If you’re looking for an effective method for treating acne, eliminating acne scars, or otherwise improving the texture of your skin, look no further than a medium peel at Advanced Aesthetics Solutions in Overland Park, KS. There are many benefits to this particular peel depth. Here’s a brief summary of the benefits you can expect from a medium-depth chemical peel.

The Benefits of a Medium-Depth Peel

Even Skin Tone

If you’re concerned about a dully, ruddy complexion, you can benefit from a medium-depth chemical peel. The most common condition treated with a medium peel is hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is characterized by spots of excessive pigmentation (color). The most common examples of hyperpigmentation are sun spots, age spots, freckles, and redness.

Acne Treatment

Have you tried what feels like all the pharmaceuticals to treat your acne? Are you frustrated by the lack of products on the market that treat your condition effectively? A medium-depth chemical peel may be the ideal solution for you. Also known as a medium peel, this non-invasive cosmetic treatment uses acid to penetrate the superficial (upper) layers of your skin as well as the middle layers of your skin.

When your skin peels to this depth, your skin produces less sebum, the oil that is responsible for the vast majority of acne outbreaks. However, it’s important that you communicate during your initial consultation that you are looking to prevent acne outbreaks because that information is required for us to choose the right acids for you.

Acne Scar Reduction

Another incredible benefit of peeling several layers of your skin is that acne scar reduction can occur. How many sessions you will need to see your desired results depends on several factors, including how deep the acne scars are. However, with patience, you will eventually enjoy a smoother complexion than you could ever imagine.

Another factor that must be considered regarding the benefits of this treatment for acne scars is that it is most effective for the treatment of boxcar or rolling scars. These scars are typically small or shallow, not deep like ice pick scars or raised like keloid scars. If you’re not sure what type of scar you have, we can identify the type of scar you have during your initial consultation.

Improved Skin Texture

Another compelling benefit of a medium peel is that it can treat mild-to-moderate wrinkles and lines without the need for painful injections. Keep in mind, this treatment only works on certain types of lines and wrinkles, so it’s important that you come in for an initial consultation if your only cosmetic concern is poor skin texture.

Since medium peels are highly effective at stimulating collagen induction, they are naturally highly effective for the treatment of wrinkles caused by collagen loss. Over the course of several weeks, your skin will produce more collagen and elastin in response to the peel. Together, these proteins and fibers make up the structural support of your skin and are responsible for its volume and smoothness or lack thereof.

Versatility

There isn’t just a lot of versatility regarding the conditions you can treat with a chemical peel. We also have the opportunity to choose from a wide selection of acids in varying strengths so we can customize your treatment based, not just on the conditions you are trying to treat, but also the type of skin you have and the overall health of your skin.

For example, Jessner’s solution is most often used to provide medium peels. However, TCA (trichloroacetic acid) can be used to provide a medium peel for severe cases without the extensive recovery time required of deep peels. Other acids we offer include salicylic acid and glycolic acid.

Long-Lasting Results

Some people like light peels because they are gentle enough for highly sensitive skin. However, the results of light (superficial-depth) peels only last between two and five weeks. Other people like medium peels because the results of treatment last between three and nine months. As long as the cosmetic concerns you have are effectively treated by a medium peel, it is definitely the best option for people with busy lives or tight budgets.

Comfortable Treatment

Another benefit of a medium peel is that the treatment is completely comfortable. Some people who receive deep peels report that the acid burns their skin and actually hurts. Contrastingly, when you receive a medium peel, you can expect complete comfort throughout the entire treatment process. Keep in mind, because medium peels are fairly mild in nature, you will not need sedation or general anesthesia.

Put another way, you will be awake throughout your session, so if your skin starts to feel too warm, you can just let us know. We will apply a cool compress to your skin to maintain your comfort. We can also supply you with a hand-held fan so you can further cool your skin, but there is no need for a neutralizing solution to combat some of the acidity of phenol (which is used exclusively for deep peels).

Convenient Treatment

If you have a hectic schedule, no treatment is quite as versatile and convenient as a medium peel. The length of your treatment will vary based on several factors, including the size of the area or areas being treated and the conditions being treated. However, you can generally expect your session to last between 30 and 90 minutes.

Keep in mind that 90 minutes may sound like a long time to sit through a cosmetic treatment, however, this length of treatment is only required for the most extensive of cases. Furthermore, a medium peel is always more convenient than a deep peel. During a deep peel, you are given intravenous fluids and your heart rate is monitored throughout the entire treatment to ensure you do not have a severe cardiac response.

Easy Preparation

Preparing for a medium peel starts the same way as preparation for a light or deep peel. You must come in for an initial consultation to discuss your aesthetic goals and ensure that this is the appropriate treatment method for you to achieve your goals. During this consultation, we will also review the cosmetics and topical medications you currently use to ensure there are no potential contraindications.

For example, if you are using Accutane for severe acne, you must wait six months to receive your medium peel. However, if you use a retin-A or retinol-based topical medication, you only have to stop using those medications for 48 hours before your scheduled session. Finally, we will talk about your current skincare routine. You will need to avoid the use of exfoliants and facial scrubs in the seven days before your session, as well as waxing and bleaching.

Easy Recovery

Yet another incredible benefit of medium peels is how easy the recovery process is. Some people love deep peels because only one treatment is required to achieve the desired results. However, deep peels are so intense that you can only receive one in your lifetime, and the recovery process is neither smooth nor comfortable.

Furthermore, there are far fewer restrictions on your activities during your recovery period. To protect your skin during your recovery, moisturize your face as you usually would. If you have dry skin, moisturize twice daily. If you have normal or oily skin, moisturize once daily with a gentle, hypoallergenic moisturizer, such as Aquaphor or Vaseline.

Other Recovery Steps

As is required after a light peel or deep peel, it’s crucial that you let the skin peel naturally. If you pick at your peeling skin to “speed up” the process, you put yourself at risk of acne breakouts and infections. Even after you wash your hands, there is still the risk that there are harmful particles that can cause infections or acne breakouts, particularly since the middle layers of your skin being exposed through peeling are highly sensitive.

Few Treatments Required

Light peels don’t just require follow-up treatments every two to five weeks. They also often require several treatments. Depending on the severity of the conditions you are trying to treat with a medium peel, you may only need one session. In the case of fairly deep scars, you may need two to three sessions spaced several weeks apart, but the results of scar treatment are permanent.

Safety

Yet another incredible benefit of medium peels is how safe they are. Since deep peels result in such significant peeling, people who receive such a peel are at significant risk of infection. Since medium peels don’t peel your skin as deeply as deep peels, there is no such risk of infection. However, it’s still important to keep your skin clean after treatment.

Furthermore, there is a significant risk of severe sunburn after a deep peel. After deep peels, you should not go outside between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM after the treatment for any reason. After a medium peel, while you should minimize your time outdoors during that same window, as long as you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 55, your skin will be fine.

Lack of Side Effects

Another disadvantage of deep peels is that the side effects are severe. For example, you can expect extreme redness, itching, uncomfortable warmth, swelling, and crusting as your skin peels. With a medium peel, you may feel a little warmth during your recovery process, but you will not experience any pain or discomfort. The only “side effect” you can expect is the peeling of your skin.

Affordability

One of the most compelling advantages of a medium peel is its affordability. You can achieve in one deep peel what two or three medium peels may take to achieve, such as the treatment of fairly deep scars. However, deep peels cost roughly five times as much as medium peels. Furthermore, when anesthesia is administered before deep peels, you are unable to drive for 24 hours, so you will need to arrange for a ride to and from your session and may even have to take time off from work or arrange for childcare, which increases the expense.

Discover Which Depth Is Right for You Today

If you’re looking for a safe, effective, convenient, comfortable treatment for acne breakouts, you can benefit from medium peels. You can also enjoy other benefits of medium peels, such as acne scar removal, wrinkle treatment, and the improvement of skin tone and texture issues. Due to the increase in collagen that results after treatment, you can expect to enjoy smoother, tighter, brighter skin than you’ve had in years.

While there are many benefits of a medium-depth chemical peel, it’s not the ideal depth for every situation. To find out which depth is right for you, contact us today at Advanced Aesthetics Solutions in Overland Park, KS to book an appointment. We are also more than happy to answer any questions you may have about any of our services and discuss the benefits of each peel depth in greater detail.