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Three VI Peel vials on dark textured fabric

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Chemical PeelsVI Peel Precision Plus in Knoxville

VI Peel Precision Plus, chosen for pigment, melasma, sun damage, and uneven tone.

RESERVE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Peel
VI Peel Precision Plus
Appointment
About thirty minutes
Peeling
Begins within the first few days, varies
Series
Typically several weeks apart, when recommended

Chemical peels

How a chemical peel works

A chemical peel uses a controlled acid solution applied to the skin’s surface to create controlled exfoliation and encourage cellular turnover. Over the days following treatment, damaged surface cells shed, revealing smoother, brighter, more even looking skin underneath. This makes chemical peels particularly useful for concerns involving pigmentation, discoloration, uneven tone, texture, and visible signs of aging.

Peels are generally categorized by depth: superficial peels affect the more superficial layers of skin and typically involve less downtime, while medium-depth peels penetrate further and generally produce more visible exfoliation and recovery. Deep chemical peels are significantly more intensive procedures with substantially greater downtime and are not part of Astra’s treatment menu.

A VI Peel vial resting in leaves and moss
Client pointing to a concern area on her cheek

What a chemical peel treats

What a chemical peel can address depends on its formulation, depth, and the patient’s skin. At Astra, the focus is less on offering a long menu of different peels and more on using one intentionally selected treatment for the concerns it addresses particularly well.

Hyperpigmentation

Melasma

Sun damage

Post-inflammatory discoloration

Uneven skin tone

Visible signs of aging

Results

Chemical Peels before and after results

Real patients, shared with their permission. Individual results vary.

Under-eye filler and chemical peel before and after: a woman from the front, before on the left and after on the right

Under-eye filler and chemical peel: sun damage and volume loss under the eyes

VI Peel

VI Peel Precision Plus at Astra

At Astra, treatments are performed with VI Peel Precision Plus, selected specifically for its focus on pigmentation and uneven skin tone. Precision Plus is used at Astra to address concerns including hyperpigmentation, melasma, sun damage, post-inflammatory discoloration, uneven tone, and visible signs of aging. Rather than offering multiple chemical peel options, Molly uses Precision Plus when she believes a peel is the right treatment for the patient’s skin and goals.

VI Peel Precision Plus is designed for a broad range of skin types and tones. Molly evaluates skin type, pigmentation history, sensitivity, current skincare and medications, recent sun exposure, and the concern being treated before determining whether Precision Plus is appropriate.

VI Peel vials resting in a clam shell

What to expect from a chemical peel

A typical appointment takes about thirty minutes. After the skin is cleansed and prepared, the Precision Plus solution is applied in carefully controlled layers. Patients leave Astra with the peel solution on the skin and follow specific at-home instructions for the remainder of the treatment and peeling process. Most patients feel a warming or tingling sensation during application, which subsides shortly after.

Application

After the skin is cleansed and prepared, the solution is applied in carefully controlled layers. A warming or tingling sensation subsides shortly after.

Leaving the studio

You leave with the peel solution on the skin and follow specific at-home instructions.

The first few days

Visible peeling usually begins and continues for several days. The amount varies, and more peeling does not necessarily mean a better result.

About a week

Skin may be peeling, dry, tight, or more sensitive than usual. Avoid picking or manually removing peeling skin.

Throughout your plan

Consistent sun protection is essential, especially when treating pigmentation and melasma.

Chemical Peels FAQs

Usually, yes. Many patients experience visible peeling or flaking beginning within the first few days after treatment and continuing for several days. The amount of peeling varies, and more visible peeling does not necessarily mean a better result.

Plan for approximately a week in which the skin may be peeling, dry, tight, or more sensitive than usual. The most visible peeling may occur during only part of that window, and the degree varies by patient. It’s a good idea to consider upcoming events and sun exposure when scheduling your peel.

VI Peel Precision Plus is designed for a broad range of skin types and tones. Molly evaluates skin type, pigmentation history, sensitivity, current skincare and medications, recent sun exposure, and the concern being treated before determining whether Precision Plus is appropriate.

Treatment frequency depends on the concern being addressed and the individual patient’s skin. When a series is recommended, treatments are typically spaced several weeks apart to allow adequate recovery between sessions. Molly will recommend a schedule based on your skin and treatment goals.

At Astra, VI Peel Precision Plus is primarily used to address hyperpigmentation, melasma, sun damage, post-inflammatory discoloration, uneven skin tone, and visible signs of aging. For patients with textural acne scarring, Molly may recommend a collagen-stimulating treatment such as SkinPen or Vybe RF microneedling instead.

Yes. Direct and excessive sun exposure should be avoided during the peeling process, and consistent sun protection is essential after treatment. This is particularly important when treating pigmentation and melasma, since UV exposure can contribute to recurrent or worsening discoloration.

In Molly’s words

Molly Muecke, MSN, NP-C

What makes Astra's approach different

I don’t believe that more peeling automatically means a better peel. I use VI Peel Precision Plus because it fits the way I approach skin: I would rather offer a treatment I believe in for the concerns it treats well than have a long menu of peels simply to offer more options. I look at skin type, pigmentation history, sensitivity, current skincare, previous treatments, and the concern we’re trying to improve before recommending a peel.

Precision Plus is especially valuable in my practice for patients struggling with pigmentation, melasma, sun damage, post-inflammatory discoloration, and uneven tone. Sometimes the peel is the treatment plan. Other times it makes more sense as part of a larger plan that may include SkinPen, Vybe RF microneedling, skincare, and consistent sun protection. The goal isn’t simply to make the skin peel. It’s to use the treatment strategically to improve the skin over time.

A common consultation conversation

A common patient I see is someone frustrated by stubborn pigmentation, melasma, sun damage, or discoloration that hasn’t improved enough with skincare alone. I explain that pigment often requires a plan rather than a single treatment. Depending on the patient, Precision Plus may be used as a series or incorporated alongside consistent home skincare, sun protection, and other in office treatments.

This is especially important with melasma. I prefer to set realistic expectations and approach it as an ongoing condition that may require maintenance rather than suggesting that one peel will permanently eliminate it.