Tag: medical skin care

The Quest For Even Skin

gabe peel

Ever since this interview with Gabriel Horn, I knew I wanted to up my game battling this stubborn hyperpigmentation. I’ve confessed to indulging in the sun this summer (obviously safely, always with sunscreen), so my sun damage and dark spots have gotten even worse. Even with my SPF 50 on my face, my hyperpigmentation-prone skin was affected.

Now that the cooler days have arrived, I knew I could safely go after the damage with strong, medical grade formulas. I stopped in to see my favorite Tulsa Skincare Guru, Gabriel Horn. He has recommended incorporating Tretinoin (aka Retin-A) along with hydraquinone (at 4% strength). I’ve been loyal to that combo since early September. And I have made tremendous progress against those darn spots. But I knew I needed more to eradicate them totally.

Last week, I went in to see Gabriel for a peel. While it can sound scary, my prep work actually made it much less traumatic. Skin that is used to and being treated with Tretinoin can handle chemical peels much better. I have had a peel with Gabriel before, so I knew what to expect. We started with acetone (which sounds gross and scary), but it helps for effective and even absorption of the chemicals. He then applied a modified Jessner peel with a formula developed by Dr. Manduano (the doctor he works with). This usually consists of salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol. From what I understand, it is a very gentle peel alone but can work in conjunction with other peels to raise efficacy. Gabriel then upped the game and spot treated the really dark spots with Trichloroacetic acid (TCA). This is a much more aggressive type of peel.

Next up was a Retinoic acid peel applied all over the face. This is deeper than a Glycolic acid, Alpha hydroxy acid or Beta hydroxy acid peels, but not as strong as the TCA. Along with pigmentation, Retinoic acid also works against scars and wrinkles. While there was a tingle and discomfort but it certainly wasn’t intense pain. I held a fan in front of my face for about 10 minutes which provided a lot of relief.

The areas that Gabriel spot treated got very dark and then peeled for a full week. But gosh darn it… those dark spots are GONE. My face peeled on Friday (approximately 48 hours after my peel). Other than the spot-treated areas, I was done with peeling by Sunday evening. I had no pain after the actual application of the peel. And my skin looks radiant, healthier and more even. I am going to follow up with more peels and will be keeping you posted on my progress!

If you are in the Tulsa area, I highly recommend Gabriel. He works out of Dr. Joey Manduano’s office (also highly recommended) at 2219 East 21st Street. Their phone number is: 918.749.5522.

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