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