Effect of Chemical Peel on Melasmas
Melasma is a skin condition that causes visible discoloration in the skin. It is more common to women, and is typically associated with pregnancy, hormones, menopause, and the use of contraception. The skin areas affected by melasma are usually the cheeks, forehead, upper lip, chin, and cheeks, but it can appear in other historically sun exposed skin areas, as sun exposure intensifies its visibility. Chemical peels are cosmetic procedures that can help reduce the visible skin spots caused by melasma. Does this Spark an idea?
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Skin Discoloration
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Melasmas presents a skin condition technically referred to as hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation means that an abundance of melanin has accumulated in the skin tissue, forming a visible dark spot on the skin's surface. Melasmas spots, like liver spots and sun spots caused by sun damage, appear as flat and dark spots of various populations and sizes. Sun exposure can worsen the appearance of hyperpigmentation (in addition to causing it). Skin discoloration is a common concern of chemical peel patients.
How a Chemical Peel Works
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Chemical peel procedures, also called chemexfoliation treatments and derma-peeling procedures, are cosmetic treatments performed by plastic surgeons and dermatologists to rejuvenate the facial skin. A common non-surgical anti-aging solution, chemical peels begin with the application of a chemical solution to the cleansed facial skin. The solution is left on between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the depth of the peel and the skin condition.
The solution works to penetrate the skin's surface, and then lift unhealthy, useless skin cells once the solution is peeled off, so that a new layer of skin cells is revealed. The "fresh" visible skin layer should consist of a smoother and more even skin color and texture, that overall appears more youthful and radiant.
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Effects on Melasmas
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Chemical peels are used either as supplemental strategies to plastic surgery or as isolated procedures to fight and reverse the signs of aging in the skin. These signs present one of two categories: texture and/or color. Textural conditions are fine lines and mild wrinkles, and acne scars. Color conditions include a sun-caused spots, unwanted birthmarks, moles, and freckles, and general unevenness.
Unlike laser treatment, chemical peels do not target specific spots of discoloration on the facial skin, and neither do they work as deeply, but they are effective in treating the very surface of the skin and fading discoloration. A chemical peel can fade the appearance of melasmas spots, but how much fading is possible depends on the number of treatments and the depth of the chemical peel.
Chemical Peel Types
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The solution used determines how intensely a chemical peel will affect melasmas. Mild chemical peels use an alphahydroxy acid (AHA) solution, which can slough off the old cells and rejuvenate the skin surface rapidly, with little to no side effects. Moderate or medium peels use a trichloroacetic acid (TCA) solution, which is often used to remove blemishes and moderate wrinkles. This is also the peel typically used to diminish skin discoloration, because while it is highly effective, it does not present the side effects or recovery time of the deep peel.
The deepest chemical peel uses a phenol solution, the highest strength active ingredient used to target deep wrinkles, and skin severely damaged by UV rays. The mild and moderate peels may require multiple treatments to significantly affect melasmas, while the phenol peel requires one treatment.
Side Effects
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Any chemical peel leaves the skin substantially more sensitive to the sun's harmful UV rays. For the mild and moderate peels, the skin may experience flakiness, redness, slight stinging, and itchiness after treatment, though this subsides within a couple of days. Highly concentrated TCA peels sometimes require a pain medication after treatment, because of an uncomfortable throbbing feeling in the skin. Swelling is common after the TCA and phenol peels.
The intense phenol chemical peels yield scabbed and blistered skin after treatment, which lasts for about a week, during which the patient's eyes are swollen and a liquid diet is recommended. Often the patient is told to refrain from trying to speak for a few days after treatment.
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