ABOUT FACIAL CHEMICAL PEEL
The technique of facial chemical peeling has been around for decades and has been refined significantly over recent years. Peel depth can vary from superficial to medium to deep. In Australia, deep chemical peels are not recommended as this type of peel can lead to permanent loss of pigmentation cells (melanocytes) leading to increased vulnerability to UV exposure.
At Body Recon we offer a range of chemical peels with the strongest being a 35% TCA and 10% Phenol. This is a medium depth peel that is very well tolerated even without anaesthesia. The peel takes around half an hour to perform and leads to significant frosting of the facial skin. This resolves after around 30 minutes. The entire outer layer of the skin (epidermis) peels usually after 5-7 days. Peeling is usually complete after about a week.
The effects of a chemical peel are dramatic and are both short and long term. In the short term superficial pigmentation is removed with the peel leaving the skin much less blemished. Over the ensuing few months the healing process leads to more elastin and collagen formation thus increasing the elasticity of the skin and reducing visible wrinkles. The chemical peel is often performed in conjunction with other facial rejuvenating procedures such as fat grafting, face lifting and/or eyelid surgery. Whilst chemical peeling is a safe procedure in the correct hands there are certain risks associated with it including risk of burns and re-pigmentation particularly if there is significant UV exposure following the peel.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A chemical peel will address several issues with the skin/complexion. Skin laxity, skin lesions and pigmentations as well as wrinkles are all addressed by chemical peel so anyone with any of the above issues are suitable for a chemical peel. Generally speaking a chemical peel is not suitable for people under the age of 30.
A chemical peel performed on it’s own does not require any form of sedation or general anaesthesia. Hyper-cooled air is used to make the procedure more comfortable and it is well tolerated by people. It is certainly not free of discomfort but the discomfort is well tolerated and is very short lived. After the peel there is no on-going discomfort however there can be some swelling which resolves after a few days. If the peel is performed in conjunction with other surgery (eg: fat grafting, face lift, rhinoplasty) then the peel is performed under anaesthesia so is completely pain free.
Initially there will be a sense of heat and your face will look quite red as if you had just performed some intense exercise. Over the next 2-3 days the skin will feel tight on the face, may darken and have the feeling of old sun burn prior to peeling commencing. At around day 5-7 the skin peels impressively – much more like peeling wall paper than dry flaky skin. Underneath the peeled skin you will see blemish free skin. All the peel is usually complete by day 7 -10 after which you can using mineral make-up. At this point it is extremely important to avoid UV exposure to prevent re-pigmentation.
Downtime is usually 7-10 days till the peel has completely finished however you will be feeling fine during this so if you are managing to work from home just turn off the video!
Chemical peel is a legitimate treatment for severe solar damage and people who have had a past history or high risk of skin cancers. If you are in this category then it is useful to have a doctor’s referral as there is some rebate available from Medicare for this procedure.
A chemical peel costs between $900 – $2,500 depending on the exact nature of the peel and the depth of the peel.
Chemical peels can be performed at our Clinic in Gheringhap Street or in the operating theatre of St John of God Hospital Geelong.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
Interested in learning more? Book a consultation today.
