Chemical Peels

I remembered a few months back a friend was asking about chemical peels. She was concerned that by doing chemical peels, the skin would become thinner and thinner. Rather, it was quite the opposite. Chemical peeling is a method used to remove certain layers of the skin, depending on type of peel used. By taking of the skins top layers, it actually stimulates faster migration of epithelial cells to the surface, and induce formation of new epithelial cells at the bases. Thus you will get skin that is new and appear healthier.

Chemical peeling is not new age technology. It actually dated back to ancient times, the most famous being Cleopatra and her yogurt bath. Yogurt (sour milk) contains lactic acid which acts as a mild chemical peel for skin leaving it soft and supple. Some even use grapes and other fruit acids to get the similar peeling effect. Nowadays we group the mild fruit acids into alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids and are commercially produced for the purpose of peeling.

Who would benefit from a chemical peel? Well perhaps everybody. Depending on what you want, a mild peel such as a glycolic acid peel, or salicylic acid peel can help remove dead skin and give your skin a nice glow for that function tomorrow. Multiple sessions of peels can also help with oil sebum control and removal of comedomes and other things.

Much stronger peels would be a TCA peel which acts at the epidermal-dermal junction, but it has a longer downtime of 5 to 7 days and you will experience peeling of skin, at times in sheets. Most people nowadays use a modified TCA peel such as Blue peel, Easy peel, Krystal peel. In my clinic we use Easy TCA peel by Skin Tech. Recently I did one of my girl's face in the clinic and it gave beautiful results with finer texture of skin and reduced hyperpigmentation scars after one week, although during the first 2 days, her mum said she looked like an alien offspring.

The strongest peel in the market would be the phenol peel. It is a very deep peel which can even remove wrinkles. However, it should only be done in a plastic surgeon's office. The downtime is long up to months and the care is tedious, but the results, fantastic. I have yet to see one, let alone do one. In Malaysia, the use of phenol for peels is restricted.

Chemical peels are an easy and effective way of getting that radiant skin look. For first timers I would recommend a quick chat with the physician first to get a better idea of the procedure and to tackle unsettled worries.

Welcome to the world of aesthetic medicine....

Some may say that it was the ancient Greeks who first supplied the world with the theory of aesthetics, running back to the great thinker Socrates and his views of relative beauty. Personally, I believe the concept of aesthetics has been there since Adam and Eve. Aesthetics is defined as anything concerning good taste and beauty. When we combine it with medicine, it becomes the art and science of making things beautiful. Some physicians may call it the study of vanity, but regardless, it is now an important aspect of medicine, because everyone deserves to be beautiful, and people are aware of it.

Aesthetic medicine was first introduced as a science by a Parisian endocrinologist called JJ Lengrand in France in 1973. It originated from the belief that the well-being of an individual is about being satisfied with one's health, occupation and environment. The goal was to create a harmonious physical and psychological balance as desired by the individual, by administering medical treatment which acts both as a corrective and preventive measure. It is also regarded as an extension of dermatology by some physicians as it involves the skin and repair of the skin, but now it is more of a multidisciplinary approach as it dwells with other issues such as obesity, surgery and psychology.

Why aesthetic medicine? Despite having a lot of aesthetic techniques brought down by our forefathers and traditional healers such as scrubs, jamus (herbal remedies), susuk (traditional way of inserting needle under skin to keep the skin tighter), spas, and facials, most of these techniques have never been properly tested for side effects. Thus, there was a need for scientifically proven techniques that produces results which are relevant. However, these techniques would require a person of good knowledge of the body, in order to understand the actions and to avoid possible side effects. Thus trained physicians were sought, as they possess the knowledge of anatomy and disease, and the skills for injectibles and pharmacology.

There was also an era where everyone was thrilled by the idea of plastic surgery as it gave quick results and depending on the skill of the surgeon, exactly what the individual want. However, not everyone is willing to go under the knife. It takes a lot of mental and physical preparation, plus the recovery period is longer and may take up to weeks. There is also a higher risk of wound infection, and other complications from the surgery. Hence, even the plastic surgeons are looking at aesthetic techniques as an alternative option to their patients. With less invasive techniques and faster recovery periods, it is no wonder why aesthetic medicine is on the rise.

Aesthetic medicine is a broad branch which involves many procedures from injectibles such as fillers and Botox, to chemical peels, intense pulse light, laser treatment, radiofrequency and ultracavitation, mesotherapy and many many more new techniques and technology which is rapidly expanding. The most important thing is that the patient be well informed of the procedure and the effects of treatment. This blog acts as a tool to spread information concerning aesthetic procedures and techniques that some may have heard of, but unsure of the details. With the access to more knowledge that is comprehensible, we aim to gain more confidence in the benefits of aesthetic medicine techniques.