Chemical peels remove damaged outer layers of facial skin in order to smooth texture, improve skin clarity and color, lessen fine lines, and remove blemishes and pre-cancerous growths. The peels lead to brighter and more refreshed skin with little or no downtime. During your consultation, we will analyze your skin’s needs and your aesthetic goals to create an individualized treatment plan for a more radiant, youthful you.
Ancient Peels
The beginning of peels dates back to the beginning of civilization. In ancient Egypt, Cleopatra used sour goat’s milk in her baths to smooth her skin. Poultices containing limestone, fermented grapes, mustard, and sulfur were popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans. During the middle ages, women used lime, mustard and sulfur soaked clothes to improve the appearance of their skin. The Turks singed their skin with fire for a light exfoliation. Hungarian gypsies were believed to be the first to use deeper peels containing phenol. They would pass their formulas from one generation to the next. Phenol peels became a popular secret among salons in Europe during World War II.
History Lessons
Although the ancient regimens may seem obsolete, they serve as the basis for modern peel strategies. With a continued interest in using natural options, many of the same ingredients are used today. Cleopatra’s goat milk contains lactic acid, sour grapes contain tartaric acid, and lemon juice contains citric acid. All three belong to a class of acids referred to as alpha hydroxy acids that are used for a light chemical peel. Wintergreen is an excellent source of salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid. Beta-hydroxy acid peels can be useful for acneic skin.
It’s All in the Timing
Peels have become ubiquitous in the cosmetic arena. The choice of ingredients will determine how aggressive the peel is and therefore how long your skin will be red. Downtime can be scaled according to your lifestyle. Due to their hectic lifestyles, busy New Yorkers often choose a series of mild to medium strength peels to reduce downtime.
Absorption Rates
By removing layers of dead skin, peels will allow for improved absorption of skin care products. Often, I combine a medium strength peel with a post-peel facial a week later. This allows patients to shed the top layer of skin, weakening the skin’s natural barrier, permitting our facialist to infuse growth factors, vitamins, and hyaluronic acid more efficiently into your skin.
Choosing Favorites
We use a large variety of peels in the office but I wanted to highlight two favorites that patients continue to love.
Probiotic Youthboost
Probiotic Youthboost is a new innovation in non-invasive peels. During this peel, probiotic technology enters your skin to help restore the skin’s natural radiance and tone by stimulating new collagen production. The peel helps boost the skin’s immune response which generates new, healthy skin that glows, provides an immediate tightening effect, lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and lightens hyperpigmentation. I love this peel because it provides the benefits of a clinical peel with no downtime or excessive peeling.
Vi Peel
The Vi Peel contains a synergistic blend of powerful ingredients yet it is one of the least aggravating chemical peels available. It combines many of the best peeling and anti-aging ingredients including Retinol A, Vitamin C, Phenol, and TCA; but it does not contain hydroxy acids making it suitable for all skin types. The peel helps to improve the tone, texture, and clarity of skin while reducing age spots, sun damage, and hyperpigmentation, softening lines and acne scars, and stimulating collagen production resulting in firmer, more youthful skin. We love this peel because we love the glowing results.
VI Peel Before & After:
First Steps
If you are considering having a chemical peel, please call our office at (212) 600-4109 to arrange for an appointment. Our New York City practice accommodates out of town and international patients who need to travel in for surgery as well as those who are local to Manhattan
Experienced, gentle, and conservative. Everything I wanted!
I am sending you a new client…she needs to be “Dofted”!
I would definitely recommend Dr. Doft for her attention to detail and meticulous approach to medicine and my issues.
I wanted to express my deepest gratitude towards you. You are a very warm and caring doctor and I can tell that you take great care of all of your patients.
I’m so appreciative of my new look! Thanks very much!
Dr. Doft is one of the kindest doctors that you will ever meet. She went above and beyond for me and my family…and I love my new nose!
And thanks so much again for all of the help and guidance — my life is exponentially better than before I met you. :) XO
Dr Doft’s care was excellent. Very patient, flexible and understanding. This made the process much easier.
We just want to thank you so much for going above and beyond last night. We have never met a doctor so kind-hearted, involved, and truly special. You are one in a million.
Thank you so very much for your professionalism and wonderful work you did. I cannot begin to express my gratitude and appreciation for helping me “through the process”. I feel like a new person!
Your talent is well suited to French women in particular. You are able to make us feel attractive and elegant in a way that seems natural and effortless.
I wanted to thank you again for giving me the opportunity to experience a little of your magic world. I will be coming back for more, that’s for sure!
PRESS
“Melissa Doft, feminine, modern, well-informed and sensitive to the needs of her patients, embodies the new generation of plastic surgeons.” — Vogue Paris
Most of my time in Seoul, South Korea, was spent either in spas or dermatology clinics. While visiting the latter, I interviewed dermatologists at length about the most popular procedures they perform and innovations coming out of the country's capital.
NEWS
PERSPECTIVES