MirSkin Blog

Common questions I am asked  on Botox and Chemical Peels:

Hello everyone, over the years I seem to get some similar questions on the topic of botox or chemical peels that are really important to my patients. So I wanted to share them with you with some of my answers:

What is a chemical peel, will It make me red?
Chemical peels have an interesting reputation. People either think that it will make them red and peeling. Like the episode of Sex in the city where Samantha's face was bright red!  Or they have had some type done in the past, and didn’t see a difference. Well, the fact is, there are so many varieties  of chemical peels, some are very mild and some are much stronger. Some have no peeling and no redness,  and others peels can have a longer down time. While some of the milder peels are done in spas, and are very low strength, many Doctors do all varieties of peels. Before I do a peel in my office, I  speak with my patient, see what their needs are and customize a peel to their skin type. Generally, I recommend a program,  a series of peels, where the peel strength is increased over a number of sessions. Same, as you would increase your intensity of workouts over time. This way, the skin can get stronger and rejuvenate over a few peel sessions, without the redness and peeling. But even with one peel, you should be able to feel softer and smoother skin right away.

Is a chemical peel the same as a facial?
NO, chemical peels and facials are totally different. Facials are a spa procedure.  Peels work on a different level to retexturize your skin and dissolve dead, damaged skin. Because of this, they improve the appearance of  sun damage, sunspots, acne, acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles. The chemical peel works very quickly, and generally are not left on the skin for an extended period of time.

Botox-
where does it work? Botox is generally used on the upper part of the face.  The crows feet, the area that wrinkles between the eyebrows and the wrinkles of the forehead are the three typical places. Its a very quick procedure that takes as little as 10 or 15 minutes. Many of my patients can run in then head back to work  during their lunch hours.

How long does it last?- it lasts approximated 4 months.  But you may not see the wrinkles come back right away. I generally tell people that they need to maintain it by getting it done 2 or 3 times a year.

When do I start- am I too young?-  I have a lot of patients ask me if they are too young to start, or how do they know when to start. Look at it this way, if your expression lines are  making fine line or wrinkles when your face is at rest, that is a good time to think about botox. This is a good time to begin it as a form of PREVENTION.  In addition, if you are a smoker or sunbather, then your wrinkles will be deeper at an earlier age, even as soon as your twenties!!!

Will it make my face frozen? Botox gets a bad reputation, because there are so many examples of people who have foreheads that don’t move. This makes botox seem as if it will be a bit severe for the average person.  The truth is, Botox can be done so that it softens the lines, and not look frozen or severe.

For more information, click on the “services” section of the website where you can read more on chemical peel and botox.