Chemical peels are usually acidic solutions that are applied to the skin, and what they do is they dissolve the upper layer skin. And then you use a neutralising agent, which is usually used to then...which is normally alkali, which then neutralises the acid, and then you get an exfoliation of the skin. So the top layer of skin is removed and healthy skin then grows underneath.
Botulinum toxin lasts, on average, about three months. So, if you have a treatment, you are likely to need treatments again in three to six months' time.
Depending on the depth of skin peels that you do, the courses can vary. So if you are doing chemical peels purely to brighten your complexion up, you may just choose to do those as and when you've got a big event coming up. If there is a specific reason that you are choosing to do a chemical peel, for example, if you've got quite severe pigmentation, you may need a course of three to six in combination with using sun protection. Chemical peels, if they are being carried out, you have to stay out of the sun for four weeks. Otherwise, you may get problems with tanning and pigmentation.
So about 90% of ageing will occur directly as a result of ultraviolet light exposure, so wearing some protection is absolutely key to preventing premature ageing. What happens as we get older is we start developing fine lines and wrinkles and pigmentation, and both of those things can be slowed down. You can't stop chronological ageing, but you can slow it down by some protection.
Botulinum toxin can be used to improve the signs of ageing. As we get older, we tend to repetitively use a lot of our facial muscles and that can result in lines and creases developing on the skin. Botulinum toxin can be injected into the muscle to relax the muscle, and soften those lines and wrinkles that develop overtime.
There are a number of ways to get rid of age spots. The first method and the most simplest method is to use cream treatments. So there are creams, particularly retinoid creams, which are high doses of vitamin A that can be used to fade brown spots that develop in sun-exposed sites. If the pigmentation doesn't respond to cream treatments, the next step really would be looking at light or laser therapies.
Chemical peels can be used to improve the signs of ageing. Chemical peels com in varying depths, so you can have very light ones which will only remove the upper dead layer of skin cells or your stratum corneum, and then you can have peels that will go deeper than that. The deeper the peel, potentially the more downtime there is, but you're likely to get a good result over a course of treatments that improving fine lines and pigmentation.
Laser treatments can be used to improve the signs of ageing. We can use a combination of light devices like intense pulse light, which can rejuvenate the skin but also improve pigmentation or redness. And then there are other lasers that can be used to improve pigmentation marks but also find blood vessels that can develop over time.
Chemical peels and their courses and how many sessions you need vary. It depends on the depth of peel that you have and the skin problem that you're trying to treat and the patient's skin type, as well. The important thing with chemical peels are, generally speaking, they work better as a course because you get continued improvement each time with each treatment. It's not that one treatment won't do any good, but you will get a better result if you have three to six.
Chemical peels are very safe if they are done by a trained individual. Again, a dermatologist will be able to guide you on the right type of peel for your skin type and your skin problem, and also how many courses you are likely to need over a period of time.
