Chemical Peels A
s a nurse practitioner in the aesthetics field, fall not only means pumpkin spice lattes, sweaters, bonfires, and falling leaves – it makes me think of corrective treatments for the skin! Cooler temperatures, less direct sun exposure, and fewer outdoor activities make autumn a great time to undergo a medical-grade chemical peel. But what is a medical-grade chemical peel, who can receive one, and what is the process like? When you look in the mirror, do any of the following skin problems bother you? Overall tone and texture of the skin, freckling, active acne, oiliness, congestion, melasma, rosacea, fine lines and wrinkles, loss of elasticity, hyperpigmentation, scarring, or pore size? These are all conditions we can treat with medical-grade peels. There’s a big difference between medical-grade chemical peels and a peel you perform at home or receive at a non-medical spa. Non-medical peels are superficial, meaning they can only penetrate the outermost layer of skin, or stratum corneum. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in this kind of peel, but results are mild for most people. Medical-grade peels penetrate deeper into the epidermis or dermis, depending on your treatment needs, with more noticeable results. Halloween is approaching, but you don’t need to be fearful of chemical peels! In recent years there have been amazing advancements in medical-grade chemical peels. In the past, chemical peels were commonly formulated with a single acid and treated a limited number of conditions. These single-formulation peels have a higher risk of pain, discomfort, and more difficult recovery time, and were limited to certain skin types (Fitzpatrick Skin Types I-III), but this is no longer the case. At Boone Health Medical Spa, we proudly use VI Peels from Vitality Institute. VI Peels work with a blended set of acids and other nutrients, which gives us the ability to treat a combination of concerns. This formulation of ingredients can penetrate the skin with a lower risk of post-peel complications and without prolonged healing time. VI peels create a controlled micro-damage to the epidermis and papillary dermis layers of the skin.
24
BOONE HEALTH
Fall 2023