microdermabrasion chemical peel

Superficial Peel and Microdermabrasion Chemical Peel

Superficial peels basically accomplish three key things:

  • exfoliation,
  • moisturization and
  • thickening the dermis.

Any acid can be made to penetrate the skin lightly or deeply.

Used with active skin care, superficial peels or microdermabrasion speed up the process of exfoliation. This approach works best for modest sun damage, early wrinkling or just plain dull looking skin. Peels also work for pre-cancerous actinic keratoses, hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. Full-face chemical peels remove an entire layer of skin at once.

Low concentrations of acid produce a superficial peel; high doses are used for deeper exfoliations. The basic principle is: the deeper the peel the better the result, the worse you look immediately afterwards and the longer it takes to heal. The other critical variable is the person who is doing the peeling and no peels are entirely idiot-proof. The word ‘peel’ is an umbrella term used to cover a wide range of treatments starting at the level of a mild glycolic wash from the chemist, all the way up to carbon dioxide laser resurfacing. Find out what acid is being applied and educate yourself about the various factors that affect the peel result; depth, concentration, how it is neutralized, length of time it is on the skin and so on. Peels can be adapted to various levels depending on your needs.

Apart from a basic skin classification (light to dark and tendency to burn or tan), the other factors in deciding to have a superficial peel or a deeper version are lifestyle related. One good slough deserves another. Microdermabraders are popular peel alternatives and peel boosters. Having a light microdermabrasion chemical peel treatment, followed by an enzyme or acid peel, allows the solution to penetrate deeper.


Deep Peeling

Trichloracetic acid (TCA) peels (Obagi® and other brands) can penetrate deeper into the skin and remove the outer layers. These chemical peels are thought to reconstitute the lower collagen and elastin layers of the skin. There is moderate swelling of the treated areas for about a week, and scabbing will occur. Deeper peels with more concentrated solutions may take up to 2 weeks to heal. TCA peels are good for fine wrinkles, mild scarring, age spots and to counteract sun damage and uneven pigmentation. Phenol peels and Croton Oil peels are experiencing a resurgence, and newer formulas are more buffered with less chance of skin whitening.

Any skin type is a candidate for some form of peeling, but the darker your skin, the fewer safe peeling options you have. The deeper the peel, the greater the risk of it having a bleaching or whitening effect (hyperpigmentation), a line of demarcation or temporary and even permanent scarring.

Warning:

Do not have any peel if you are taking RoAccutane (Accutane), or if you have Herpes Simplex or other open lesions. If you hav a history of cold sores, ask your doctor for an anti-viral if having a peel or lasering around the mouth.


Back to the Future

Medical science is getting closer and closer to conquering aging. The fountain of youth may come in the form of a hormone.


HGH Human Growth Hormones

Human Growth Hormone (HGH), produced in the body by the pituitary gland, is plentiful during childhood and adolescence, but its levels decrease dramatically as we age. HGH is credited with rejuvenating every cell in the body, adding 30 years to your life, bringing organs back to health, having you remember things you might rather forget and making studs out of grumpy old men. It should come as no surprise that HGH human growth hormone has taken off among celebrities as the newest nectar of the Gods. At the heart of anti-aging products and medicine lie injections of HGH, first used by athletes to build up muscle. Human growth hormone is produced and secreted in pulses by the pituitary gland that move throughout the body affecting tissues, bones and muscles. Doctors began prescribing it for children in need of a growth boost, and later to treat wasting (loss of weight and strength) in AlDS patients.

Before you consider HGH human growth hormone therapy, be prepared to have every body function put under a microscope, literally. A comprehensive evaluation of nutritional, metabolic and hormonal levels, and vision screenings, bone- density scans, treadmill stress tests and brain assessments are done. The goal is to revert the body back to its healthiest state – around age 30. After 30, things measurably start to decline. To work, it has to be pharmaceutical grade growth hormone, not the new generation of products sold via the Internet and in health stores as dietary supplements, oral sprays and powders. The latter are usually formulations of amino acids that allegedly trigger the release of HGH human growth hormone in the body.

Research now suggests that topical growth factors may help reverse the signs of aging in skin. Growth factors work differently to vitamins A and C to stimulate collagen. The trick is to get growth factors, which are large proteins, to penetrate the dermis. This is currently being studied. Nouricel-MD®, a solution containing key growth factors cited for skin rejuvenation, is at the forefront of this new technology.


Sex Hormones

The use of sex hormones to reverse wrinkles is being touted as one of the next frontiers in anti-aging products and medicine. Hormones naturally found in the body include: oestrogen, progesterone, DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), androstenedione and testosterone. As we age, the production of hormones decreases progressively and everything dries out. Compounded hormones and DHEA creams could be the wave of the future, and studies have shown positive effects on aging skin.