Ways Women Can Prevent Heart Damage During Deep Chemical Peels

Deep chemicals peels have evolved as a cosmetic stable for correcting blemishes like wrinkles, sagging skin, malignant lesions, age spots and acne scars. While the results from most properly administered deeps peels are astounding, this routine medical treatment does carry the risk of heart damage. And because the Association of Women’s Heart Programs reports that heart disease kills more women each year than any other disease, it is wise to take heart protective measures before getting a deep chemical peel.

Deep chemical peels involve administering a chemical acid to the face such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA), or 20-40% concentrations of formulas containing lactic acid, salicylic acid or glycolic acid.

This month, a study issued in Dermatologic Surgery examined the incidence of heart complications among women who received deep facial peels in a clinical setting. The review involved 181 female patients between ages 30-77 who received a peel between December 2004, and November 2005. During the chemical peel, researchers monitored the woman’s heart.

About six percent of the women experienced an irregular heart beat during the treatment. Such incidences of cardiac arrhythmia were most prevalent among women with diabetes, hypertension and depression. In about eight cases, women required intravenously administered lidocaine to control the arrhythmia.

Even though deep chemical peels may be administered in a spa setting, most spas are not equipped as are medical offices to monitor the heart during a deep chemical peel. This absence of heart monitoring places the impetus on women to take measures to protect their hearts even before getting a chemical peel.

Heart health tips

The California and North Carolina Pistachio Commission and Dr. Susan Bennett, President of the Association of Women’s Heart Programs offer such tips to help women improve their cardiovascular health. They include:

oAsk your doctors what they know about prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease in women.

o On your own, get moving and exercise. Give your heart a workout. Remember it’s a muscle too. A strong heart pumps blood and nutrients more easily through your body.

o Plan ahead. Keep heart-healthy snacks including fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts – like pistachios – on hand whenever you’re on the go to keep you on track for healthy eating habits.

o Keep your weight down. Losing excess weight will help lower blood levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and prevent other risk factors.

o Stop smoking. All research comes back to the same conclusion – smoking is not good for your health or your heart. Women who smoke have up to six times greater risk of a heart attack or stroke.

o Control the risk for diabetes. Because nuts – including pistachios – are low carbohydrate foods that contain predominantly monounsaturated fat, there may be a potential to help control diabetes.

o Eat fiber-containing foods every day. Start with a goal of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily along with whole grains, nuts and legumes.

Besides adverse heart effects, other risks associated with deep chemical peels including swelling, redness and hypopigmentation. One more thing that women can do to avoid extraneous heath risks during deep chemical peels is seek a health professional that has extensive experience with administering these treatments and ask about what measures she will take before, during and after the procedure to reduce the chances of medical complications.

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