Reversing the Effects of Aging | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 8/4/2012

Lin Hagel has spent her fair share of time in the sun. But it wasn`t until recently that the damage caught up with her.

"My husband and I have a pontoon, and you know, we`re out four or five nights a week and all day Saturday and Sunday. And you could really start seeing the damage on my face."

After years of not applying sunscreen, Hagel began seeing big, brown spots on her face. She`s since started using sunscreen, but knew it was too late to reverse the sun`s effects. That`s when she decided to have a chemical peel.

"When you talk about the fine wrinkles of the face and the pore size and things like that, we treat that with chemical peels to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin," said Dr. Davis Bronson, a plastic surgeon at Medcenter One.

After three peels, Hagel has already seen big improvements.

Here`s how the peel works. First, Hagel`s face is thoroughly cleansed to remove any makeup and excess oils. Then a chemical solution is applied on the face, which causes redness for a short period. A nurse cools down the patient`s face as the new, regenerated skin begins to form.

"It`s not painful," Hagel said. "It has a little bit of discomfort to it. It`s hot but it only lasts about five minutes, and then it`s gone. It feels like a bad sunburn."

Bronson said, "Plastic surgery shouldn`t shout, it should whisper. It should look elegant, and so a younger person who just wants to sort of maintain a good quality skin can start with these non-invasive procedures."

Bronson also performs botox and injectible fillers. He says the procedures are good for those who want to unwind the signs of aging and are looking for subtle, realistic results.

Aside from making a patient`s face look younger, chemical peels can also improve acne scars, age and liver spots and irregular skin pigmentation.

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