A controlled, professional-grade peel lifts off the surface layer of damaged, pigmented, or congested skin — and reveals the brighter, smoother, more even-toned skin already underneath. One week of peeling for months of glow.
A chemical peel is a precision tool — a calibrated blend of acids that loosens the bonds holding the top layers of skin together. The damaged outer layer sheds; the fresh, untouched skin underneath is revealed.
Your skin renews itself naturally — the upper layer (epidermis) is constantly turning over, with old cells shedding and new ones forming. But that turnover slows with age, sun damage, and accumulated pigment. The result is dullness, uneven tone, lingering dark spots, and roughness that no amount of moisturizer can really fix.
A chemical peel accelerates that turnover in one controlled session. The peel solution is brushed onto clean skin and left to work for hours. Inside the skin, acids (TCA, salicylic acid, phenol, retinoic acid in calibrated proportions) loosen the bonds between dead, pigmented, and damaged cells. Over the following days, those cells slough off — visibly. Underneath them is the next layer of skin: brighter, smoother, more even-toned.
A medium-depth peel like VI Peel goes deep enough to address real pigmentation and texture concerns, but stays in the layers that heal quickly — about a week of visible peeling, then revealed skin. It's a meaningful reset without the multi-week recovery of deeper peels or laser resurfacing.
What peels treat best: hyperpigmentation, melasma, post-inflammatory dark marks, sun damage, uneven tone, dullness, fine lines, mild-to-moderate acne, oily or congested skin. Peels are not a substitute for filler, neurotoxin, surgery, or dermatologic evaluation of any suspicious lesion.
Six different VI Peels, each calibrated for a different concern. We'll choose at consultation based on your skin, your history, and your goals.
A balanced medium-depth peel and the right starting point for most first-time clients. Improves tone, texture, clarity, and mild acne. Gentle enough for sensitive skin and rosacea, strong enough to produce visible peeling and a meaningful glow.
A stronger formulation for more advanced signs of aging — deeper fine lines, sun damage, loss of elasticity. Penetrates further to stimulate collagen production and improve firmness. Peeling typically over 5–7 days.
The pigment-correcting peel. Targeted at hyperpigmentation, melasma, post-acne dark marks, and uneven tone — with added peptides to support skin repair and even out the complexion. The peel of choice for clients whose primary concern is dark spots.
Formulated for active and acne-prone skin. Targets bacteria, oil production, and clogged pores while also addressing the dark marks left behind by past breakouts. The dual-acne peel — clears current breakouts and fades the evidence of old ones.
A medium-depth peel formulated for the body — chest, back, arms, and hands. Addresses sun damage, crepey skin, and texture concerns where skincare alone can't reach. A good complement to body microneedling for stretch marks or scarring.
A regenerative add-on for clients wanting maximum recovery support. Pairs a VI Peel with PDRN — a salmon-derived tissue-repair serum — to accelerate healing, calm inflammation, and amplify the renewal response. The peel-plus-recovery upgrade.
There are dozens of medical-grade chemical peels on the market. We chose the VI Peel system specifically — its safety profile across skin tones is the single most important factor in our practice.
The defining advantage of VI Peel is its safety across all skin tones. Older medium-depth peels — straight TCA, Jessner's, deeper glycolic — carry a meaningful risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in clients with Fitzpatrick IV–VI (melanin-rich) skin. The very darkening they're meant to fix can come back worse.
VI Peel is formulated as a synergistic blend of TCA, salicylic acid, phenol, vitamin C, and retinoic acid at proportions specifically designed to be tolerated by all skin types. The result is a peel system that delivers medium-depth resurfacing without the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk of older formulations. We treat clients across the full Fitzpatrick range with the same VI Peel system.
The other reason we chose VI: the post-peel kit. Every VI Peel includes a take-home kit with cleanser, post-peel moisturizer, SPF, and the specific products you need during the peeling window. No guessing about what to use; the protocol is precise.
Skin is cleansed and prepped. Peel solution is applied in layers (mild warmth, tingling). You leave the office with the solution still on — wash it off at home per protocol, typically 4–6 hours later.
Skin feels tight, looks slightly bronzed or pink. No peeling yet. Use only the post-peel kit (gentle cleanser, moisturizer, SPF). Skip makeup if possible.
Visible peeling begins — flaky, papery skin sheds in small sheets, especially around mouth, nose, and chin. Don't pick. Hydrate. Most clients work from home or limit social plans during this window.
Peeling completes. New skin is visibly brighter, smoother, more even. Hyperpigmentation is faded; texture is refined. Most clients book their next peel for 4–6 weeks out if doing a series.
A single VI Peel produces visible improvement. A series produces lasting structural change. Most clients start with a single peel and decide whether to commit to a series after seeing the result.
Most clients book a single peel first, see the result, then decide. For stubborn concerns — melasma, deeper pigmentation, persistent acne — a planned series compounds the result.
Each peel produces visible improvement; a series produces structural change. Spacing peels 4–6 weeks apart gives the skin time to fully recover and start each cycle from the new baseline. A typical series:
3 peels — meaningful starting commitment for hyperpigmentation, melasma, post-acne marks, or general texture / tone refinement.
6 peels — gold-standard for deeper, more stubborn concerns or for clients who want to address texture and pigment comprehensively.
After the series, most clients move to maintenance — a single peel every 3–6 months, or seasonally, to keep the result holding. Series packages typically offer better per-peel value than booking single peels.
Pricing depends on which VI Peel is selected and whether you're booking a single peel or a series. Full quotes are provided at consultation. Hosting friends? See Glow Party for group savings.
Yes — visible peeling is the point. Peeling typically begins on day 3 and lasts 3–7 days. It looks like flaky, papery skin sloughing off in small sheets, especially around the mouth, nose, and chin.
Most clients work from home or schedule social events for after the peeling completes. The post-peel skin is visibly brighter, smoother, and more even-toned.
Yes — this is one of VI Peel's defining advantages. The peel solution is formulated to be safe across all Fitzpatrick skin types (I through VI), including melanin-rich skin.
Where many older chemical peels carry a meaningful risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones, VI Peels are specifically designed to be tolerated by clients of all skin types. We treat clients across the full Fitzpatrick range with the VI Peel series.
VI Peel Original — the most common starting point. Balanced for tone, texture, fine lines, and mild acne. Gentle enough for sensitive skin and rosacea.
VI Peel Advanced — stronger, formulated for deeper aging, sun damage, and loss of elasticity.
VI Peel Precision Plus (with Peptides) — the pigment-correcting peel. For hyperpigmentation, melasma, post-acne dark spots, and uneven tone.
VI Peel Purify (Precision Plus + Peptides) — for active acne, oil control, and acne-prone skin with a history of dark marks.
VI Peel Body — for arms, chest, back, and hands.
VI Peel + PDRN Skin Regeneration Boost — for clients wanting maximum recovery support and a regenerative layer.
We'll choose at consultation based on your skin and goals.
Application takes about 15–20 minutes and feels like a brief warmth, tingling, or mild stinging — sensation usually peaks in the first 1–2 minutes and quickly subsides. Most clients describe it as manageable.
You leave the peel solution on the skin for several hours (per the protocol instructions) before washing it off at home. The skin may feel tight and warm during the first 24 hours.
A single peel produces visible improvement — brighter tone, smoother texture, fewer dark spots — that lasts several months.
For meaningful, lasting change in concerns like melasma, deeper hyperpigmentation, or significant acne damage, a series of 3 to 6 peels spaced 4–6 weeks apart delivers compounding results. Many clients incorporate a peel every season (3–4 per year) as ongoing maintenance.
VI Peels are very effective for: hyperpigmentation (sun spots, post-inflammatory dark marks), melasma, uneven tone, fine lines, dullness, mild-to-moderate acne, oily or congested skin, mild rosacea, and texture concerns.
They are not a substitute for: filler (volume loss), neurotoxin (movement-driven wrinkles), surgery (significant laxity), or dermatology evaluation of any suspicious lesion.
Before (5–7 days prior): stop retinoids, exfoliating acids (AHAs, BHAs), retinol, vitamin C, and any prescription skincare. Avoid waxing, microdermabrasion, and direct sun. Arrive on the day of treatment with clean skin, no makeup.
After: leave the peel solution on per the instructions, then follow the post-peel kit (gentle cleanser, hydrating moisturizer, SPF only) for 5–7 days until peeling completes. Don't pick or peel skin manually — let it shed on its own. Stay out of direct sun for 2 weeks and use SPF 30+ daily.
Yes — ideally 2 to 3 weeks before the event. This gives time for the peel and peeling phase to complete (~7 days) plus a few days of revealed-skin glow to settle.
Avoid scheduling a peel within the 10-day window before an event. The skin will look its absolute best around day 14–21 post-peel.
Yes, with appropriate spacing. Microneedling and chemical peels work well together but should be spaced 2–4 weeks apart (microneedling first, then peel after).
Neurotoxin (Tox) and filler can be combined with peels, though we typically schedule them at separate appointments — peel first, injectables 2 weeks later when peeling is complete. We'll plan the sequence at consultation.
Pricing depends on which VI Peel is selected (Original, Advanced, Precision Plus, Purify, Body, or PDRN Boost) and whether you're booking a single peel or a series. Series packages typically offer better per-treatment value. Full quotes are provided at consultation.
We do not perform chemical peels on clients who are pregnant or breastfeeding. The peel ingredients (TCA, salicylic acid, retinoic acid) are absorbed systemically in small amounts and aren't cleared for use during pregnancy. We'll be here when you're ready.
Yes, with the right peel and a realistic expectation. Melasma is a chronic, hormonally-influenced pigment condition, so it requires ongoing management — not a one-time cure. The VI Peel Precision Plus is our melasma-focused peel.
A series of 3–6 peels often produces significant fading, paired with disciplined SPF use and supportive skincare between treatments. Some clients need maintenance peels every 2–3 months indefinitely; others can taper to seasonal. We're honest about this at consultation — melasma is treatable, not eradicable.
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