Chemical Peels in Boston

Enhance your skin on a cellular level with targeted chemical peels in Boston. Dr. Ashley Lonergan uses powerful ingredient solutions to refine your skin texture and tone, revealing a healthy, glowing complexion.

Renewing Your Skin From Beneath the Surface

Sun exposure, dead skin buildup, and years of environmental stress can leave your complexion looking dull or rough. Chemical peels remove those damaged outer layers directly, allowing smoother, more even-toned skin to take their place. In her work at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, Dr. Ashley Lonergan chooses chemical peels at specific strengths suited to your skin type and goals, rather than a single default option for every patient.

What Are Chemical Peels?

Chemical peels use a controlled solution to remove damaged outer layers of skin, encouraging smoother, more even-toned skin to surface as healing progresses. Peel depth can range from a light, refreshing treatment to a deeper option addressing more visible sun damage or texture concerns. Patients typically come to Dr. Lonergan for the following chemical peel benefits:

Improved skin texture and tone
Softened fine lines and mild sun damage
Reduced appearance of enlarged pores
A treatment that can be customized in depth and frequency

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The Dr. Lonergan Difference

When you choose Dr. Lonergan for your chemical peel, you choose a treatment experience that’s rooted in surgical-level excellence from start to finish. Dr. Lonergan earned her medical degree from Tufts University before completing her residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, at the University of California, Irvine. Her fellowship training at the Williams Center for Plastic Surgery further honed her skills, allowing her to treat the face as a single unit rather than individual zones.

Here, every treatment is driven by a deep understanding of facial tissue structure and anatomy, ensuring your peel is fully tailored to your skin’s type, tone, texture, and overall quality. Your peel will be carefully chosen to match your aesthetic goals and your tolerance for downtime.

What to Expect From Your Chemical Peel in Boston

Assessing Your Skin Type and Goals

Your private consultation will include a close look at your skin type, sun damage, and specific texture concerns before recommending a peel strength. Dr. Lonergan will use this evaluation to avoid recommending a deeper peel than your skin and schedule can tolerate, preventing unnecessary irritation.

Choosing Between Peel Depths

Lighter peels address surface dullness with minimal downtime, while deeper options target more visible signs of sun damage or textural irregularities at the cost of a longer recovery. Dr. Lonergan will walk you through which depth fits your specific concerns and timeline during your initial consultation.

Your Treatment Experience

To begin your session, Dr. Lonergan will cleanse and prep the skin to ensure a clear, safe surface. Then she’ll apply the peel solution in a controlled layer across your treatment area, left on for a specific duration based on the depth chosen. Most sessions take under an hour, and you may feel a warming or tingling sensation as the solution works beneath the skin.

Establishing Your Treatment Schedule

Lighter peels are often repeated periodically to maintain results, while deeper peels may only be needed once or twice per year. After your first treatment, Dr. Lonergan will set a unique maintenance schedule based on your skin's response and ongoing goals.

Gentle, Patient-Focused Recovery

Recovery from a chemical peel will vary significantly based on the treatment depth, with lighter peels causing only mild redness that resolves within a day. Deeper peels involve more noticeable peeling and redness that can last one to two weeks as new skin surfaces.

Most patients return to normal activities, including work, social gatherings, and light movement, within 48 hours. If you have significant peeling, you may choose to rest at home during the most intense flaking for your own comfort. You’ll need to avoid direct, prolonged sun exposure during recovery to prevent further skin irritation.

Your Post-Treatment Process

After your treatment, Dr. Lonergan will walk you through aftercare instructions specific to your peel depth. This will typically include the following:

A gentle cleansing and moisturizing routine during healing
Strict sun protection guidance for several weeks afterward
Avoiding picking or peeling flaking skin manually
Holding off on other active skincare ingredients until fully healed
Side effects to monitor and report

Most patients don’t require a follow-up appointment after their chemical peel. If you notice any unusual symptoms, such as excessive dryness, bleeding, or intense sensitivity, contact Dr. Lonergan to schedule an appointment at her Boston office.

Gradual, Lasting Results

The results of your chemical peel will become visible as healing completes, typically within a week for lighter peels and up to several weeks for deeper options. Your skin texture and tone often continue to improve over the following months as skin turnover accelerates and collagen and elastin production increase.

Chemical Peels Frequently Asked Questions

Can chemical peels help with acne scarring?

Yes. Certain peel depths can improve the appearance of shallow acne scarring by promoting the emergence of smoother, healthier skin cells to the surface. During your consultation, Dr. Lonergan will evaluate whether your specific scarring responds well to peels or needs a different approach.

Will my skin look worse before it looks better?

With deeper peels, visible peeling and redness during healing are normal before smoother skin fully reveals itself. Dr. Lonergan will set realistic expectations for this process based on your chosen peel depth.

How often can I safely repeat a chemical peel?

Lighter peels can often be repeated every four to six weeks, while deeper peels typically require several months to a year between treatments. Dr. Lonergan will recommend a schedule based on your skin's healing response.

Are chemical peels safe for all skin tones?

Certain peel depths carry a higher risk of pigment changes in deeper skin tones. Dr. Lonergan will select a peel type that minimizes this risk for your specific skin. A patch test may be recommended beforehand.