Best Chemical Peel for Sun Damage

A proper skin analysis will help determine the best course of treatment. Based on your description, a TCA peel or a series of TCA peels should significantly reduce sun damage and brown spots. The Vi Peel is a TCA based medium depth peel which has proven to be very successful in sun damage reduction. You may want to consider and IPL laser treatment(s) as well.

Hello, 

Thank you for your question. There are several peels that may help. One that is wonderful for pigmentation problems is the newest Skinceuticals peel. It is often called a photo-facial in a bottle. This is a very strong peel, most of your brown spots will get darker and then peel or fade off. There is also the Skin Medica peels, the vitalize is right in the middle. If you are looking for something more mild, this is a good introduction into peels. Ultimately it is very important to consult with a local physician before you do anything. You want to make sure that you are achieving the right goals, and not putting yourself at unnecessary risk.

The optimal chemical peel depends on the
type of skin damage you have and the pigment in your skin. Generally, a
moderate strength TCA peel enhances your skin turnover and allows you then to
get on medical grade skin care including Retinol or Retin-A.

In addtion to preventative measures - sunscreen, hydroquinone and Retinoids topically, a TCA peels can be used effectively to rejuvenate the sun damage facial skin..  It is important to pre-treat with some prescription creams first. This is to prevent brown spots following a TCA or any other peel, laser or deep dermabrasion procedure. This is  called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The inflammation part is a normal part of the healing process but unfortunately you are sensitive to the sun which is what causes it. Ideally your doctor would have pre-treated your skin some weeks before your treatment with Retin A, 4% hydroquinone, and a strong SPF sunscreen and/or other agents to prevent this from happening. As soon as you are given permission you would again start these products plus perhaps Kogic acid and use them for some time. Once they are established it is more difficult to get rid of. The same treatment can be done again but this time use products recommended by your doctor before and after. If these were not suggested you might want to seek another plastic surgeon or dermatologist to treat you. We personally like the Obagi Blue peel due to its safety and predictably great results

Assessment of patients preoperatively is crucial to the success of a chemical peel. Although a clinical examination is necessary for individualized recommendations, Caucasian patients with melasma and sun damage are candidates for a medium depth TCA peel.  A good alternative is once monthly Melapeels that we perform in our office. These peels have minimal downtime and are excellent for sun damage.
I routinely perform chemical peels in my office and have found them to be effective with a high safety profile. Preoperatively, I instruct patients to utilize a specific and accelerated skin protocol to ensure that the risks of the chemical peels are minimiized.
I often ask my patients to begin the Melarase program after the TCA peels to maintain results and improve the skin. Surgery90210