strength glycolic acids are used at a spa or a salon and used by a therapist/physician. The higher strength acids do work but they also have a higher incidence of side effects. Most individuals who have had the higher strength acid peels complain about one thing- pain.
Glycolic acids that are less than 30% are often sold for home use. In reality, these home based chemical peels do very little and are a waste of money. The vendors who market the home glycolic acid peels claim that the lower strength acids can erase wrinkles, fines lines, acne scars etc- all this can be summarized in one word- BS.
You can apply lower strength glycolic acid peels all your life and even drink gallons of it- it will do nothing for your skin, except waste your hard earned money. All this talk about soft texture, wrinkle, free skin is just a marketing ploy – so avoid home glycolic acid peels.
The higher strength glycolic acids do work well as peeling agents. These acids are quite strong and penetrate deeper layers of skin. Concentrations greater than 20% are only supposed to be used under supervision and are never approved for home use. Most cosmetic and plastic surgeons use concentrations of 20 percent and higher to treat acne scars, skin pigmentation, and photo aged skin. The effectiveness of a glycolic acid peel depends on contact time, number of sessions, skin type, and sensitivity.
Glycolic acids that are less than 30% are often sold for home use. In reality, these home based chemical peels do very little and are a waste of money. The vendors who market the home glycolic acid peels claim that the lower strength acids can erase wrinkles, fines lines, acne scars etc- all this can be summarized in one word- BS.
You can apply lower strength glycolic acid peels all your life and even drink gallons of it- it will do nothing for your skin, except waste your hard earned money. All this talk about soft texture, wrinkle, free skin is just a marketing ploy – so avoid home glycolic acid peels.
The higher strength glycolic acids do work well as peeling agents. These acids are quite strong and penetrate deeper layers of skin. Concentrations greater than 20% are only supposed to be used under supervision and are never approved for home use. Most cosmetic and plastic surgeons use concentrations of 20 percent and higher to treat acne scars, skin pigmentation, and photo aged skin. The effectiveness of a glycolic acid peel depends on contact time, number of sessions, skin type, and sensitivity.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Melasma – “Mask of Pregnancy” Part 3
All females should understand that Melasma is only a temporary skin affliction and will resolve spontaneously after delivery.
In most cases, Melasma lasts a few months. The very rare female may have Melasma that may last a little longer. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous health care physicians have now been advertising for the treatment of Melasma as if it was a contagious disease. The very rare female may seek treatment because of the cosmesis.
So what is being advertised by the physicians?
Over the years, several treatments have been proposed for Melasma and they include:
- Chemical peels like trichloroacetic acid, azelaic acid,
glycolic acid, lactic acid and various fruit extracts
are used to treat Melasma. The effectiveness of many of
the lighter strength peeling agents is poor. The stronger
peeling agents do work but one also has to be aware of
the side effects such as burning, skin peeling, scarring
and even worsening of skin discoloration
- Bleaching agents like hydroquinone are often used to treat
Melasma. Health food stores and spas also sell a variety
of fruity peels and other bleaching agents. again, in each
and every case, the safety, quality and efficacy of these
products is in question
- To prevent Melasma from getting darker, it is advisable
to wear a sunscreen.
- Some physicians also recommend Laser rejuvenation. Only
thing to be said here is that these physicians have no
morals. Avoid any physician who wants to treat your melasma
with expensive treatments which are not needed.
In each and every case, the treatments are more risker than the actual skin disorder.
In most cases, Melasma lasts a few months. The very rare female may have Melasma that may last a little longer. Unfortunately, many unscrupulous health care physicians have now been advertising for the treatment of Melasma as if it was a contagious disease. The very rare female may seek treatment because of the cosmesis.
So what is being advertised by the physicians?
Over the years, several treatments have been proposed for Melasma and they include:
- Chemical peels like trichloroacetic acid, azelaic acid,
glycolic acid, lactic acid and various fruit extracts
are used to treat Melasma. The effectiveness of many of
the lighter strength peeling agents is poor. The stronger
peeling agents do work but one also has to be aware of
the side effects such as burning, skin peeling, scarring
and even worsening of skin discoloration
- Bleaching agents like hydroquinone are often used to treat
Melasma. Health food stores and spas also sell a variety
of fruity peels and other bleaching agents. again, in each
and every case, the safety, quality and efficacy of these
products is in question
- To prevent Melasma from getting darker, it is advisable
to wear a sunscreen.
- Some physicians also recommend Laser rejuvenation. Only
thing to be said here is that these physicians have no
morals. Avoid any physician who wants to treat your melasma
with expensive treatments which are not needed.
In each and every case, the treatments are more risker than the actual skin disorder.
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