Hi, I’m Dr. Stacia Miles (www.adclinic.com) I am here to talk to you a little about one of the peels we do in our clinic. Today, we would like to demonstrate for you how a Theraplex peel is done. Theraplex is a peel that we do commonly in the office. It is a wonderful peel that is helpful for rosacea and acne, scarring, dark spots... It is a very predictable peel where patients typically tolerate it very well. The first step in the Theraplex peel is to remove all makeup from the skin and use an alcohol pad to cleanse the skin. We’re applying a small amount of Vaseline to protect the areas around the eyes… … and around the nose. These are the sensitive areas where the salicylic acid ingredient of the peel can cause dryness. So we put the Vaseline on to protect the skin. We have mixed our solution of the Theraplex peel. The main ingredient is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid. It essentially helps the top layer of the skin turn over at a faster rate so that pores are reduced. It helps surface inflammation. It can help small amounts of acne, acne scarring, melasma. It can be particularly effective in rosacea. The term peel is often intimidating to patients expecting a dramatic peel. These are solutions that cause a micro-peel. So patients should not be in pain during the procedure. It tingles… but it doesn’t hurt. A few days after the peel, most patients are a little pink, like a mild sunburn and may have a bit of dryness, particularly around the nose and certain areas. If you moisturize and stay out of the sun most patients can go right back to work the next day. Patients who have a known allergy to aspirin or salicilates are not good candidates for this peel. The active ingredient in salicylic acid is similar to the ingredient in aspirin. So I would screen for patients who are allergic to aspirin. Overall this is a very safe peel and well tolerated in a wide variety of patients. I’ve had both types of peels done – I’ve had the Vitalize done and I’ve had the Theraplex done. My favorite is the Theraplex because I do have the superficial acne and the large pores. It really does help with that. Also it helps with oily skin because my skin is really oily.