Did you know your skin starts aging the day you are born? The older you get, the harder it becomes for your skin to slough off dead skin cells. Every 30 days, your skin should have complete cellular turnover, exposing new and healthy cells. In a month’s time, the average person, over the age of 20, can have about 30 layers of dead skin cells sitting on the surface. This natural process of cellular exfoliation and turnover slows down considerably as we get older so that more layers of dead skin cells that sit on the surface of your face, imparting a dull, dry, and sallow looking complexion.

You may be wondering how your skin holds onto all these dead cells. Over time, your body produces a glue-like substance that sticks all these dead cells together, making it virtually impossible for them to slough off on their own.  Fortunately, there are products and treatments that can be used to help speed this process along. Alpha Hydroxy Acids are the solution you’re looking for. Alpha Hydroxy Acids, or AHA’s as they are often referred, are used in many different ways. AHA’s work as a superficial chemical exfoliant  to help the outer layer of dead skin cells slough off in a natural, but controlled and accelerated way. Simultaneously, AHA’s stimulate the generation of new skin cells and increase the production of collagen and elastic fibers in the deep skin layer. 

AHA’S can be found in many skin care products as well as chemical peels. Here at the Center for Plastic Surgery, we offer prescription strength products such as SkinMedica and Obagi. Because the products we carry are prescription strength and contain high levels of AHA’s, they are highly effective in increasing the health of your skin and speeding up the exfoliation process. Many of our toners and moisturizers contain these high levels of AHA’s for maximum benefit.

Chemical Peels are also an effective and more aggressive way of speeding up the cellular turnover rate of your skin.  We have several different types of chemical peels to choose from, all of which contain different strengths and types of AHA’s. Chemical peels are done in either a series of 3 or 6 peels, done once every 2-6 weeks depending on the peel. By gradually removing and loosening the glue-like substance, it allows your skin to naturally slough off those stubborn cells. In this way our prescription strength skin care products and chemical peels containing AHA’s can help you correct sundamage, hyperpigmentation problems, acne, and more, leaving your skin Smooth, Younger, and more Refreshed looking!