Chemical Peels Facial
A Quick Way to Improve your Skin
Many people, In San Antonio TX, are looking for a simple way to improve their skin without surgery or a facelift. Aging and sun-damaged skin may develop redness, blemishes, facial veins and pigment, deep wrinkles, cancerous or precancerous lesions or spotting. It’s important to have a plastic surgeon or dermatologist first look at your skin to evaluate your needs.
Terra Spa chemical peel procedure uses a chemical solution, to ‘peel’ away the top layers of the epidermis in order to improve conditions such as acne, irregular pigmentation or wrinkles. Chemical peels have been in use for a number of years and are a highly popular way to improve the texture and look of skin. Over half a million people have a session performed each year. There are a wide variety of peels available, each with its own unique benefits as well as risks.
what Happens during Treatment
Nothing actually ‘peels off’ during a chemical peel. A chemical solution is applied to the face, and works by dissolving the upper layers of the skin. As the tissue is dissolved, a wound is created on the skin which stimulates the body's healing response, causing new tissue to emerge. The depth and strength of the ‘peel’ varies based upon the strength of the chemicals used and the length of time the solution is applied.
Anti-Aging Chemical Peels
By far the most popular use of the chemical peel is for facial skin regeneration. They are used to stimulate inflammation in the skin which results in non-ablative skin remodeling. Chemical peels induce collagen growth, improve discoloration and age spotting, and provide for a general superficial resurfacing of the face. By destroying the surface layer of the facial skin, they allow a new layer to grow in its place which is smoother and has improved texture.
Aging of the Facial Skin
Skin ages as we expose it to more and more sun. The more sun our face receives, the more we see fine lines and wrinkles, sagging skin, age and brown spots, enlarged pores and spider veins. When skin is protected from the sun (think of your upper thighs or buttocks), the skin is relatively wrinkle free and younger looking than your face. As the sun does more damage to our facial skin, the skin begins to look older and less healthy. Skin cancer is also a big risk with sun exposure. The dry weight of skin is 80% collagen and 4% elastin fibers. Sun damage replaces these proteins with abnormal tissue made of elastic fibers which clump and lose their normal function.
Acne Chemical Peels
Chemical peels can be very helpful in treating acne, especially as a part of an overall acne management program. Beta Hydroxy Acid/Alpha Hydroxy Acid peels work by exfoliating the upper layers of the skin, and removing debris and irritants from the skin. This improves the skin and increases cell turnover. Chemical peels also stimulate new collagen formation and improve acne scarring. So you can actually kill two birds with one stone when you have a Chemical peel for acne treatment.
AHA Peels Can Improve Acne Scars
Chemical Peels such alpha hydroxy acid peels can help acne scarring in a way similar to topical retinoids.
What Causes Acne
Acne is a difficult problem to treat because it has several underlying causes. Some are genetic, some hormonal, others involve external factors. There is no 'cure' for acne, but management is possible. The problem with acne really begins within our skin as it naturally produces oil in our sebaceous gland. Acne-causing bacteria metabolize this oil and that metabolized oil is irritating to our skin. As the skin becomes increasingly irritated by this oil our hair follicles will become plugged, thereby collecting debris. This debris then erupts down into the deeper layer of our skin, the dermis.
Can I remove my tattoo using chemical peels?
Not Effective or Recommended
Man has been tattooing his body for almost 6,000 years. And for almost certainly the same amount of time, man has made some errors in judgment he wished he could reverse. While tattoo removal is effective with laser treatment, because tattoo ink resides so deeply within the skin, chemical peels are not recommended for removal of tattoos and are not effective for removing tattoos.
Tattooing, What Happens
The reason chemical peels cannot remove a tattoo safely is simple, the ink resides deep within the skin, within the dermis layer. When a person receives a tattoo, the tattoo artist uses an electric tattooing machine to inject the desired tattoo ink into the skin with a small needle. This ink is injected below the epidermis and into the dermis, beyond the point where a chemical peel can be safely used.
Consult an Experienced Doctor
Schedule a consultation with an experienced physician to learn more about alternative treatments for removing tattoos, such as laser tattoo removal.
Microdermabrasion vs. Chemical Peels
During both a chemical peel and a microdermabrasion what is happening is a removal of the superficial dead cells of the skin, usually the stratum corneum. Treatments may go deeper than this depending on how aggressive the provider is, however the goal is the same. The methods, however, differ. With chemical peels we utilize a chemical solution which is applied to the skin to remove the surface tissue of the skin. During a microdermabrasion we use a mechanical method to achieve a similar result. The goal is to rejuvenate and exfoliate the skin.
The chemical peels treatment is offered at all our offices in San Antonio including downtown and San Antonio Airport.