Which has less painful and quicker recovery - lower facelift or deep chemical peel? Thank you!

Question

Miguel Mascaro, MD · Answer

Good question.  I assume that by "deep chemical peel" you mean a Baker-Gordon phenol peel or a Hetter formula variation.  Phenol peels can take a long time to fully recover.  You are looking at swelling and peeling for a week followed by redness and sensitivity of at least a month.  Depending on your skin type, you may stay pink for quite some time after that (I personally had one patient have some degree of pinkness up to 4 months). In regards to a lower face/neck lift, recovery can be much quicker, after two weeks you can go out and go about your day, with full exercise activity and no restrictions at 3-4 weeks depending on how you heal.  So, long story short, it really depends on what you are looking to achieve and what your skin type is.  If you were considering one vs. the other, really speak with your surgeon and discuss what your concerns are and what your goals are.  Often times the optimal treatment needs to be "two staged", however that does double the recovery time and downtime.  But being able to adequately communicate with your surgeon will give them a better idea of which direction to guide you in. I hope this helps!

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Both a face/neck lift and a chemical peel are usually done at the same visit since both do different things and usually that person needs both. Both need about 1-2 weeks recovery so doing them together makes sense.

William Marshall Guy, MD · Answer

Hello Summer girl 13,It is important to realize that what a facelift and deep chemical peel treat are very different.  A facelift will help remove excess skin as well as help reposition volume from the face that had descended.  It takes about 10-14 days to heal from a facelift.  As far as chemical peels they help to improve the quality, texture, and etched in wrinkles on the skin.  There can be superifical, medium, and deep depth peels depending on the condition of your skin.  Because of the new delicate skin that develops with a deep chemical peel, there is a lot of care that you have to provide and a lot of things you need to avoid. Because of this, I would say the post operative period is more difficult with the peel, although neither procedure is particularly painful.I'd reocmmend you consult with a faicla plastic surgeon to assess you and determine which treatment(s) would be beneficial for you and then go further into what to expect post treatment.I hope this helps and good luck.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

First, they do different things. Second, I find that patients that often have deep peels or laser peels do not love the care that they have to provide in terms of salves, etc..  I find facelift patients don't have to do too much post-op and are often not in pain.

Steven M. Gitt, MD, FACS (in memoriam) · Answer

There are great benefits to both procedures. However, they
treat very different issues. It really depends on what your biggest concerns
are, and how much you are willing to do to improve them. There are ups and
downs to surgical and non-surgical options. There are so many options in
regards to chemical peels and now there are so many great laser treatments as
well. There are recovery times for both and that is a question you may want to
ask your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Medical Aesthetician. You are an
individual, with individual needs, and skin type. There are so many factors to
choosing the right procedure for you. Do yourself a favor and invest the time
to find the doctor or Aesthetician that can assist in getting results that are
best for you. Surgery can be a longer lasting approach, but you may not be
ready just yet. It is always best to consult with someone qualified to give you
the absolute best option for you and your lifestyle.

Which has less painful and quicker recovery - lower facelift or deep chemical peel? Thank you!

Answers (5)

Answer: Facelift or peel

Answer: Facelift or peel

Answer: Cemical Peel vs Facelift

Answer: Cemical Peel vs Facelift

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Everything you need to know about Chemical Peel

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Which has less painful and quicker recovery - lower facelift or deep chemical peel? Thank you!

Answers (5)

Answer: Facelift or peel

Answer: Facelift or peel

Answer: Cemical Peel vs Facelift

Answer: Cemical Peel vs Facelift

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Chemical Peel

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.