Once upon a time chemical peels were the only weapon to combat wrinkles, age spots, discoloration, precancerous skin growths, and superficial scarring. The process is simple; an acid solution is applied to the skin, dissolving skin cells and removing the top layers of the epidermis. Just how deeply the peel penetrates, and the effects, vary depending on the strength of the solution used and the number of passes. Chemical peels can be done on the hands and body as well as the face.
For a superficial peel, medical professionals use alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids, or salicylic acid, typically in mild 10% to 70% solutions, to remove only the outermost layer of the epidermis. Professional, medical grade peels can improve skin tone, enhance texture, and somewhat minimize fine lines and wrinkles. You’ll be happy with these peels if you have only mildly sun-damaged skin or just want to make your skin look brighter without a dramatic change in appearance. For best results, repeat the treatment monthly for about six months, and then quarterly. At FUZION we often recommend a combination of laser, IPL and chemical peels. By combining treatment modalities we are able to target superficial and deep aspects of damage. These treatments are alternated depending on your specific needs and tolerance. After superficial peels some people with very fair or sensitive skin may have some redness for a few hours, but most people feel comfortable going out in public immediately afterward. Expect to pay about $125–$850 per treatment depending on the type of peel.
If you have more advanced sun damage or if you want a more noticeable improvement to mild wrinkles, skin tone, and coloring, you may consider a stronger peel. Certain medical grade peels, used to treat melasma; and severe hyperpigmentation, are compounded at the time of the procedure. These medications are up to 10 times the strength of other medical peels. Many of our peels are straight from the Organic Chemist’s desk! We have our own chemistry genius working to improve your skin. By compounding the ingredients to meet your needs we can provide more a more effective treatment and more amazing results! This peel, despite the cost, is equivalent to SEVEN lesser effective peels! That makes it MORE cost effective than those seven peels- WITHOUT the pain or burn.
Afterward, you’ll have noticeable shedding and redness, and a few days to a week after the treatment, the superficial skin will darken, turn stiff, and peel off. Your skin may appear flushed for several weeks, but you should not have other side effects. Most people report noticeable improvement in medium-depth lines and wrinkles and coloration. Results last up to two years, but many people get annual repeats before the improvements fade over time.
Because they may lighten skin, they are best reserved for people with fair skin. Afterward, expect mild to severe discomfort and to wear dressings on your skin for a few days.
After any chemical peel, you’ll be more sensitive to sun exposure, so take extra precautions when outdoors.
Daily SPF protection, including physical and chemical properties. This practice should be employed everyday – sun, sleet, snow, rain or clouds! Come into FUZION and have your skin assessed – let the professionals tell you whether a peel would be right for you!
Archive for December, 2009
Chemical Peels – Friend or Foe?
Help stop the cosmetic tax
To help pay for the health care reform bill that is being debated over the next few weeks by the U.S. Senate, users of cosmetic medical treatments have been unfairly targeted with a 5% federal tax on such procedures.
Please join us in opposing the tax for the following reasons:
1. The tax is punitive and places an additional burden on the middle class – According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, sixty percent of patients considering a cosmetic medical procedure are squarely in the middle class, earning between $30,000 and $90,000 per year. This tax would come on top of increased payroll and income taxes sure to result from health reform’s $849 billion cost, and would penalize those who have made a well-educated and informed decision in consultation with a specialized physician to opt for cosmetic medical treatments because they allow them to express their best self and have been scientifically tested.
2. The tax discriminates predominantly against women – Medical society data shows that 91 percent of patients seeking cosmetic medical procedures are women. And many of these women are seeking treatment to improve their appearance to enhance their self-image and self-confidence which helps them succeed at work and in other areas of their lives.
3. The tax does not serve the goals of health reform – President Obama has stated that the goal of health reform is “to enact legislation that offers stability and security to those who have insurance and affordable coverage to those who don’t, and that lowers costs for families, businesses and governments across the country.” Since these procedures are generally not covered by insurance, the proposed tax will not reduce the cost of health care nor will it reduce insurance premiums. Further, it will increase administrative costs for physician offices.
4. The tax puts cosmetic procedures in the same category as cigarettes and alcohol – So called “sin taxes” on cigarettes and alcohol were imposed to try to change unhealthy behavior and cover the significant costs that these products placed on the health care system. This is logical. But a tax on cosmetic procedures is illogical because they are healthy and merely a responsible form of self-improvement. Furthermore, these procedures do not impact the heath care system since patients pay for these procedures themselves and they are not covered by insurance. People should have the freedom to decide what is best for their personal health care, including our own aesthetic appearance and therefore be free to spend our own, hard-earned money to correct, alter or enhance our appearance responsibly, in consultation with a physician, without being forced to pay an extra tax.
5. The tax will be impossible to effectively and equitably administer – It is not clear which procedures will be subject to the tax and which will not. Further, the same procedure performed on two different patients could lead to different conclusions concerning application of the tax.
6. The tax discourages innovation and promotes dangerous and unregulated alternatives – Because only drugs and procedures regulated and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be subject to the tax, manufacturers may choose to circumvent FDA regulation to avoid the tax. Further, patients may seek untested and potentially dangerous treatments from unlicensed practitioners to avoid the tax, including seeking treatment across our borders and overseas.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
• Visit stopcosmetictax.org where you can write to your local Senators or Representatives and sign a petition against the tax.
• The U.S. Capitol switchboard is 202-225-3121 where your patients can be connected to their Senators and Representatives. NOTE: The patient must know the name of their Senator prior to calling the switchboard; this information can be found at www.senate.gov (scroll by state). They can determine the name of their representative by going to www.house.gov where they can enter their zip code.
