Medium-Depth Peels and Trichloroacetic Acid Blue Peel Flashcards
when does “intrinsic aging” starts?
- Starting around the age of 18 years
- there is a natural decline in fibroblast function resulting in decreased collagen and
elastin production - referred to as “intrinsic aging”
- This reduction is on the order of ~1% per year starting at the age of 18 years
external factors that are known to accelerate aging process?
- ultraviolet radiation (UVR)
- high-energy visible light
- infrared light
- known as “extrinsic aging”
changes at epidermal level from “intrinsic” vs “extrinsic” aging
- normal cycling of the keratinocytes slows with age
- with extrinsic aging, epidermis begins to show roughness, dyschromia, keratinocyte atypia
important steps to be taken before peel
- evaluate the patient for skin flaws & scars
- document skin imperfections at the time
of consultation - take high-quality before-and-after photographs for each procedure
advantage of taking high-quality before-and-after photographs
- allows the patient to gauge whether this treatment is giving the amount of improvement they seek
- helps the physician to identify patients with unrealistic expectations
how should photos be taken?
- Patients should be examined with no makeup on in a well-lit room
- Acne scar patients should be examined with indirect overhead light to allow shadows to be cast on the skin to better delineate scar morphology
- skin conditions that can Koebnerize to areas that are resurfaced should be identified as well (flat warts, vitiligo, psoriasis)
Patients being treated for melasma should be questioned about…?
- use of hormone intrauterine devices
(IUDs), hormone cervical rings, or OCPs - use of hormone contraceptives will continue to stimulate the melasma and may lead to treatment failure or worsening of the condition
Clinical Indications for Skin Resurfacing
Patient Social & Medical History
- questions to be asked ?
- relative contraindications ?
- absolute contraindications ?
Anatomical Areas Safe for
Light & Medium-Depth Peels
- who are at greater risk for PIH & permanent hypopigmentation ?
- what can be done to reduce the risk ?
- Patients with darker complexions
- risk of PIH in a darker-skinned patient can be reduced by extending the length of skin preconditioning to 3 months rather than the usual 6 weeks
Chemical Peel Formulas
- name some keratolytic formulas
- name some protein denaturants
Keratolytic agents
- keratolytic agents disrupt the adhesion of the keratinocyte cells to one another
- can be used to break up the stratum corneum & various levels into the epidermis to allow for a light chemical exfoliation to occur
- can help enhance the depth of penetration of TCA peels when used in combination
two main acids used for combination peels
- glycolic acid
- Jessner’s solution
- Jessner’s solution is composed of 14%
each of resorcinol, salicylic acid, and lactic acid mixed in ethanol
Advantages of Jessner vs glycolic ?
- Jessner has salicylic acid, that is lipophilic
- Therefore Jessner’s solution can penetrate acne lesions or oily skin better than a hydrophilic agent such as glycolic acid
- physician does not have to monitor the skin contact time closely as one would with a glycolic acid solution
name the 2 protein denaturant peeling agents
- Phenol
- TCA
TCA & phenol work by causing…?
- protein coagulation & denaturation as they penetrate skin
- TCA & phenol coagulate proteins that make up the cells of the epidermis and dermis as well as the blood vessels
- Once a certain amount of the acids have been applied, they will continue to coagulate proteins until they are used up
- They cannot be neutralized once they begin to be absorbed into the skin
- how long should we wait to evaluate the depth of TCA or phenol penetration ?
- After about 2 minutes, the depth of TCA penetration can be observed and a decision can be made if more acid is needed to drive the peel deeper
- Phenol is a lot more rapid in its penetration, and the depth is apparent almost immediately
- Subsequent application of acid will continue to drive the peel deeper until it is used up by coagulating proteins deeper in the skin
safest & most agreed-upon method of TCA concentration ?
weight-to-volume (W:V) calculation
it is correct to refer to TCA peels as light, medium, or deep solely based on TCA concentration
T/F ?
False
- Acid concentration is only one variable affecting peel depth
- For example, 1 mL of 40% TCA applied to the face will result in penetration to the basal layer, whereas 6 mL of 40% TCA applied over the same body surface area will result in penetration to the mid-dermis or deeper
Features of TCA 10% to 50%
- can be used as a sole peeling agent
- It is hydrophilic by nature
- thus it may have patchy absorption through the lipid-containing & thickened
stratum corneum - higher doses of TCA are harder to work with
- It is tough to reapply TCA at high concentrations in areas that need it without risking too deep of a peel. To facilitate even TCA penetration, the skin should be prepared in advance with a skincare regimen geared at making the stratum corneum more even & compact
- Oily skin needs to have adequate oil control before performing the peel. This can be achieved with a short course of isotretinoin for a few months, ending about 3 to 6 months before the peel
what can be done to reduce risks ass/w high-concentration TCA peels ?
- use of combination peels
- These peels help to facilitate the penetration of TCA solution, allowing for a lower concentration of TCA to be used while still allowing a medium-depth peel to be achieved
3 MCy used modified TCA peels
- Jessner’s solution–TCA peel
- glycolic acid–TCA peel
- Blue Peel
modified TCA peels
* penetration depth ?
* main indications ?
- these peels are designed to peel to a depth of the papillary dermis
and at most to the most superficial aspect of the reticular dermis - main indications for TCA & modified TCA peels are for epidermal & upper dermal pathology: photodamage, actinic keratoses, lentigines,
ephelides, fine rhytides, very superficial, nonfibrotic (stretchable) scars - These peels are not suited for fibrotic scars, deep nonstretchable rhytides, or extensive laxity
how can you clinically evaluate if a rhytid or scar can be improved with a medium-depth peel?
- If a rhytid or scar improves with stretching the skin, a medium-depth peel can help improve it
- However, if the scar or rhytid is etched into the skin or is fibrotic, the tightening effect of the peel may not be enough to give adequate clinical improvement
It is easiest to think of the combination TCA peels as being…?
- accelerated or decelerated