Beverly Hills Phenol Peel doctors

Brent Moelleken, MD Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
120 S Spalding Dr Suite 110, Beverly Hills
2 answers
Robert Kotler, MD Robert Kotler, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
436 N Bedford Drive Suite 201, Beverly Hills
1 answer
Richard W. Fleming, MD Richard W. Fleming, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
416 N Bedford Dr Suite 200, Beverly Hills
Jon M. Grazer, MD, MPH Jon M. Grazer, MD, MPH
Newport Beach Plastic Surgeon
400 Newport Center Dr # 302, Newport Beach
Grant Stevens, MD Grant Stevens, MD
Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon
4644 Lincoln Blvd #552, Marina Del Rey

Recent Answers

Will TCA Peel Minimize Demarcation Lines from Phenol Peel?

I am getting an upper lid Blepharoplasty and at the same time a Phenol Peel under my eyes. I am getting a TCA peel on the rest of the face. Will getting the TCA peel on the rest of the face minimize the chances of having lines of demarcation under my eyes where the Phenol Peel will be applied? I am Caucasian, light-to-medium skin and 41. Thanks!

A: Demarcation from laser or phenol peels

Deep laser or phenol depigments, reduces pigment permanently. Patchy application of deep peeling agents will result in a patchy appearance, either through removal of sun damage or through direct depigmentation (including apoptosis).

The best way to camouflage a problem with demarcation is to resurface all around the area, usually with the Co2 laser set to a very conservative setting.

There is unfortunately no accepted way to bring the pigment cells back to life.

We have long given up phenol peels for this reason, and only perform CO2 laser conservatively.

We never do deeper peels just around the mouth or the eyes either to avoid a patchy "raccoon" look..

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
Scarring After Phenol Peel

I had a Phenol Peel 1 month ago. My skin is healing nicely. I am very pleased, but as the swelling has gone down I am seeing some old acne pitting re-surface. Are there additional options for remaining scarring after a phenol peel?

A: Acne scars usually resist skin peels

Unfortunately, even the deepest of chemical peels usually fail to totally erase depressed acne scars.

In our experience, in the hands of very experienced and superspecialized dermatologists, micro-droplets of liquid silicone work best. These scars, being depressed, need to be plumped or pushed up. That is how these fillers work.

Robert Kotler, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
Alternatives to Deep Chemical Peels?

Mydermatologist said some of my acne scars are deep, and I will need a deep peel for them. Are there other successful, more cost-effective alternatives to a deep chemical peel?

A: No easy answer

Resurfacing techniques are, in some respect, all the same. They injure the dermis, causing collagen formation when the dermis repairs, and leveling off of scars by microtightening and reduction in topographic irregularities such as the edges of acne scars. Of course this is a slight oversimplification, and minor differences exist between the techniques. The degree of control and precision is higher with lasers, lower with peels and dermabrasion. Lasers have an additional effect of heating the tissue, increasing the formation of collagen over peeling techniques. There may be some theoretic benefit in repeat very light resurfacing over time as well.

All resurfacing techniques also all have inherent drawbacks. The deeper the TCA peel / CO2 / factionated laser / dermabrasion treatments, the higher the chance for whiteness, scarring, atrophic "shiny" appearance of the skin, hyperpigmentation complications etc. Period. There is no magic bullet.

Since there is a limit in what resurfacing can accomplish, doctors and patients must be realistic in their goals. You simply cannot turn the laser high enough to eradicate most severe acne scarring. Doing so would cause a third degree burn with severe scarring, along with all the other undesirable changes mentioned above.

In some acne patients, tightening of the skin via facelifts helps immensely, in combination with resurfacing. Some patients with pitted acne scarring or "ice pick" marks can benefit from direct removal of the scars and closure, obviously not performed at the same setting as resurfacing or facelifting.

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon
Use of this website and the posting of any reviews or other content on this website constitutes acceptance of the RealSelf® Terms of Service. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. © 2011 RealSelf, Inc. All rights reserved.