The skin will look slightly tan, yellow or red immediately after the peel. On days one and two, the skin will feel slightly tighter, with no visible signs of having had a peel. Any pigmented areas might appear slightly darker. On approximately day three, you will begin to peel. The first signs of peeling usually begin around the mouth area and continue for a day or two. With proper care and use of sun screen and moisturizer, you may go about your usual daily routine. By day six or day seven you will be done peeling and the the results are dramatic!

• Lightly refreshes the skin

• Will leave skin slightly smoother with less blemishes

Superficial peels are the most gentle type of chemical peel. These peels are usually made from alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids, known as AHAs and BHAs but can also include glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid. A recent trend in superficial peels is to utilize fruit enzymes from pineapples, cranberries and other acidic fruits. Superficial peels remove the epidermis (top layer of skin) which provides a slight improvement to the skin. This type of peel is great for individuals with very minimal traits of aging, sun damage and acne scaring. However, many people notice significant improvements in their skin after undergoing multiple peels overtime.

Superficial peels are absolutely painless with most patients reporting nothing more than a slight tingling sensation. Also, there is minimal recovery time involved; superficial peels are often referred to as lunchtime peels as many women go back to work after treatment without any noticeable differences. You may be slightly red afterwards but this can be easily disguised with makeup.

A very popular superficial (light) depth peel that we offer is Skin Medica’s Illuminize Peel and Skin Ceuticals Microsensitive Peel (Red Carpet Peel), Gel Peel and Pigment Balancing Peel.

• Corrects moderate wrinkles, lines and sun damage

• Skin will be significantly smoother with even tone and moderate lines and blemishes removed

Medium peels produce a more dramatic result compared to superficial peels. This type of peel sometimes utilizes trichloroacetic acid (TCA) to penetrate the skin and remove layers below the epidermis. As such medium peels can treat moderate pigmentation, wrinkles and sun damage.

Most patients who undergo medium peels report feeling slight to moderate discomfort, usually in the form of minor burning or stinging. This discomfort typically subsides 30 minutes to an hour after treatment. Medium peels also produce more peeling of the skin and thus the face can become swollen, pink and itchy after treatment. Generally, full recovery takes about one week from treatment.

A very popular medium depth peel that we offer is Skin Medica’s Vitalize Peel, Obagi’s Radiance Blue Peel, and VI Peel and VI Peel Purify.

• Corrects deep lines and wrinkles along with moderate to severe sun damage and hyperpigmentation

• Produces drastically smoother and youthful appearing skin

Deep peels are the strongest type of chemical peel available and can achieve amazing results for sun damage, scarring and deep lines and wrinkles. Their main ingredient is usually carbolic acid (Phenol) or high strength TCA; both of which penetrate down to the deep layers of the dermis.

Due to their power, deep peels can be moderately painful and full recovery could take months. Deep peels leave the skin very red and swollen in appearance. Typically, the skin becomes itchy as it heals. Eventually, the skin develops scabs and becomes fully healed; leaving a completely revitalized new layer.

A very popular deep depth peel that we offer is Skin Medica’s Rejuvenize Peel, VI Precision and Precision Plus Peel, and TCA Peels.