Chemical peel recommendation for fair skin with severe sun damage and wrinkles?

What type of chemical peel would you recommend for someone with very fair skin, severe sun damage, wrinkles on top of lips and crow's feet? What concentration would you recommend and are there any risks? Does chemical peel thin the skin? I am 40 years old and I notice on each side of my cheekbone that I have light purple veins running vertical down my face. I have been using renova A. Thank you.

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7 answers to “Chemical peel recommendation for...”

A: Consider Fraxel for wrinkles and sun damage

Ronald Shelton, MD

Chemical peels normally don’t improve wrinkles and a deep chemical peel would be out of the question at your age. It is rarely done these days. Chemical peels certainly don’t help the lines that are produced by muscle movement such as the upper lip lines and crow’s feet. Fraxel Re:store might... more

A: You have several peel options

Brian S. Glatt, MD

The two main types of chemical peels are TCA or phenol/croton oil.  Each can very in concentration depending on which area of the face is being treated.  I prefer phenol/croton oil peels for treatment of lines/wrinkles/hyperpigmentation of the face, as this peel treats the isues beautifully and... more

A: You might do better with a Fractional CO2 Laser treatment

Stella Desyatnikova, MD

It depends on the doctor's office that you go to, what technology they have available to them, and what procedures they are comfortable with. Sounds like you are a perfect candidate for a combined Active/ Deep FX treatment. It is not a peel, but a fractional CO2 laser resurfacing treatment. It will probably... more

A: A mild Glycolic Peel may be what you need

David Shafer, MD

Sandrasue, A mild Glycolic Peel (70%) may be what you need. The Glycolic peels are much more gentle on your skin than TCA or Phenol. You may need several treatments, but it will have a nice effect. For the crow's feet, I would suggest a touch of Botox as well as the peel for the maximum effect. The Botox... more

A: There is no way to answer this question without a personal consultation

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD

Chemical peels are fantastic in the right hands.  I have a CO2 and an erbium laser in my office but I love the results I can obtain with an appropriate chemical peel.  It is important to recognize that doing a chemical peel is a flat out art form that is very difficult to teach to another doctor... more

A: Chemical peels for sun damage and wrinkles

Bryan K. Chen, MD

A medium-depth peel, for example 20-30% TCA would give you the best results as far as peels are concerned.  Alternatively, fractionated CO2 lasers such as Active FX or Fraxel re:pair are good as well.  As far as the purple veins on the face, you would need to find an office with a vascular laser such... more

A: I would consider a laser option

Armando Soto, MD

Hi there- I prefer the precision of lasers over chemical peels for anything as deep as what you will need to achieve meaningful improvement. Consider any one of the excellent fractionated CO2 laser available, such as the Mixto, the DOT, or the Active FX. In my opinion, the risk to benefit ratio is much more... more

Comments

breker
18 posts
3 Feb 2009

If you are inexperienced with medical skincare, interview several clinics before making a decision.  They should be happy to give you references as well, so you can talk to others who have actually gone thru the process.  There are several levels of treatment which will give you good results.  Conservatively speaking, a good program (of which Renova is an important component), will steadily and effectively strengthen and thicken your skin.  70% of your continued improvement is what you are doing on a daily basis.  This, coupled with a series of peels will eventually give you improvement.  A good program coupled with a medium depth peel such as 30% TCA will give you more rapid results, with some downtime. This includes swelling, redness, and  sloughing of the skin, with very good improvement. Active FX with Deep FX in the areas needed, which is Fractional Laser  (go to www.skinandhealth.com) would be an excellent choice for you, again using an effective homecare program to maintain your results. With all of these choices, you will want to have combination therapy using Botox to improve the crowsfeet and perhaps minimize the liplines as well as a soft tissue filler for the liplines.  Good luck!

ssanders
20 posts
2 Feb 2009

First and foremost, keep using your Renova!  Renova is designed to assist in the stimulation of cellular turnover. This is a great way to prepare your skin to receive a great end result from chemical peels. Second, the light purple veins would be better treated by laser. The Candela VBeam laser can treat the complexion of broken capillaries very successfully. Finally, chemical peels would be a great way to get started on that sun damage! Stronger peels that are Salicylic based in conjunction with Retinoic acid is a great way to help lighten the complexion and refine the texture of your skin. These are sometimes called Precision Peels. You may also want to consider a TCA peel, which is considerably stronger. The best way for you to make your decision is to schedule a consultation with a good doctor in your area. Ask him about Hydroquinone to help with the brown spots. Make sure to use sunscreen daily!  This will prevent future damage.

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