Ready to peel away that winter dryness and restore your glow with a chemical peel or laser treatment? Are you wondering when the best time of year will be to do this? Since you cover your skin most of the time in winter, getting your treatment within the next few months will ensure an incredible springtime reveal.

While your skin is continuously replenishing itself, with new tissue replacing the old, a chemical peel or laser facial resurfacing customized explicitly for you can notably speed this process. These treatments will remove roughened, wrinkled, or discolored skin from the surface and stimulate the growth of smoother, brighter, more even, and tighter skin.

Why Is Winter the Best Time of Year for a Chemical Peel or Laser Treatment?

Winter is when the weather is on your side for your treatment because it typically is colder and drier, with less moisture in the air. There is also less sunlight, which means lower UV levels and the perfect environment for your skin to heal quickly without the risk of too much sun exposure.

Depending on your needs, Dr. Malena Amato can customize a chemical peel or laser treatment to remove dry and damaged skin. These will enhance your glow and radiance by inducing the production of new collagen and stimulating new healthy skin cell growth.

Stun your family and friends with a new you! Learn more about Dr. Amato’s approach in applying a chemical peel or laser facial resurfacing by contacting her Austin plastic surgery practice to schedule an appointment. 

What Happens During a Chemical Peel?

Dr. Amato uses the TCA (trichloracetic acid) peel to exfoliate and revitalize the skin, restoring a smoother, healthier, youthful glow.

For your chemical peel, different concentrations of TCA are available, depending on the desired treatment outcomes. A customized formulation of TCA can remove the outer layers of the skin and stimulate the production of new, healthy replacement cells. These new cells, generated from collagen, replace those lost during the aging process, resulting in skin that is healthy, full, and supple.

After Dr. Amato thoroughly cleans your skin, she applies the solution to small areas. When completed, she provides a neutralizing solution, followed by a cool compress.

What Happens After a Chemical peel?

Recovering from your chemical peel can take as little as 48 hours for a mild treatment and up to seven days for those that are more intensive.

You’ll need to keep in mind that for a few weeks after your peel, your skin will be more susceptible to UV damage. It’s best to stay out of the sun, but when outside, use a high-SPF sunscreen.

After your peel, your skin immediately looks brighter and may have a pink flush, which will soon disappear. In the days and weeks that follow, you’ll gradually see the full effect of glowing skin with a smoother texture, reduced wrinkles, and healthier, more even appearance.

Other benefits you can expect from a chemical peel include:

• Removal of the outer layer of your skin that has been damaged by toxins, dry conditions, and other factors.
• Reduced acne scars, as well as diminished breakouts.
• Improved skin color, clarity, tone, and texture.
• Improved hydration of your skin.

What Happens During Laser Skin Resurfacing?

Laser facial resurfacing ablates the dermis to bring about an immediate contraction and skin tightening that leads to new collagen production. This non-surgical procedure using an Acupulse CO2 fractional laser is an excellent choice for patients seeking to refresh their skin without having to deal with significant amounts of downtime.

The goal of fractional CO2 laser skin resurfacing, as used by Dr. Amato, is to stimulate the natural collagen production in the skin of your face, neck, chest, and even your hands. 

Since collagen also locks moisture into skin cells, this reverses age-related skin volume loss. You will notice a subtle lift in your facial features, as well as smoother lines and creases. The use of lasers also evens the texture of the skin by removing rough patches, as well as areas where the skin is leathery or crepey in appearance.

Dr. Amato Performs fractionated CO2 laser resurfacing in the office setting under topical and oral sedation. She also may use it in the operating room, typically in conjunction with other surgical procedures. Laser resurfacing can be used to treat the face, neck, and décolletage. 

What Happens After Laser Skin Resurfacing?

Patients will experience redness of the skin and swelling that continues over the next 3 to 5 days, with mild crusting and peeling skin. Many patients find that frequently using moisturizer, soothing dilute vinegar soaks with ice packs, and sunscreen are very useful tools in the recovery period. The recovery period is usually painless, and Dr. Amato sees her patients within the first few days after the procedure to assess their healing process. Once the peeling is complete, there will be fresh, pink, revitalized skin that will continue to improve over the next several weeks.

Dr. Amato may provide both oral and topical medications to help manage any discomfort. While you’ll immediately see improvements in your skin, this will continue for several months after the procedure.

Other benefits you can expect from fractional CO2 laser skin treatments include:

• Minimized sun damage, acne scars, and fine lines
• Improved skin texture and even skin tone
• Stimulated collagen for firmer, more youthful skin
• May help treat pre-cancerous skin lesions
• Minimal downtime

To learn more about Dr. Amato’s approach in applying a chemical peel or laser facial resurfacing in her state-of-the-art clinic, contact her Austin plastic surgery practice and arrange a free consultation to restore your healthy, youthful glow!