Chemical Peels

Precision Chemical Peel Treatments

Chemical Peels

Designed to Correct Tone, Clarity, and Texture

Dark spots are the concern patients tolerate the longest before doing anything about them. They arrive slowly, they are easy to cover, and there is always a new product promising to handle it. Months become years, the spots consolidate, and eventually the makeup stops covering what it used to cover.

Pigmentation is also the concern most likely to be made worse by the wrong treatment. Skin that is irritated produces more pigment, not less, which is why aggressive resurfacing in the wrong hands can leave a patient darker than when they started.

Dr. Sharon Lawrence understands this from both sides. She is a physician board certified by the American Board of Surgery with advanced training in aesthetic technique, and she spent years treating her own hyperpigmentation and adult acne while working through the same trial and error most patients go through alone. Formulation selection at Radiance Aesthetics is a clinical decision made after evaluating your skin — never a menu item you select.

Patients come to Radiance Aesthetics from across North Arlington and the surrounding communities of Bergen, Hudson, and Essex counties for peel treatment planned around their skin type rather than around a standard protocol.

Every treatment begins with a Get to Know You Consultation.

Ready to Explore Your Options?

A Get to Know You Consultation is where the right formulation is determined. Dr. Lawrence will assess your skin type, your pigment patterns, and your history, then recommend a peel and a course built for your skin specifically.

What Is a Chemical Peel?

A chemical peel applies a formulated acid solution to the skin to loosen the bonds holding dead and damaged surface cells in place. Those cells shed, the skin accelerates its natural turnover, and newer cells reach the surface faster than they otherwise would.

Depending on the formulation and its depth, a peel can also prompt activity in the deeper layers, supporting collagen production and influencing how the skin produces and distributes pigment.

The goal is not to strip your skin — it is to accelerate a process your skin already performs, at a pace and depth chosen for your skin type.

Peel depth exists on a spectrum, and deeper is not better. It is simply different, with different applications, different recovery, and different risk. The formulation appropriate for fair skin with sun damage is frequently the wrong formulation for deeper skin with melasma. Getting that selection right is the entire clinical judgment of this treatment.

Visible peeling is not a measure of whether a peel worked. Some effective treatments produce very little shedding.

Treatment Options at Radiance Aesthetics

VI Peel®, created by the Vitality Institute, is a patented acid blend producing a light to medium depth peel. It is formulated to be appropriate across all skin types and ethnicities, which is what distinguishes it in the treatment of pigmentation — the concern where skin type matters most and where many resurfacing options require significant caution.

Radiance Aesthetics carries all five VI Peel® formulations, each built for a different clinical picture:

VI Peel® Original — the foundational formulation, suited to first-time peel patients and to general concerns of tone, texture, and early aging.

VI Peel® Precision Plus — formulated for pigmentation concerns including melasma, sun damage, and age spots, with additional brightening agents targeting pigment production.

VI Peel® Purify — formulated for active acne, congestion, and oily skin.

VI Peel® Purify with Precision Plus — for patients dealing with active acne and the pigmentation acne leaves behind at the same time, which is one of the more common presentations Dr. Lawrence sees.

VI Peel® Advanced — formulated for more advanced signs of aging, including fine lines and loss of elasticity.

Which formulation is appropriate depends on your skin type, your pigment pattern, your history, and what your skin has tolerated previously. Dr. Lawrence makes that selection.

Gentle Chemical Peels

For patients who need a lighter touch — first-time peel patients, more reactive skin, or those maintaining results between deeper treatments — Radiance Aesthetics offers gentler resurfacing using mild alpha and beta hydroxy acid formulations. These encourage cell turnover and support clarity and smoothness with a shorter recovery period.

Lighter peels are often used in a planned series, where consistency produces the result rather than intensity.

What Concerns Can Chemical Peels Address?

Chemical peel treatment may help improve:

Hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and uneven tone
Sun damage and age spots
Melasma, with appropriate formulation selection
Post-inflammatory marks left behind by acne
Active acne and congestion
Enlarged-looking pores
Rough or uneven texture
Dullness and lack of clarity
Fine lines and early signs of aging

What chemical peels do not address. Peels do not affect lines caused by muscle movement, restore lost volume, or tighten significant laxity. They do not permanently resolve melasma, which is a chronic and recurrence-prone condition managed rather than cured. Deep depressed scarring generally requires a different approach. Dr. Lawrence will be direct with you about which category your concern falls into.

Treatment Areas

Face

The most commonly treated area, addressing tone, clarity, texture, and acne together.

Neck

Where sun damage and pigment changes accumulate and are frequently overlooked.

Décolleté

An area that shows sun exposure early and is rarely included in a skincare routine.

Hands

Where age spots and sun damage are often most visible.

Back and Body

For acne and congestion outside the face.

Appropriate areas and formulation strength are determined during your consultation.

Benefits of Chemical Peel Treatment

Addresses pigmentation, texture, and clarity in a single treatment
VI Peel® formulations appropriate across all skin types and ethnicities
Five formulations available, matched to your specific clinical picture
Non-surgical, with no needles and no anesthesia
Treatment itself is brief
Works well in a planned series for cumulative improvement
Combines with other treatments as part of a broader plan
Formulation selected by a board certified physician after evaluation

What Patients Often Notice

Brighter, clearer-looking skin once shedding is complete
Fading in the appearance of dark spots across a series
More even overall tone
Smoother surface texture
Pores that appear less prominent
Fewer breakouts with acne-focused formulations
Makeup applying more evenly, or being needed less

Responses vary considerably. Skin type, the nature and depth of the pigmentation, sun exposure habits, hormonal factors, the formulation used, and the number of treatments completed all influence the result. Pigmentation frequently requires a series before meaningful change is visible, and melasma in particular tends to improve and then recur, requiring ongoing management rather than a course with an endpoint. Dr. Lawrence will tell you which of these your skin is dealing with before you begin.

Treatment Timeline

Generally, 30 to 45 minutes.

A warm or tingling sensation is typical while the solution is active.

The skin often looks slightly tight or takes on a bronzed appearance.

Shedding typically begins with medium depth peels. Lighter peels may produce only mild flaking or none at all.

Shedding generally completes with medium depth peels.

Clarity and tone are usually most visible at this point.

Pigmentation concerns typically require multiple treatments. Spacing depends on the formulation and your skin’s response, and is determined during your consultation.

Ongoing treatment and daily sun protection are what keep the result.

Preparation may be required before your peel, particularly for pigmentation concerns. If so, Dr. Lawrence will start you on that at your consultation rather than treating the same day.

What Happens During Your Visit

Dr. Lawrence evaluates your skin type, pigment distribution, oil activity, texture, and reactivity, along with your health history, medications, current skincare, sun exposure habits, and how your skin has responded to previous treatment. This is where formulation, depth, and timing are decided — and where you will learn whether your skin needs preparation before treatment begins.

Your skin is cleansed thoroughly and prepared so the solution makes even contact across the treatment area. Protective measures are applied where needed. Dr. Lawrence explains what the sensation will feel like and how long each stage will take before beginning.

The solution is applied in controlled layers. Most patients feel warmth or tingling that builds and then eases. Dr. Lawrence monitors your skin’s response throughout and adjusts the number of layers accordingly, because how your skin responds in the moment matters more than a predetermined plan.

Application generally takes 30 to 45 minutes. With certain VI Peel® formulations, you leave with the solution still on the skin and remove it at home following specific timing instructions.

You will receive written aftercare instructions before you leave, including what to watch for and when to call the office. Instructions cover the post-peel products to use, what to avoid during shedding, and the timeline you should expect.

The single most important instruction is strict daily broad-spectrum sun protection. Skin during and after peeling is significantly more reactive to UV exposure, and sun exposure during this window is the most common cause of a peel producing more pigmentation rather than less. Do not pick, pull, or accelerate the shedding. Letting it complete on its own schedule protects your result.

How Much Do Chemical Peels Cost?

Cost depends on which formulation your skin requires, the areas treated, and how many treatments your concern calls for. Because pigmentation is generally addressed across a series, the meaningful figure is the cost of the course rather than a single session.

Your investment is reviewed with you during your Get to Know You Consultation, before anything is scheduled.

First Time Considering a Chemical Peel?

Two things surprise first-time peel patients.

The first is that the peeling itself is not the point. Patients judge a peel by how much skin comes off, and that instinct is backwards. Some of the most effective treatments produce minimal visible shedding, and pushing for a dramatic peel is how patients end up with pigmentation problems worse than the ones they came in with.

The second is that pigmentation is patient work. One peel rarely resolves years of accumulated sun damage or a hormonally driven melasma pattern. Meaningful change comes from an appropriate formulation applied across a series, supported by sun protection you actually maintain.

Your consultation includes evaluation of your skin type and pigment pattern, an honest assessment of what your particular pigmentation is likely to do, a recommended formulation and course, and a clear explanation of the timeline.

If your skin needs preparation before treatment, or if a peel is not the right answer for what is bothering you, that is what Dr. Lawrence will tell you.

Maintaining Your Results

Chemical peels address what is currently on and in your skin. They do not stop the processes that produced it. Sun exposure continues, hormonal influences continue, and skin continues turning over.

Maintaining a result means periodic treatment, an appropriate home routine, and daily broad-spectrum sun protection without exception. Of those three, sun protection matters most. A patient who completes a full series and then spends a summer unprotected will lose ground that took months to gain.

Melasma specifically is a chronic condition. It is managed, improved, and kept quiet — not cured. Any practice promising otherwise is describing something melasma does not do.

Peels do not address lines caused by muscle movement, lost volume, or significant laxity. Patients whose concerns include texture and scarring often see more complete improvement from a plan that pairs peel treatment with microneedling, since the two work at different depths.

Why Choose Radiance Aesthetics?

Dr. Sharon Lawrence is board certified by the American Board of Surgery with advanced training in aesthetic techniques. Peel selection is a clinical decision made after examining your skin, not a service you choose from a list.

Dr. Lawrence spent years working through her own hyperpigmentation and adult acne. She knows how discouraging this concern is and how easily it is made worse.

Because the right answer for melasma is not the right answer for active acne, and having only one option means treating every patient with it.

VI Peel® formulations are formulated for all skin types and ethnicities, which matters enormously in pigmentation treatment.

You will be told whether your concern is likely to resolve, improve, or require ongoing management — before you invest in a series.

We are not here to peel your skin as aggressively as it will tolerate. We are here to choose the formulation your skin actually needs, and to protect the result once you have it.

Enhance Your Experience

Peels address pigment and surface clarity. The treatments below address structure and movement, and a sequenced plan frequently produces a more complete result than any single treatment.

Microneedling

Supports collagen production to refine texture and soften the appearance of scarring

Neuromodulators

Xeomin® treatment for lines created by facial movement

Red Light Therapy

A complementary addition to your treatment plan for the face and décolleté

Not every service is appropriate for every patient, and peels cannot always be combined with other treatments in the same visit or the same week. Sequencing is planned during your Get to Know You Consultation, and results vary.

Serving Patients in North Arlington and Nearby Communities

Radiance Aesthetics provides physician-performed chemical peels and VI Peel® treatments to patients throughout North Arlington, New Jersey, and the surrounding communities of Kearny, Lyndhurst, Rutherford, Belleville, Nutley, Harrison, East Newark, Bloomfield, and Secaucus, across Bergen, Hudson, and Essex counties. Patients searching for chemical peels, VI Peel®, melasma treatment, dark spot treatment, or acne peel treatment near them can reserve a Get to Know You Consultation with Dr. Sharon Lawrence to evaluate their skin type and determine the appropriate formulation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is not a candidate?

Chemical peel treatment is not appropriate for everyone. It is generally avoided in patients with an active skin infection or active cold sore outbreak; those with severe active inflammatory acne or active rosacea; those with certain skin conditions; those who have used isotretinoin recently; those with recent sun exposure or tanning; those with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring; those with a history of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation; those taking photosensitizing medications; and those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Certain VI Peel® formulations contain ingredients specifically avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Dr. Lawrence reviews your full health history during your Get to Know You Consultation and will tell you directly if treatment is not appropriate or if timing should be adjusted.

What are the risks?

Chemical peels are medical treatments and carry risks. Expected effects include redness, tightness, dryness, flaking or shedding, and a temporary burning or stinging sensation during application. Other reported effects include prolonged redness, swelling, itching, breakouts, allergic reaction, delayed healing, and infection, including reactivation of the herpes simplex virus in patients with a history of cold sores. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — darkening of the treated skin — is the most common adverse outcome, and it occurs more frequently in medium to deeper skin tones, with inappropriate formulation selection, and with sun exposure during healing. Lightening of the skin and scarring may also occur, particularly with deeper peels. Some pigmentary changes may be prolonged and, rarely, permanent. Your written aftercare instructions will tell you what to watch for and when to call the office.

What results can I expect?

Individual results vary and no specific outcome can be guaranteed. Pigmentation concerns typically require a series before meaningful change is visible. Improvement in clarity and texture is often noticeable after shedding completes, while pigment correction develops across multiple treatments. Melasma tends to improve and then recur, requiring ongoing management rather than a defined course with an endpoint. Sun exposure during and after treatment can reverse progress or worsen pigmentation. The degree of visible peeling is not an indicator of how well a treatment worked.

Is a peel safe for deeper skin tones?

VI Peel® formulations are formulated to be appropriate across all skin types and ethnicities. That said, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation remains a genuine risk in deeper skin tones, particularly with an inappropriate formulation or inadequate sun protection during healing. This is precisely why formulation selection is a clinical decision made after Dr. Lawrence evaluates your skin, and why sun protection is emphasized so heavily.

How much peeling should I expect?

It depends on the formulation. Medium depth peels typically produce visible shedding beginning around day three and completing within about a week. Lighter peels may produce only mild flaking or none at all. Peeling intensity is not a measure of effectiveness.

Can I go back to work afterward?

Most patients do. Skin looks tight or slightly bronzed initially, and shedding follows. Many people plan a peel around a lighter social week. Your consultation will tell you what to expect from your specific formulation.

Can I go back to work afterward?

Microneedling does not rely on light absorbed by surface pigment, which makes it generally appropriate across skin tones. That said, pigmentation changes remain a risk with excessive depth or inadequate sun protection, which is why depth is a clinical decision and why sun protection during healing is emphasized. Dr. Lawrence assesses your skin type and history during your consultation.

How many treatments will I need?

It depends on the concern. Clarity and texture often respond quickly. Pigmentation generally requires a series. Melasma requires ongoing management. Dr. Lawrence will give you a realistic number during your consultation.

Can I combine peels with other treatments?

Yes, though not usually in the same visit, and spacing matters. Many patients pair peels with microneedling or neuromodulator treatment as part of a broader plan. Sequencing is determined during your consultation.

Do you accept insurance?

No. Chemical peel treatment is an elective aesthetic service and is not covered by health insurance. Radiance Aesthetics is a fee-for-service practice. Your investment is reviewed with you during your consultation before treatment is scheduled.

Do I need a consultation first?

Yes. All new patients complete a Get to Know You Consultation. With peels this is not a formality — formulation selection depends entirely on evaluation of your skin type and history, and the wrong selection carries real consequences.

Medical Disclaimer

The information on this page is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Chemical peel treatment is a medical procedure that carries risks and is not appropriate for everyone. Individual results vary and no outcome can be guaranteed. Candidacy and formulation selection are determined only through evaluation by a qualified healthcare professional. Specific contraindications, risks, and realistic expectations are addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions above and reviewed with you in detail during your Get to Know You Consultation.

Radiance Aesthetics is a fee-for-service practice. Cosmetic treatments are elective and are not covered by health insurance.

VI Peel® is a registered trademark of Vitality Institute Medical Products. Xeomin® is a registered trademark of Merz Pharmaceuticals.

Radiance Aesthetics is operated by Radiance Aesthetics LLC. Treatments are performed by Sharon Lawrence, MD, a physician board certified by the American Board of Surgery.