CHEMICAL SKIN PEEL - patient instructions

Skin peeling involves an application of a chemical solution to sun-damaged, unevenly pigmented, and finely wrinkled facial areas. The procedure is meant to diminish imperfections by peeling away the skin's top layers. It has proven to be a very popular nonsurgical cosmetic procedure. Chemical peels vary according to their specific ingredients and their strength. Depth of peeling action may also depend on factors such as how long solutions remain on the skin and whether they are lightly applied, or more heavily or vigorously applied.

A chemical peel is typically done in an office-based procedure room or outpatient surgical or aesthetic facility. Before the procedure,  the skin specialist will clean your face and might cover your eyes with ointment, gauze, tape or goggles. He or she might also protect your hair. The specialist will select the best chemical or chemical mix for the individual patient. 

Pain relief isn't typically needed for a light chemical peel.

If you're having a medium chemical peel, you might have the option of taking a sedative and a painkiller.If you're having a deep chemical peel, your doctor will likely numb your skin with a local anesthetic and give you a sedative or use regional anesthesia — which numbs a certain part of your body.

A solution is applied using a sponge, cotton pad, cotton swab or brush to the areas to be treated (or the entire face, avoiding the eyes, brows and lips). Generally, the most superficial peels are those using alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), such as glycolic, lactic or fruit acid. Various concentrations of an AHA may be applied weekly or at longer intervals to obtain the best result. A trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peel is stronger, and has a greater depth of peel compared to AHA's.

AHA:

• No anesthesia or sedation is needed, and the patient will feel only a mild tingling or stinging sensation when the solution is applied.
• Sometimes a single treatment will give skin a healthier, radiant look.
• No downtime - patient can immediately resume normal activities.
• Can be mixed with a facial cream or wash in milder concentrations as part of a daily skin-care regimen.

TCA:

• TCA is especially effective in treating darker-skinned patients.
• Can possibly be used to achieve some effects of a deep peel, depending on the concentration and manner of application.
• Generally shorter recovery time than with a deep (phenol) peel.

Both:

• Short, safe procedure.
• No covering or after-peel ointment is necessary.
• Other Considerations:

During the procedure

During a light chemical peel:

• A brush, cotton ball, gauze or sponge will be used to apply a chemical solution typically containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
• You might feel mild stinging while the chemical solution is on your skin — up to 10 minutes.
• At the end the skin specialist will apply a neutralizing solution or wash treated skin to remove the chemical solution.

During a medium chemical peel:

• Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator or gauze to apply a chemical solution containing trichloroacetic acid, sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
• After a few minutes, your doctor will apply cool compresses to soothe treated skin. You might also be given a hand-held fan to cool your skin. No neutralizing solution is needed, however.
• You might feel stinging and burning for up to 20 minutes.

During a deep chemical peel:

• You'll be given intravenous (IV) fluids and your heart rate will be closely monitored.
• Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply carbolic acid (phenol) to your skin. Treated skin will begin to turn white or gray.
• To limit your exposure to phenol, your doctor will do the procedure in portions at 10- to 20-minute intervals. A full-facial procedure might take 60 to 90 minutes.

After the procedure

After a chemical peel of any depth, follow your doctor's directions for cleansing, moisturizing and applying protective ointments to your skin.
After a light chemical peel, treated skin will be red, dry and mildly irritated — although these effects might be less noticeable with each repeat treatment. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the area. In some cases, a crust might form over treated skin as it begins to heal.
Treated areas develop new skin about three to seven days after a light chemical peel. New skin might temporarily be lighter or darker than normal.
After a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be red, tight and swollen. You'll feel stinging. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the area. Use ice packs for comfort and sleep in a semi-reclined position to reduce swelling.
You'll likely schedule a checkup 24 hours after treatment and another checkup two to three days after treatment so that your doctor can monitor healing.
As swelling decreases, treated skin will begin to form a crust and might darken or develop brown blotches. Treated areas develop new skin about five to seven days after a medium chemical peel, but redness might last for months.
After a deep chemical peel, you'll experience severe redness and swelling. You'll also feel burning and throbbing, and your eyelids might swell shut. Your doctor will apply a watertight dressing containing zinc oxide to treated skin. He or she might also prescribe painkillers. Sleep in a semi-reclined position to reduce swelling.
You'll likely schedule a checkup 24 or 48 hours after treatment so that your doctor can remove the dressing and clear away any yellowish liquid oozing from treated skin.
Treated areas will develop new skin within about two weeks after a deep chemical peel, although cysts or white spots might appear for several weeks and redness might last for months. Treated skin might become darker or lighter than normal or lose the ability to tan.
You might prefer to remain at home while you're healing from a chemical peel. Once new skin completely covers the treated area, you can use cosmetics to conceal any redness.

MELANOMA - screening is the best prevention

The incidence of melanoma increases during the last decade. This is the reason why I am discussing the ABCDE rules of a melanoma.

Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer so common and obvious at the same time that doctors encourage self-detection. The detection is based on the mnemonic ABCDE:

• Asymmetry of the spot.
• Border: irregular.
• Color: varies.
• Diameter: large.
• Evolution of the spot.

The tests is simple, it’s tempting to try to design the overall aspect of the lesion :

Asymmetry: one half unlike the other half.

Border: Irregular, scalloped or poorly defined border.

Color:  Most normal moles are uniform in color. But varied shades of brown, tan, or black may be a sign of melanoma.

Diameter: a mole smaller than a pencil eraser is probably not cancerous.

Finally, the evolution of the spot: “the change of a spot may indicate that the lesion is becoming malignant”.

Do this test on regular basis,  and if you have any questions ask your skin specialist. This can be a live saver ...

General information on melanoma you will find here.

In our lab we developed the SERUM HYDROCAPTEUR of Longiderm where the NDGA plays a major role in the prevention of skin cancer.

Free Radicals

What are free radicals and how do they affect the condition of my skin?
Free radicals are created as an essential part of life when energy produced in the cells. During this process, free radicals are produced that are highly charged oxygen molecules and are harmful to the skin and the body in general. They are usually neutralized by antioxidants like vitamins C, E, etc. However, when the body is overwhelmed by free radicals, they overcome the antioxidants available, which may lead to wrinkling on the skin and may also be associated with precancerous and cancerous skin legions. The most common causes of free radicals are excess sun, smoking, stress and obesity. The best way to fight free radicals is with natural antioxidants, as well as topical antioxidant creams or lotions. The LONGIDERM Team worked on these subject.

Free radicals can steal an electron and break down another biomolecule such as loose proteins, sugars, fatty acids, etc. that are NOT part of a larger chemical structure. In these cases the free radical does little damage. If a free radical steals an electron from one of the proteins that is contained in a strand of collagen (rather than a loose protein), it causes a change in the chemical structure of the collagen at that point and causes a break in the collagen strand. This is damage. Once a bundle of collagen has multiple points of damage which occurs over years, the strand of collagen becomes dysfunctional and loses its elastic quality. The skin begins to sag. Over time free radical damage happens to the various components of the body and this damage is progressive.

Free radicals chip away at cell walls, molecule by molecule, making holes. The cells leak and lose their chemical balances. Subsequent free radicals are able to chip away at DNA, making cells dysfunctional. If this damage affects cellular DNA, the cell may malfunction and this is what happens cell by cell over the lifetime of a human being, ultimately causing entire organs to malfunction, because their cells malfunction. If the DNA of basal keratinocytes, for example, are damaged the cells may become dysfunctional and the basal cells will reproduce cells that are equally as damaged and dysfunctional, resulting in the aging and dysfunction of the skin and its various components. Aging is simply the progression of damage, caused by free radicals.

More about the LONGIDERM ultrasound:

Ultrasound (sonophoresis, phonophoresis and ultraphonophoresis) is a technique for increasing the skin permeation of ingredients using ultrasound as a physical force. It is a combination of ultrasound therapy with topical delivery of actives to achieve elevated concentrations of the molecules at selected sites in the skin. In this technique, the ingredients of the selected serum or gel are used to transfers ultrasonic energy from the device to the skin. The gel or serum is the coupling medium. Application of ultrasound enhances skin permeability. The mechanism of transdermal skin permeation involves disruption of the stratum corneum lipids, thus allowing the drug to pass through the skin. A corresponding reduction in skin resistance was observed due to cavitation, microstreaming and heat generation.

Key Points

• Ultrasound enhance the absorption of actives when the formulation is applied to the skin
• Absorption of actives increased with longer exposure time and eventually use of an occlusive dressing.

OTHER CLINICAL EFFECTS of ULTRASOUND :

- Stimulation of collagen and elastin fibre synthesis.
- Reduction wrinkles and fine lines.
- Reduction of pigmental changes and eliminationof comedomes.
- Helps to control and prevent acne. Fades acne scars.
- Facilitates the elimination of toxins and metabolites.
- Provides a lymphatic drainage.

ACNE, a major problem ...

HOW DOES ACNE DEVELOP? 

We have 4 steps involved in the development of an acne lesion.

• Hair follicles become blocked with an overabundance of normal skin cells. These cells combine with sebum (an oily substance that lubricates the hair and skin), creating a plug in the follicle.
• The glands that produce sebum, known as sebaceous glands, enlarge during adolescence and sebum production increases. Numerous sebaceous glands are found on the face, neck, chest, upper back, and upper arms.
• The increase in sebum production allows for the overgrowth of bacteria that normally lives on the skin.
• Bacterial overgrowth causes local inflammation, which causes rupture of the follicle. This can lead to the formation of a red or tender pimple.

ACNE CAUSES

Hormonal changes — Hormonal changes during adolescence cause the sebaceous glands to become enlarged and sebum production increases. In most people with acne, hormone levels are normal, but the sebaceous glands are highly sensitive to the hormones.

Less often, women's hormone levels are affected by an underlying medical problem known as polycystic ovary syndrome.Acne tends to resolve between ages 30 to 40, although it can persist into or develop for the first time during adulthood. Post-adolescent acne predominantly affects women, in contrast to adolescent acne, which predominantly affects men. Acne can flare before a woman's menstrual period, especially in women older than 30 years.

External factors — Oil-based cosmetics may contribute to the development of acne. Oils and greases in hair products can also worsen skin lesions. Water-based or "non-comedogenic" products are less likely to worsen acne.

People with acne often use soaps and astringents. While these treatments remove sebum from the skin surface, they do not decrease sebum production; frequent or aggressive scrubbing with these agents can actually worsen acne.

Diet — The role of diet in acne is controversial. Some studies have found weak associations between cow's milk and an increased risk of acne, perhaps because of hormones that occur naturally in milk. However, there is no strong evidence that milk, high-fat foods or chocolate increase the risk of acne.

Stress — Psychological stress can probably worsen acne. In several studies of students, acne severity appeared to worsen during times of increased stress.

ACNE TREATMENT 

You have to know that there is no single best treatment for acne, and combinations of treatments are sometimes recommended. this is the reason why in the lab we made several product, this to focus on each kind of acne and each phase.  Since acne lesions take at least eight weeks to mature, you should use a treatment for a minimum of two to three months before deciding if the treatment is effective. So be patient ...

Skin care is an important aspect of acne treatment. Go to our website to see the LONGIDERM products.

Skin hygiene — Wash your face no more than twice daily using a gentle foaming cleanser and warm (not hot) water. Some providers recommend avoiding use of a washcloth or loofah, and instead using the hands to wash the face. Vigorous washing or scrubbing can worsen acne and damage the skin's surface.

Do not pick or squeeze pimples because this may worsen acne and cause skin swelling and scarring. It can also cause lesions to become infected. The purifying foamer of LONGIDERM has the following ingredients:

• - SALIX ALBA soothes irritations and induces a keratolytic effect that unclogs pores.
• - ROSMARIN EXTRACT refreshes the skin, helps control the growth of micro-organisms and strengthens the skin’s natural defence mechanism thanks to its antioxidant properties.
• - AZELAIC ACID is a multifunctional ingredient that acts on hyperseborrhea and balances the production and secretion of sebum thanks to its keratolytic and sebo-regulating properties. This acid has moisturising, anti-inflammatory and brightening effects.
• - ARGININ deeply purifies the skin, soothes and stimulates cellular metabolism.
• - CAPRYLOYL GLYCINE is a sebo-regulating agent that cleanses the skin while keeping it moisturised. It acts against the proliferation of micro-organisms.

 This foam is available in a 100 ml foam dispenser.

Moisturizers — Use of a moisturizer minimizes dryness and skin peeling, which are common side effects of some acne treatments. Moisturizers that are labeled as "non-comedogenic" are less likely to block skin pores. Do not use products that are drying out your skin. In the beginning it will be ok, but later onyour acne will get worse. sebum will plugged in the pores ... with a relapse of the acne.

The LONGIDERM purifying lotion has a toning, astringent and soothing properties completes the daily cleansing of oily and acne-prone skin. It tightens the pores and leaves the skin looking clearer and healthier. It also induces a keratolytic effect in order to avoid the skin plugs.The ingredients are :

• - ALCOHOL refreshes, degreases and disinfects the skin.
• - AZELAIC ACID acts on hyperseborrhea and balances the production and secretion of sebum. It improves the skin’s moisture, suppleness and complexion.
• - SALICYLIC ACID is an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent that prevents the growth of micro-organisms and keeps the skin moisturised. It supports the skin’s defence mechanism thanks to its antiradical properties.
• - SALIX ALBA soothes irritations and normalises keratinisation. It prevents dead cells and impurities from accumulating and clogging pores.
• - ARGININE deeply purifies the skin, soothes and stimulates cellular metabolism.
• - VITAMIN C is an antioxidant that helps to scavenge free radicals, encourages collagen synthesis and optimizes cell renewal. It will lso avoid hyperpigmentation around a pimple.

Sun protection — Some acne treatments increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight (eg, retinoids, doxycycline). To minimize skin damage from the sun, avoid excessive sun exposure and use a sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher before sun exposure.

A combination of two medications, usually benzoylperoxide with a topical antibiotic or retinoid (eg, tretinoin), are the most prescribed by doctors. We tried to avoid benzoyl peroxide since it give a lot of free radicals to your skin. We replaced totally with a new idea using sodium ascorbyl phosphate. At the same time you have a strong antioxidant on your skin, and this will also fade out hyperpigmentation (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) arround your pimples and scars.

Benzoyl peroxide can irritate the skin, sometimes causing redness and skin flaking, and it can bleach clothing, towels, bedding, and hair.

Hello,

I am one of the R&D specialists of a Spanish company named DermAlliance SL based in Girona which produces the brand LONGIDERM. You can visit our site on www.dermalliance.eu.

We start a new blog on skin and hair concerns. I will try to give some information about the latest evolution on these subjects.
Several topics will be dicussed.