I hear it almost every day, the lunchtime peel.  Women ar talking about it in salons and spas, it is mentioned on numerous reality TV shows and even on several hair and makeover reality shows right along with Botox.  Dermatologists and plastic surgeons offer them along with stronger peels like the TCA peel and Obagi Blue peel.  What exactly is a luchtime peel and what can it do?  What kind of results can one realistically expect?  Is it better to get a lunchtime peel or a stronger and deeper peel? 

In the last 10 years, the growth of the cosmetic treatments and cosmetic surgeries has been phenomenal.  The numbers of treatments and resulting popularity seems to almost double every year.  More and more people are getting treatments that were once reserved for the rich or Hollywood stars.  I even saw a hair salon reality show today in which a very alpha Italian male had a Botox treatment – this would normally be unheard of for men, but times are changing.  What was once a industry with primarily female customers is now experiencing a rapid growth in the acceptance of these procedures by the male population.  Recent additions to the available treatments are outpatient treatments with minimal downtime or recuperation and healing time.  The lunchtime peel is one of these minimally invasive treatments and has its name due to the fact it can be done on a lunch break and the customer can immediately return to work with minimal discomfort.

What most people are saying about the lunchtime peel is its ability to remove or treat superficial or surface area skin problems like sun spots, rough skin, freckles, and treat minor acne  (pimples and blackheads).  Basically a mildly caustic chemical skin peel solution or liquid like glycolic acid is applied to the face and neck area (also the back of the hands if requested) as these are the areas most receptive to chemical peels.  A glycolic skin peel or similar peel is very minimally intrusive and only effects the very top most layers of the skin.  It is not effective on deeper lying problems like wrinkles, moderate to severe acne, fine lines, skin pigmentation problems and even precancerous areas (for these problems a TCA peel or Obagi Blue Peel is recommended as they are deeper reaching peels.  The TCA peel is considered by most to be the most effective of all the chemical peels).  Once the caustic solution or glycolic peel is applied, it is left on for 5 to 20 minutes depending on the strength used.  The face and applied areas are then neutralized with a cold solution of water and baking soda which will completely neutralize the glycolic acid. 

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With a lunchtime peel the skin may be a little red or pinkish like after a mild sunburn (only the deeper peels like the TCA peel and Obagi Blue peel will result in a very red or sunburned look with possible whitened areas called frost over this is the result of broken cellular bonds in deeper layers of skin).  After the lunchtime peel the customer can go right back to work.  They may be advised to wear only non-comodogenic (non oil clogging or non pimple forming) makeup and lotions. They may also be told to use an antibacterial cream like Neosporin or Aquaphor which will actual hasten the healing process.  After a few days a light peeling usually occurs (some people with thicker skin will require multiple treatments or a deeper peel like the TCA peel or the Obagi Blue Peel).

Lunchtime peels are exactly that, peels you can do on a break and go back to work.  They have very few risks and can be done on almost everyone.  They usually cost around $50 to $150 per application and are offered in doctors offices, medi-spas, and spas and salons.  But as with most things in life, if there is no pain then there is no gain.  Lunchtime peels like a glycolic skin peel are only minimally effective, only work on surface skin issues, and the results only last a few weeks.  A deeper chemical skin peel (like the TCA peel and Obagi Blue Peel) is what is usually recommended by dermatologists and plastic surgeons.  The Obagi Blue Peel is a TCA (trichloroacetic acid) peel that has a skin dye of blue or green that gives it its name.  In recent years, most doctors and dermatologists have switched to a straight solution of TCA which works faster and has even farther reaching results which last up to 6 months or more.  A typical Obagi Blue Peel or TCA peel done in a doctors setting will cost $500 or more, which may seem expensive at first, but remember a straight TCA peel can last up to 6 months.  Basically, the straight TCA peel gives customers more for their money (especially now that you can get it at a phenomenal savings of under $30 for in home use – see www.bestskinpeel.com for more on this). 

According to Dr. Gary Fisher, a dermatologist at PresbyterianHospital, a lunchtime peel is a superficial or cosmetic peel.  Most patients wanting to see longer lasting and more permanent results should have a TCA peel.  “Chemical skin peels can be very effective in treating skin disorders of all sorts, but a lunchtime peel is more of a spa treatment and very minimally effective if at all.”  So, the obvious conclusion is that rather than having a lunchtime or glycolic skin peel applied every 2 weeks to maintain very minimal results, one should have a deeper TCA peel or Obagi Blue Peel for definite and measurable results that last.