If your skin feels dull and lifeless or you just can’t seem to get rid of blemishes or other stubborn skin conditions, you may need to take your skincare up a notch, and we can help you do just that at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA. We offer several different medical-grade peels that can help begin a skin transformation so that your skin improves, your products work better, and you can maintain a year-round glow that comes with healthy, vibrant skin.
What Is the Difference Between Medical Grade Peels and Chemical Peels?
Medical grade peels and chemical peels Revive MD Center are often referred to as the same, but they aren’t always the same; it completely depends on the context and what is being referred to. These peels are the same thing when an esthetician performs them as an in-office treatment, but they are not the same when referring to at-home peels.
An at-home peel is one that you can buy at a store; it is not the same as one that you can undergo in an office setting. It lacks the strength and efficacy of in-office, medical-grade peels. When it comes down to it, a true medical grade peel is one that you cannot buy for use at home and comes from a professional skincare line that can only be purchased and performed by licensed and trained estheticians.
What Is a Chemical Peel?
A chemical peel is a form of chemical exfoliation that uses a mix of acids to exfoliate the top layer of the skin, remove dead skin cells, and reveal a brighter, more youthful layer beneath. Different peels are formulated with different ingredients with different concentrations, including light, medium, and deep peels. This variety allows individuals of different skin types with different conditions to effectively treat and target the signs of aging and other skin conditions.
Chemical vs. Physical Exfoliation
There are two types of exfoliation: physical and chemical. Chemical exfoliation is what a chemical peel does, exfoliating the top layer of the skin by dissolving dead skin cells with a mix of acids. Physical exfoliation is what your dry brush, microbead cleanser, or microdermabrasion facial does. It removes dead skin with something physical and tangible.
Both are effective ways to target skin conditions and improve skin health, but you need both to achieve the healthiest skin possible. While you can physically exfoliate at home, it’s more difficult to effectively perform chemical exfoliation at home, which is why a chemical peel, especially medical-grade peels, is so important for your skin.
What Do They Treat?
Chemical peels can treat various skin conditions and improve skin health in both men and women. They can improve both healthy and unhealthy skin and help you reach all of your skin goals. These non-invasive treatments require very minimal downtime and can help:
- Lighten acne scars and marks
- Improve skin tone and texture
- Promote overall skin health
- Help treat and correct hyperpigmentation, including freckles, melasma, pregnancy mask, sunspots, and age spots
- Reverse the signs of aging
- Soften fine lines and wrinkles
- Restore youth to the under-eye area
- Soften lines around the mouth
The Different Types of Peels
Some skin types cannot handle strong ingredients, and when their skin comes into contact with such ingredients, they experience a less than desirable effect. Such skin types may experience breakouts and other conditions that are counterintuitive to the goal of a peel. Skin type is an important factor in determining which peel is right for you.
The benefit of our medical-grade peels is that they can help improve the skin of all different skin types. At Revive MD Center, we are proud to offer SkinMedica, a trusted and esteemed professional skincare line that offers medical grade peels that delivers some dramatic results.
Light Peels
Light peels are also known as superficial feels because they address the top, uppermost layer of the skin. They are the lightest peels, and they work on virtually every skin type. The light peel that we use is called the Illuminize Peel by SkinMedica. The Illuminize Peel is the perfect peel for first-time peel patients who want to improve their skin but haven’t experienced a peel before.
This peel helps treat the mildest of skin imperfections and is the most non-invasive. It will give your skin a bright appearance and that post-peel glow. It uses a combination of mandelic, malic, salicylic, and phytic acids, and resorcinol to improve the skin.
Medium Peels
Our medium peel is SkinMedica’s Vitalize Peel. This peel is one of the most popular because it is not too light and not too deep but is strong enough to address specific skin conditions and improve the complexion. It uses several different acids to help improve melasma, acne-prone skin, sun damage, and the signs of aging. It is suitable for skin types all skin types that fall within the FitzPatrick skin type range.
It delivers immediate results after just one treatment, but the best results come from a series of peels spread out over the course of several months. It will improve your skin tone and texture, increase collagen production, and give you beautiful, youthful, and healthy-looking skin with very little downtime.
Deep Peels
Our deepest peel is SkinMedica’s Rejuvenize Peel. This peel is safe for patients who fall into categories V through VI of the FitzPatrick skin type scale. Patients who have successfully experienced the medium SkinMedica Vitalize peel qualify as candidates for the Rejuvenize Peel. It’s important to experience the medium peel before scheduling this peel to make sure that your skin reacts well to the ingredients and is ready for something a little bit stronger.
This peel will address more complex skin concerns, including inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and acne. It uses a wide range of ingredients to address skin issues and improve skin that are both allergen-free and even safe for teenagers. The Rejuvenize Peel includes lactic acid, salicylic acid, retinol, resorcinol, pantheon, lactic acid, isopropyl alcohol, and denatured alcohol.
Enhancing Your Results
Once you undergo a medical-grade peel, you will see an immediate improvement in your skin’s brightness, tone, and texture. Your problematic skin conditions will begin to fade as the peel takes effect. Following the treatment plan created for you by your aesthetician will help you achieve the best results over time. Additionally, you can enhance your results by taking good care of your skin in between treatments.
Following an At-Home Regimen
At Revive MD Center, we have chosen to use SkinMedica products because they are a highly-esteemed professional skincare line and have formulated products that work. These products can help improve all different skin tones and types, reduce the signs of aging dramatically, and help you get glowing and beautiful skin.
When you come in for your treatment, one of our aestheticians will help create a treatment plan with SkinMedica products so that you can continue to benefit from the powerful and nutrient-rich ingredients found in these products from the comfort of your home. Using these products daily will work in conjunction with the peels to help you get the most beautiful skin possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens During a Treatment?
A chemical peel is often performed in conjunction with a facial. During your treatment, your aesthetician will apply the peel to your skin for a specific amount of time. Once that time has passed, she will remove the peel from your skin and complete your chemical peel by cleaning your skin and nourishing it. Chemical peels are relatively quick treatments, so you can schedule them without worrying about rearranging your schedule to attend appointments.
Which Peel Is Right for Me?
There are several factors to consider in determining which of these medical-grade peels is right for you. When you come in for your initial consultation with one of your experts, we will take several factors into account, including your skin type, whether or not you have experienced a chemical peel in the past, your reaction to that peel, and your skin conditions.
Once we make the proper assessment, we can help choose the best peel for your skin to get you the best results possible. There is a peel that will work well for your skin, you just need to schedule an initial consultation so you can find out which peel that is.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Chemical peels do improve the skin, but dead skin cells always come back, so there is always more work to be done. Adding a chemical peel to your regular skincare routine can help maintain the most beautiful and ageless skin possible. Based on which peel you choose, we can help create a treatment plan to schedule these peels accordingly so that you can maintain beautiful glowing and healthy skin year-round.
Lighter peels can be performed more often than medium and deeper peels since they contain the lightest concentration of ingredients. Medium and deeper peels need a little more time between each to ensure that your skin doesn’t lose its protective barrier from over-exfoliation. One of our experts will review these peels with you and create a plan that meets your needs.
Will I Peel?
As a general rule of thumb, the stronger the peel, the more likely your skin will peel. However, peeling is not painful; it is just necessary to achieve beautiful skin after undergoing this treatment. Not everyone’s skin will peel after this treatment, so it will vary from patient to patient. When you come in for your initial consultation, we can provide you with a better idea of what type of results you can expect immediately following your treatment.
Am I a Candidate?
Whether your skin is healthy and you want to keep it that way, or you have some stubborn skin conditions that you want to treat that you’re at home products have been unable to, you are most likely a good candidate for one of our medical-grade peels.
We will confirm that you are a treatment candidate during an initial consultation and then choose the right peel for you. Some patients may not qualify for a peel based on safety precautions, including pregnant and nursing women.
Transform Your Skin
One of the easiest ways to improve your skin is by beginning a regimen that includes regular chemical peels. You will see a dramatic improvement in your skin and will watch it transform from month to month as you watch the effects of these peels working their magic. To learn more about these peels and to choose the best one for your skin, contact us today at Revive MD Center in Glen Allen, VA to schedule your initial consultation with one of our experts.
