What To Expect With Chemical Peel

What To Expect With Chemical Peel .,, What precisely are they, and why do the Hollywood set and the wellness set love them so much? Peeling your skin with a chemical solution can help you look younger and more refreshed. To remove all the damaged skin, it takes numerous treatments performed in a medical setting by a certified aesthetician or dermatologist.

Redness and flaking (similar to a sunburn) may occur for a few days after a chemical peel, but healing is rapid, typically taking place within two weeks. During this time, you should avoid direct sunlight to prevent damaging your fresh skin.

Chemical peels can give your skin the rejuvenation it needs to look and feel youthful like it used to. Many people want to know what they can expect, so I’m going to share with you all of the basics and my personal experience with chemical peel. Read on to learn more Chemical Peel Aftercare/chemical peel side effects.

What To Expect With Chemical Peel

From active acne and its scars to age spots, wrinkles, and sun damage, chemical peels can solve a lot of facial issues by causing your outer skin layers to lift off and flake away. Your chemical peel may contain one or more of a variety of acids, depending on your specific complaints, how long you’ve had them, and how deep within your skin layers they reside. 

Our master aestheticians at Gago Wellness in Brighton, Michigan expertly analyze your skin to determine the best treatment for reversing the effects of age, sunlight, and acne. Often, we recommend the Forever Young BroadBand™ Light (BBL) intensed pulsed light treatment to rejuvenate your skin from the inside out, which increases your collagen production and promotes cell regeneration. 

Chemical peels are also highly effective either as a stand-alone treatment or as a companion treatment to BBL, and we often administer them in between your BBL sessions throughout the year, alternating treatments for maximum results. 

But if you’re new to chemical peels and are wondering what to expect, here’s an overview that will familiarize you with the process and help you anticipate the days and weeks following your treatment. 

The day of your chemical peel

All chemical peels start with a thorough skin cleansing here in our office. If you’re getting a light or medium peel, we can begin the treatment right away, but if you’re getting a deep peel, we may give you a mild sedative to keep you comfortable. 

One of our experienced aestheticians uses a brush or cotton applicator to apply the chemical solution directly to your skin. As it sits on the surface, you may notice that your skin starts to whiten or look grayish. 

Most people feel some slight stinging as the acids penetrate the skin, and the stronger the chemicals, the stronger the sensation. If you get a medium peel, we offer you a handheld fan to cool your skin and ease the mild discomfort. 

When the treatment is over in 20-90 minutes (again, depending on your goals, the solution, and your skin), we neutralize the acid and remove it from your skin. 

The days and weeks following your chemical peel

Immediately following your chemical peel, you can expect your face to be red, tender, and somewhat swollen. We give you specific aftercare instructions according to the type of chemical peel you received, but in all cases you should avoid scratching, rubbing, and picking at your skin. 

It gets worse before it gets better

During the first few days, you may notice some or all of the following effects:

• Dryness
• Flakiness
• Discoloration
• Breakouts

Of course, peeling is the signature characteristic of this effective skin treatment, so do expect to see some flaking. As your skin layers slough off, though, they take with them the age spots, wrinkles, and sun damage they contain.

The peel typically occurs between days three and four after your treatment. It’s best to let the peeling take place naturally, allowing it to flake away on its own without pulling at it.

After a light peel, skin typically heals completely in about a week, but medium and deep peels can take two weeks or more. While your skin is healing, make sure to protect it with a good broad-spectrum sunscreen and skip the makeup until we give you the green light.

Will my skin look dramatically different?

Chemical peel results vary from person to person and depend on several variables, including your age, the condition of your skin, the severity of the blemishes and discoloration, and the solution used. Most of our patients love their results and schedule a few follow-up sessions to achieve their ultimate goals. 

For even more noticeable improvement, consider Forever Young BBL, which tackles some of the same skin issues from a different angle. This noninvasive treatment sends therapeutic light beams down through the layers of your skin to heal and rejuvenate without damaging any of your skin tissue.

Chemical Peel Aftercare

Leave the peel on for 4-6 hours, then gently wash it off with warm water ONLY. 2) For the first 2 days, wash your face/body with warm water only, TWICE a day. Then apply moisturizer with sunscreen to face/body (AT LEAST SPF 44), as many times a day as needed.

1) Leave the peel on for 4-6 hours, then gently wash it off with warm water ONLY.

2) For the first 2 days, wash your face/body with warm water only, TWICE a day. Then apply moisturizer with sunscreen to face/body (AT LEAST SPF 44), as many times a day as needed.

3) From days 3-5, wash with a gentle cleanser (such as Cetaphil or Dove, no fragrance), followed by sunscreen.

4) From day 6-10 you may wash (with either a gentle cleanser or Eternal Clarifying Polish) TWICE a day, followed by sunscreen in the daytime.

5) Resume normal skin care routine on day 10 after your chemical peel, or when all the peeling has subsided.

***Call the office immediately if you have any issues after the procedure (301) 679-5772.

AFTER YOUR PEEL: It is crucial to the success of your peel that these guidelines be followed:

– Do not go swimming for at least 24 hours post-treatment.

– No exercise that causes sweating, Jacuzzi, sauna, or steam baths until the skin is healed.

– Do not use makeup for 24 hours post- treatment.

– If Retinoic Acid is used as part of your treatment, your skin will have a light yellow tinge immediately after the procedure. This is temporary and will fade in 1 to 2 hours. It is recommended to wait until the evening to wash your face, however if you should choose to wash it sooner, please wait at least 2 hours.

– It is important that you avoid direct sunlight for at least 1 week, and make using a sunscreen with at least SPF40 a long term part of your daily routine.                      

– Patients with sensitivity to the sun should take extra precautions to guard against sun exposure following the procedure as they may be more sensitive following the peel.

– Your skin may be more red than usual for 2-3 days.

-Approximately 24-48 hours after the treatment, your skin will start to peel. This peeling will generally last 2 to 7 days. DO NOT PICK OR PULL THE SKIN.

-Apply a light moisturizer with sunscreen as often as needed to relieve dryness and tightness.

-Do not have any other facial treatments for at least two weeks after your peel.

• Botox is used as a therapeutic treatment for many conditions, including for prevention of migraine headaches, and Botox Cosmetic is used for aesthetic purposes to lessen wrinkles like crow’s feet or forehead lines.
• Botox and Botox Cosmetic are prescription medicines that both contain the active ingredient onabotulinumtoxinA, but they come as separate products.
• Originally when Botox was first approved for wrinkles, doctors found it all also helped patients with migraine headaches. It was eventually approved by the FDA for migraine prevention in 2010.
• Both treatments are given as injections into the muscles of the face, neck or head, depending upon the use. You will need more injections per session for migraine prevention than for wrinkle treatment.
• Botox (for the treatment of chronic migraine) and Botox Cosmetic are for use in adults only.

Learn More: Compare Botox vs Botox Cosmetic

In addition to prevention of chronic migraine headache in adults, Botox is also approved to treat:

• overactive bladder
• leakage of urine (incontinence) in adults with overactive bladder due to neurologic disease
• muscle spasticity
• cervical dystonia (abnormal head position and neck pain)
• certain types of eye muscle problems or eyelid spasms
• severe underarm sweating

Botox Cosmetic is approved for adults to temporarily help improve the look of moderate to severe facial wrinkles:

• forehead lines
• crow’s feet lines
• frown lines between the eyebrows.

Botox Cosmetic is supplied in different unit vial sizes from Botox.

• Botox used for migraine comes in 100 and 200 unit single-use vials, while Botox Cosmetic for wrinkles comes in 50 and 100 unit single-use vials.
• Reconstitution and dilution instructions in the package insert vary between these two products.
• Potency Units of Botox Cosmetic or Botox are not interchangeable with other preparations of botulinum toxin products.

Botox dose for migraine: The recommended total dose for chronic migraine is 155 Units, as 0.1 mL (5 Units) injections per each site divided across 7 head/neck muscle areas, for a total of 31 individual injections. These areas include the forehead, bridge of the nose, the temples, the neck, the back of the head, and just above the shoulder blades in your upper back.

Botox Cosmetic dose for wrinkles: The recommended dose for wrinkles varies based on wrinkle type and typically ranges from 20 to 24 units per wrinkle area. The units per injection site will vary by patient and can be determined by a qualified injector for optimal results.

Can I get Botox and Botox Cosmetic at the same time?

Yes, you can receive Botox and Botox Cosmetic for different uses at the same time as long as the total dose received of onabotulinumtoxinA does not exceed 400 Units administered in a 3 month period for adults.

You may also receive Botox Cosmetic treatment for treatment of different wrinkle areas at the same time. It is not known if Botox Cosmetic is safe and effective for use more than once every 3 months.

The dilution and the resulting units per 0.1 mL (as noted in the package insert) are different between Botox and Botox Cosmetic. Health care providers should see the specific instructions for reconstitution and administration of each product.

Warnings: Botox and Botox Cosmetic may cause serious side effects that can happen hours, days, or weeks after an injection and can be life threatening. These include:

• Problems breathing or swallowing
• Spread of toxin effects (leading to symptoms of a serious condition called botulism)

Call your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of these problems after treatment.

According to the manufacturer, there has NOT been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect away from the injection site when Botox has been used at the recommended dose to treat chronic migraine or when Botox Cosmetic has been used at the recommended dose to treat approved wrinkle areas.

What are Botox or Botox Cosmetic side effects?

• dry mouth
• discomfort or pain at the injection site
• tiredness
• headache
• neck pain
• eye problem
• drooping eyebrow
• urinary tract infection and painful urination
• inability to empty your bladder
• allergic reaction
• upper respiratory tract infection

Review these warnings and side effects in this Medication Guide for Botox and Botox Cosmetic. Tell your doctor if you have a side effect that does not go away or that concerns you.

Bottom Line

• Botox Cosmetic is used for aesthetic purposes for wrinkles and Botox is used as a therapeutic treatment for many medical conditions, including migraine headache prevention.
• Botox Cosmetic and Botox come as separate products but are both prescription medicines that contain the active ingredient onabotulinumtoxinA.
• The number of injections needed for migraine prevention are more than the number needed for wrinkle treatment.
• Both products are given as injections into the muscles of the face, neck or head, depending upon the use. You can receive both products as long as the total amount does not exceed 400 Units administered in a 3 month period for adults.

This is not all the information you need to know about Botox or Botox Cosmetic for safe and effective use for migraine. Review the full Botox or Botox Cosmetic information here, and discuss this information and questions with your doctor or other healthcare provider.

chemical peel side effects

Potential Side Effect of Chemical Peels
Reactivation of Cold Sores
After infection, the virus enters the nerve cells and travels up the nerve until it comes to a place called a ganglion. There, it resides quietly in a stage that is referred to as “dormant” or “latent.” At times, the virus can become active and start replicating again and travel down the nerve to the skin, causing sore outbreaks. The exact mechanism behind this is not clear, but it is known that some conditions seem to trigger recurrences, including

a fever, a cold, or the flu;
UV rays (sun exposure or a sunburn);
emotional or physical stress (such as an illness or surgery);
weakening of the immune system;
trauma to the involved area such as dental work; and
sometimes there is no apparent cause of the recurrence.
Read more about cold sores (oral herpes) »

What is a chemical peel?
A chemical peel involves the application of toxic chemical solutions to the skin in a controlled manner, producing controlled tissue death. The desired depth of the wound is dependent upon the condition to be treated. After the peel, the skin regenerates. The damaged skin regenerates from deeper layers of the epidermis and from the superficial dermis.

What are the different types of chemical peels?
Chemical peels are broadly defined by the depth of damage in the skin that they produce. They are categorized as superficial (lunchtime peel), medium, and deep. Superficial peels do not damage skin below the epidermis, the most superficial skin layer. Medium peels may reach to the superficial layer of the dermis, the deeper layer of the skin. Deep peels generally reach the deeper layers of the dermis.

I’ve suffered from migraine headaches since I was in my early teens. Over the years, I’ve missed out on much-anticipated trips, concerts, and family parties as I lay in bed with my head throbbing and the lights off. Migraine makes it nearly impossible to plan in advance and turns you into a flaky friend, which takes a toll on your relationships.

I thought I had tried everything-Advil, beta-blockers, Topamax-but none of them gave me the results I was looking for. Then a few years ago, my neurologist suggested I try Botox to manage my migraines. I knew about the drug’s wrinkle-reducing effects (I watch the Real Housewives franchises and Keeping Up With the Kardashians, after all), but I didn’t know that the same drug is a well-regarded preventative treatment for chronic migraine.

Admittedly I was hesitant about getting dozens of shots injected into my head, neck, and shoulders on a regular basis, but my misery made me open to trying it. Despite my initial concerns, Botox shots have completely changed how I control my migraine attacks. Though I’m still good for one or two migraines each month, Botox has drastically reduced the frequency of these attacks.

If you’re a fellow member of the migraine club, please accept my sympathy, and then read up on these must-know points about Botox for chronic migraine.

 The 14 Different Kinds Of Headaches You Can Get-And How To Treat Each One

First: What exactly is a migraine?

Most people believe a migraine is just a bad headache, but it can be more than that. According to the American Migraine Foundation (AMF), a migraine (sometimes just referred to as “migraine”) is a “disabling neurological disease with different symptoms and different treatment approaches compared to other headache disorders.”

It’s also important to note that, while some headaches can be the cause of underlying conditions (those are known as secondary headaches), migraines are usually their own thing. “Migraine is the most common primary headache disorder, which means that it’s not happening because of a tumor or an infection. It’s just how your brain is wired,” Umer Najib, MD, a board-certified neurologist and the director of the headache medicine fellowship program at West Virginia University, tells Health.

“Pain is often the predominant symptom, though many patients have other symptoms that can actually be more bothersome than the pain itself,” says Dr. Najib. Ferhad Bashir, MD, a neurologist with Mischer Neuroscience Center at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center in Texas, goes a step further: “It’s a state of misery,” he tells Health. “During that time period, you’re not yourself. If you’re at work, you can’t produce at your optimum level. If you’re a parent, you can’t enjoy time with your kids.”

Those additional symptoms, aside from often disabling pain, include:

• Sensitivity to light, sound, or strong smells
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Excessive Fatigue
• Language, speech, or balance problems
• Visual disturbances, like seeing zig zags, flashes of light, or blind spots.

It’s not entirely clear what causes migraine, though researchers believe that there’s a genetic component to the neurological condition, according to the US National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus resource. But the condition-which affects more than 37 million people in the US alone-is thought to have quite a few triggers, including stress, anxiety, caffeine (or caffeine withdrawal), and certain medications.

Migraine is also about three times more common in women, per the AMF, which points to a possible connection to fluctuating hormones. “For a lot of women with migraine, menses can trigger an attack,” Megan Donnelly, DO, a board-certified headache specialist and neurologist, and the director of headache and women’s neurology at Novant Health in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells Health. “We also have changes in migraine frequency in pregnancy and postpartum, as well as related to perimenopause.”

There’s no cure for migraines, per MedlinePlus. Instead, treatment mainly focuses on relieving symptoms and preventing or lessening future attacks through a combination of medications and lifestyle changes. This, in some cases, is where Botox-aka Onabotulinumtoxin A or Botox A-comes into play.

 5 Women on What It Really Feels Like to Have a Migraine

How does Botox for help migraine?

Botox is a preventative therapy for migraine, meaning that it can reduce the frequency of migraine, but it won’t stop one once it’s begun. Though Botox has been an FDA-approved treatment for chronic migraine for more than a decade, per the AMF, the science behind how it battles the disease is still a bit of a mystery.

Technically speaking, the AMF says that Botox is injected into the pain fibers in the head, neck, and back that are involved in headaches. That Botox then blocks the release of chemicals involved in pain transmission, which then prevents activation of pain networks the brain.

Why Botox works in this way, however, is still not well understood. “We have animal data that shows that Botox causes a change in a certain type of calcium channel in the meninges, which is the covering of the brain as well as the critical part of the migraine process,” says Dr. Najib. “We think that’s how it suppresses migraine.”

Despite Botox’s efficacy (patients reported that two rounds of shots reduced their headache days by roughly 50 percent, per the AMF), Dr. Najib notes that the drug isn’t a cure-all. “As long as the disease is still active, you’ll have breakthrough headaches,” he says.

Because of that, some patients find that they need another preventative treatment, like an oral medication, in addition to their shots. It’s also common to need a rescue drug, and the risk of drug interaction is minimal.

Choosing a treatment of preventative method for migraine is a highly personal choice that should be done in close contact with your doctor. Here’s more of what I learned about Botox and migraine during my own journey-and what I want those considering the treatment to know.

 This Explains Why You Want to Crawl Into a Dark Closet When You Have a Migraine

It’s only approved for chronic migraine

Botox is FDA-approved to treat chronic migraine in adults, which is defined as more than 15 migraine days per month. It’s not approved for other kinds of headaches, like tension or cluster, nor is it approved for children or adolescents (if it’s used for them, it’s considered “off-label use”).

You’ll have to get dozens of shots

Though migraine symptoms vary from person to person, Botox for migraine is standardized. Every three months you’ll receive 31 shots (yes, you read that correctly) totaling up to 155 units of Botox. This includes injections in specific spots in the forehead, temples, back of the head, neck, upper back, and shoulders.

If you’ve got a particular concern, like muscle spasticity or tightness in the shoulders, your provider may adjust the shot pattern to tackle that specific issue.

If Botox is working for you, there’s no known health risk associated with staying on it indefinitely, though it’s not approved for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding because of minimal studies in these groups.

The risk of side effects is low

“Botox injections can occasionally trigger a headache, muscle weakness and neck pain, but this is rare,” Kerry Knievel, DO, director of the Jan & Tom Lewis Migraine Treatment Program at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, tells Health. “Eyelid and eyebrow asymmetry and droop can happen, but to prevent this we recommend that patients refrain from rubbing their foreheads or wearing a hat for 24 hours after their injections to prevent the Botox from spreading from the area we intend for it to be.”

In fact, Botox’s limited side effects are part of its appeal. “It’s not addicting. You don’t have to take a pill every day. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does work for a significant amount of people. That’s why Botox is amazing,” says Dr. Bashir.

Your insurance may or may not cover it

Because it’s an FDA-approved treatment, your health insurance may cover all or most of the cost of Botox, though this depends on your specific plan. The drug manufacturer also offers a savings program that can help offset some of the expense.

To get approval, your insurance company may want to see that you’ve “failed” on two or three oral preventatives first. You may also need to keep a headache diary (I track mine in a note on my phone) that shows you’re having 15 or more headache days per month.

Once you’ve started the shots, your insurance will probably require documentation of improvement to continue paying for the treatment. Depending on your plan, you may also need to come for a follow-up visit between shots.

Note, however, that if Botox is used as an off-label treatment (meaning it’s used in a way not approved by the FDA, like in children or adolescents), insurance companies may not cover it, per the AMF.

It can take several months to see results

If you don’t experience relief from migraine right away, don’t swear off the treatment immediately. Dr. Najib recommends trying two rounds of Botox before making a decision about whether it’s working for you. Even if the treatment ends up helping after the first round, he says results typically take two to four weeks to kick in. There’s no taper required to discontinue the treatment.

It’s a little different than the Botox you receive from your esthetician

Though the same drug is used for both migraine prevention and cosmetic purposes, the amount and placement of Botox varies depending on your goals.

You may find some level of relief when you get Botox for cosmetic purposes. However, when you receive Botox from an esthetician, you’re not getting injections in the same spots as you would in a doctor’s office. This means you’ll miss the drug’s full migraine-busting effect.

You can technically get Botox for migraine and for cosmetic reasons at the same time-but you may not want to

This is where it gets a little murky, and opinions vary depending on who you ask. The manufacturer of Botox recommends not exceeding 400 units in a three-month span. Since your neurologist will administer 155 units, technically you have wiggle room if you want to visit an esthetician for Botox, too. However, this can be problematic.

“There is a theoretical risk of developing antibodies to Botox if it’s given more frequently,” explains Dr. Donnelly. If you’d like to do both, it’s best to check with your provider before booking an appointment with your esthetician.

Overall, if you’re finding yourself planning your life around your migraines, you may want to make it a point to chat with your doctor about using this multitasking drug to reduce the frequency of the attacks. I know doing so has drastically changed my life-and it might help you, too.