Chemical Peels: Glycolic, TCA and Deep Peels

How Chemical Peels Work

Chemical Peels are procedures that remove the upper layers of skin, allowing a new skin to grow. These peels vary in depth, from the "lunch hour" glycolic peels, to the "long weekend" TCA peels, to the 2-week phenol or laser peels.

The deeper the peel, the more profound the effects. Superficial peels have minimal "down-time" but require 6 monthly peels before seeing an effect other than exfoliation. They are for people who simply can not take time off to recover. Glycolic peels can gradually reduce splotchiness, but they really can not treat wrinkles. Unlike many practices, Dr. Perry performs all of the peels himself. Beautiful results from peels requires a careful pre-peel program capped off by the artwork of the peel. Dr. Perry does not feel these procedures should be delegated to assistants. Chemical peels are performed at his Park Avenue office in Manhattan and his office in Franklin Park, New Jersey.

The Lightest Peels - Lunch Hour Glycolic Peels

These peels are performed usually with a type of alpha hydroxy acid called glycolic acid. The peels are well formulated, and vary in strength of acid and the time applied. The goal is to not actually peel the skin, but to medically treat the skin. This treatment results in less blotchiness and a more vibrant appearance. There will usually be less brown marks and a thicker skin with more elasticity. The peels are performed monthly for 6 months, and then every few months to maintain the appearance. Between peels, a home program with glycolic acid is used.

TCA Peels - The Weekend Peel

For more dramatic, immediate effects, the TCA peel (similar to the Obagi peel) is used. This peel is best for improving splotchy brown pigmentation of the skin, and it can also help some early wrinkling. The TCA peel is performed in the office. You then go home to hide for 5-6 days (don’t answer the door except on Halloween!). The peel improves the skin for up to a year. Good peel results can be further improved by repeating the peel - there is a cumulative effect with several peels performed every 4-8 weeks but not many people are willing to repeatedly endure the kind of downtime this peel requires.

Phenol Deep Peels

While the deep chemical peel gives spectacular results for profound wrinkles, I rarely perform these peels. Recovery is 2 weeks and these peels always cause lightening of the skin. And, unlike all other peels, these peels are performed in the operating room with monitoring because they can affect your heart. Because of these drawbacks, they have largely been replaced with laser peels.