As the summer season has quickly approached us, you may find yourself pining for that vibrant glow and beauty associated with a beachy tan. However, without the proper precautions, the sun can be very damaging to skin, causing premature aging or precancerous moles and freckles. If you find yourself to already be experiencing the effects of sun damage to your skin, chemical peels and laser treatments may be of use to you.
Chemical Peels
Used to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin for a youthful, healthy glow, chemical peels like the blue peel can be used to treat skin with sun damage as well as skin with wrinkles, scars, large pores, and blemishes. Blue peels can be applied to most areas of the body, such as the face, neck, chest, hands, back, arms, and legs. After application of the chemical peel, the treatment works by damaging and dissolving the outermost layers of skin that have been exposed to the harmful environment. The body’s natural response to wound healing will trigger the development of fresh, new skin cells, giving you smoother, firmer, and more contoured skin. The greatest advantage of a blue peel is that healing time lasts about seven to 10 days, in contrast to other more intense facial plastic surgeries with extended recovery times.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatment for sun damaged skin, especially when used in conjunction with other chemical peels, is a safe and speedy breakthrough procedure. In addition to reducing unwanted brown spots, freckles, and sun damage, laser treatment gives you natural, youthful-looking results with minimal downtime. Other benefits include:
- Improves tone, texture, and pore size
- Provides predictable results
- Reduces wrinkles and fine lines
- Resurfaces neck, chest, arms, and hands
- Improves acne scars and surgical scars
At younger Image Plastic Surgery Center, your laser treatment will be conducted using one or more of five different lasers that target different skin conditions and skin types. Sometimes, more than one laser will be used to treat a complex case as most patients have a combination of skin conditions. A series of three to five treatments spaced 2-6 weeks apart is recommended for optimal improvement. Results are immediate and improve over time, with noticeable effects building over one to six months.
If you are interested in learning more or trying laser or chemical peels, contact Younger Image Plastic Surgery Center. Residents in Washington, D.C., Vienna, Woodbridge and throughout Northern Virginia who are looking to reverse the sun damage to their skin are encouraged to come visit us to begin loving the skin they’re in!