Daily skincare products make a big difference to our skin, but really, there’s no anti-aging treatment as effective and potent as a chemical peel or laser treatment. Both procedures do wonders for your appearance, but which one is best?
It might just be that there isn’t a yes-or-no answer to this. Signs of aging include numerous possibilities, and as such, have different causes. Chemical peels and laser treatments cater to different needs, and therefore, which procedure has better anti-aging effects depends on the sign of aging you want to treat.
Here, Desert Bloom Plastic Surgery looks at the pros and cons associated with each procedure. First, let’s clarify the different signs of aging.
What Leads to Signs of Aging?
Exposure to the elements, gravity, repeated muscle patterns, and reduced biological functionality are the main reasons we start to age. Other factors, such as accidents that leave scarring, can also make us appear older beyond our years.
If the signs of aging giving you grief include fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and discoloration, generally, they affect a large surface area of skin. Scarring, localized pigmentation, broken vessels, and loose skin, on the other hand, are more specific issues and require targeted treatment.
Here is where skin peels and laser treatments differ in their application: Skin peels can treat more general signs of aging, but lasers focus on particular problem areas.
How Do These Procedures Work?
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels use acidic creams to break down the skin. Depending on the strength of the peel, it can remove several layers of skin to eliminate dead and damaged skin cells on the outer layers of the skin.
The strength of the peel determines how deep the peel goes into the skin layers. A light peel removes superficial blemishes, whereas stronger peels expose deep, fresh skin that takes much longer to heal.
Laser Treatments
Lasers use intense bursts of energy to penetrate through the outer layers of skin and address deeper, less superficial signs of aging. Lasers can be ablative and non-ablative. The difference is that ablative lasers destroy and remove skin cells, whereas non-ablative ones don’t break the skin surface.
Like chemical peels, the type of laser determines the healing time associated with the procedures.
So, Is a Peel or Laser Treatment Better?
Minimum downtime with maximum results – that’s what any decent plastic surgeon is helping his patients achieve. With this in mind, the determining factor on which treatment best suits you will depend on what you’re treating.
If you are concerned about an uneven skin tone caused by a bad day in the sun, making you look less radiant than you should, a light chemical peel is the perfect anti-aging treatment for you. By removing only the upper layers of skin, a light peel will restore your even skin tone without exposing overly sensitive skin.
If, however, you wish to address an age spot, a targeted laser is more useful in restoring a flawless complexion.
You can also treat deep wrinkles on your forehead and around your eyes with laser therapy. A chemical peel can fix more delicate lines caused by reduced skin elasticity, but in these instances, some patients find the best results with injectables and dermal fillers.
A breakdown in collagen mainly causes loose, flabby skin. Unlike lasers, chemical peels are unable to promote collagen production. As such, laser treatments to stimulate new collagen growth are highly effective in tightening up loose skin.
Experience the Anti-Aging Advantages of Peels and Lasers
Neither peels or lasers are superior to one another. Both techniques bring separate benefits, depending on your concerns. What determines the effectiveness of your treatment is how well you communicate your aesthetic goals at your consultation.
By choosing a board-certified, experienced, and established team of professionals to perform your anti-aging treatment, you give yourself the best chance at receiving advice that will most effectively get you the results you desire.
Here at Desert Bloom Plastic Surgery, our specialty is treating the aging face. To book a consultation with a team of the highest caliber, please don’t hesitate to call 435-627-8150 or fill out our online form.
