Blue Peels
Blue peels are a particular type of medium chemical peel. They employ chemicals (TCA) that
are stronger than those used for micro
peels. Because of this, they are more effective in improving
skin texture, vitality, and freshness. They also impose a brief
recovery period (see "recovery").
Blue peel will revitalize lifeless skin, brighten your complexion, eliminate
fine wrinkles, fade brown spots and other discolorations, make pores
appear smaller, and smooth your skin surface.
A blue peel will NOT (here comes the bad news) affect dynamic wrinkles
such as crows feet, scowl lines, and forehead creases. If these
are your concerns, see Wrinkle Treatments.
Safety of Blue Peels
Because any peeling
agent may potentially cause a burn with subsequent scarring, a physician
should supervise the person performing your peel. Some peels have
built-in safety valves to prevent the technician from allowing the
chemical agent to over penetrate. One safety valve involves blue dye, which is applied along with TCA. The blue color helps the person applying your peel know how deep the chemical has penetrated and is therefore helpful in determining when to stop.
Recovery from Blue Peels
Blue peels will turn your skin blue for the first few days. Then, flaking and peeling begin 4-5 days after your peel and finish within 7-9 days. You may engage in your normal activities (that do not include sun exposure) immediately following your
peel. But, if you have an important event planned, you
will not want to have a peel within 2-3 weeks of that event.
Achieving Maximal Results Through Blue Peels
To achieve optimal
results, you can have your peel repeated as soon as six months.
Thereafter, additional mini or micropeels will help maintain
your result. As with all peels, adherence to a physician-supervised
skin care program will optimize your results and make them more
lasting.
Cost of Blue Peels
As with micro
peels, a nurse or trained skin care technician may perform a blue
peel. Therefore, the price is significantly lower than deeper peels,
which are performed by physicians. Each Blue peel will cost
about $350-$500.
Other Types of Medium Peels
A number of different chemicals may be used to achieve a medium peel. These include highly concentrated glycolic acid, resorcinol, salicylic acid, and
others. Brand names for some of these peels include Blue Peel, Jessner's
Solution. If you do not see the name of your
peeling agent among these, do not be surprised. Multiple reputable
brands exist, and new peeling agents are added to the
market regularly.
Summary
Medium peels offer an inexpensive and highly effective way to optimize
your skin. One disadvantage, however, is discoloration and visible flaking for several days. If your schedule can tolerate this, then you will probably
be pleased with your results.

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