Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are offered at this Chicago Old Town practice as part of the medical aesthetic skin treatment menu, addressing sun damage, uneven skin tone, fine lines, and skin texture irregularities through the controlled application of chemical exfoliant solutions including retinol-based formulations. Peel depth ranges from superficial to medium depending on the concern being treated and the patient's skin type. Treatments are typically completed in under 30 minutes with recovery time ranging from none for superficial peels to several days of peeling for deeper formulations.

Chemical peel treatments at this Chicago facial plastic surgery practice are delivered within a medical context that allows for stronger formulations and more controlled outcomes than those available in non-physician-led settings. The practice performs retinol-based chemical peels among other formulations, using the controlled application of chemical agents to the skin surface to induce a precisely calibrated injury response that drives exfoliation of the damaged superficial layers and stimulates the regenerative process of new cell turnover and collagen synthesis in the dermis. Superficial peels using low-concentration alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic, lactic, mandelic) or beta-hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) address the very outermost stratum corneum layers, producing a mild exfoliant effect with no social downtime, improved skin luminosity, and modest correction of superficial sun damage and irregular pigmentation over a series of monthly treatments. Medium-depth peels penetrating to the upper papillary dermis — using trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at appropriate concentrations or combination peel systems — provide more substantial correction of moderate photodamage, solar lentigines, and fine surface lines, with three to seven days of visible peeling and redness. The retinol peel formulation highlighted by the practice promotes surface renewal through retinoid receptor activation in the dermis, stimulating fibroblast activity and collagen production alongside the surface exfoliant effect. Chemical peels are frequently combined with laser treatments, microneedling, or injectable appointments as part of a comprehensive skin rejuvenation plan. The practice's esthetician provides guidance on pre-peel skin preparation — typically involving a retinoid priming regimen — and post-peel care to optimise results and reduce the risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation in susceptible skin types.