Simply A-Peeling - All About Chemical Peels

Recent advances in technology have seen the introduction of numerous machines all promising the reversal of the signs of ageing. From Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), to Laser, to Radiofrequency to Light Emitting Diode (LED) Technology, the various machines all claim to stimulate collagen production and tighten up sagging skin. The results are often subtle and may take months and multiple sessions to appear, correlating with the time it takes for new collagen to form.

Oft neglected in aesthetic marketing, possibly from its sheer simplicity, is the humble chemical peel. This category of treatment has also undergone drastic advances in the recent years, and the results seen often parallel those seen with more expensive machine treatments!

Chemicals have been used since the time of Cleopatra, whose milk baths are seen as early lactic acid peels. Chemical peels have long been used by dermatologists in the treatment of acne and pigmentation, as well as reverse the signs of ageing.

As skin ages, the rate of cell turnover slows down, resulting in the buildup of a thick layer of dead squamous cells. This causes the dull, lackluster appearance commonly seen as people age. Other signs of ageing include wrinkling, pigmentation (sun damage), loss of volume in the cheeks and lips and sagging in the jowl area.

Effective anti-ageing aesthetic therapy should reverse all the above signs of ageing. The selection of the correct chemical peel, plus the use of appropriate skincare on a daily basis, can produce such results in a matter of weeks!

However, the choice of peel is very important, as is the choice of operator. Chemical peels can have the same name, but if done at a beauty salon, has lower concentrations of acid than a seemingly identical product used by a doctor.

Chemical peels can be broadly categorized into alpha-hydroxyacids (AHA), beta-hydroyacids (BHA), salicylic acid, tricholoracetic acid (TCA) and phenol.

AHAs and BHAs include Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid. These are relatively simple peels which remove the excess dead skin cells and stimulate collagen production.

Peels containing salicylic acid are useful in the treatment of acne. Salicylic acid helps to reduce the plugging of the skin pores, hence reduces the formation of comedones.

TCA technology has advanced dramatically over the recent years. The addition of modifying agents to the solution has made this form of chemical peel safe, versatile and eminently controllable. Take the Easy TCA Peel from Skin Tech (Spain) as an example. Clear skin colour changes indicate the depth of peel. Hence this one peel can be used for simple rejuvenation (light peel required), to the treatment of melasma (large areas of deep pigmentation), to the elimination of pigmented lesions (sun damage) and fine lines. The Easy TCA peel requires four treatments, spaced a week apart. The entire treatment is completed after a month with marked improvements visible between baseline and follow-up photographs.

Phenol peels are the strongest form of chemical peels. Pure phenol peels are not available locally. Some peels have a small concentration of phenol included. These peels tend to have dramatic lifting effects.

Chemical Peels are generally very quick procedures, taking on average 5 minutes to complete each session. Depending on the type of peel chosen, gentle flaking is often seen for 2-3 days. This can easily be camouflaged with moisturizers. Some downtime can be expected if deep peeling is performed to reduce difficult pigmentation.

Chemical Peels do increase skin sensitivity to sunlight. Optimal sun protection is essential during and after the peeling process. Sun exposure without inadequate protection can result in a worsening of existing pigmentation. However, this is the situation with most aesthetic treatments, including PL and laser treatment.

Some are concerned about permanent skin thinning after chemical peels. Although the excess dead skin cells are sloughed off in the process, this actually triggers the skin to produce more collagen, hence increasing skin thickness and produces a lifting effect.

Chemical peels can be repeated on a regular basis (more frequent treatments may be needed initially) or at least once a year. They are synergistic with the other treatment modalities available, such as mesoglow (infusion of essential vitamins directly into the skin) and Botox. Their safety, efficacy and flexibility make this group of treatments simply a-peeling!

Dr Christine Cheng is the Aesthetic doctor at Simply Aesthetic (http://www.simply-aesthetic.com), a cosmetic clinic in Singapore's Robertson Walk. She runs an effective slimming program combining the Food Intolerance Test with Advanced Contouring techniques to speed up the fat melting process.

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