Skin Peels Los Angeles

The Right Peel for Your Skin. Chosen by a Surgeon Who Understands Skin Science.

Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS Dual Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon Graduate, UCLA School of Medicine  ·  Melapeel · Cosmelan · TCA · Obagi Blue Peel · Jessner · Microneedling · Melasma · Melarase  ·  Kare Plastic Surgery, Santa Monica

Skin is the most visible organ of the body and the one most directly affected by the environment we live in. In Los Angeles and Santa Monica, where year-round sun exposure is among the highest in the United States, cumulative UV damage is an almost universal concern — whether it presents as melasma, solar hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, uneven tone, or surface texture irregularity. Medical-grade skin peels address these concerns at the cellular level, removing damaged skin layers, interrupting the melanin production pathways that drive hyperpigmentation, and stimulating the production of new collagen beneath the treated surface. The result is skin that not only looks better immediately after treatment but continues to improve over weeks and months as the regenerative response matures.

At Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center at 804 7th Street in Santa Monica near Montana Avenue, UCLA School of Medicine graduate and dual board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS brings a distinctly clinical approach to skin peel treatments. His background in surgical skin science, scar biology, and pigmentation disorders — combined with his practice at the Kare Scar Treatment Center — means that patients seeking peels for melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne scarring, or skin resurfacing receive the same level of medical rigor and individualized assessment that he applies to surgical cases. At Kare, a peel is not a menu item. It is a prescription.

UCLASchool of Medicine — Advanced training

UVWood's lamp imaging for melasma mapping

6+Distinct medical-grade peel protocols offered

AllFitzpatrick skin types safely treated

Skin Peel and Resurfacing Services at Kare Plastic Surgery Santa Monica

• Melapeel — targeted melanin suppression for melasma and hyperpigmentation
• Cosmelan Depigmentation Peel — the gold standard for melasma treatment
• TCA Peel (10% to 35%) — medium-depth resurfacing for texture, tone, and acne scars
• Obagi Blue Peel — TCA-based medium-depth peel with controlled penetration
• Jessner Peel — salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol combination
• Acne Peel — salicylic acid and glycolic acid protocol for active acne and mild scarring
• Microneedling — collagen induction therapy for acne scars and skin resurfacing
• Melarase AM and PM — home maintenance regimen for melasma and pigmentation
• Combination peel plus microneedling — superior acne scar outcomes per 2025 meta-analysis

Melasma and Pigmentation Treatment

Melapeel and Cosmelan — The Premier Peels for Melasma in Los Angeles

Melasma is one of the most challenging conditions in aesthetic dermatology. It is driven by melanocyte hyperactivity — the pigment-producing cells of the skin overproduce melanin in response to UV exposure, hormonal changes (particularly estrogen and progesterone), and inflammatory triggers. In the Los Angeles environment, where UV radiation is persistent year-round and outdoor lifestyle is culturally embedded, melasma is extremely common, particularly in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types III through VI — the population with the highest melanocyte activity and therefore the highest melasma burden. Standard peels in the wrong hands or with the wrong protocol can actually worsen melasma by triggering post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The treatment approach matters enormously.

Melapeel — Targeted Melanin Suppression

Melapeel is a specialized depigmenting peel that combines chemical exfoliation with active melanin-regulating ingredients including kojic acid, phytic acid, and azelaic acid in a precisely calibrated formulation designed for hyperpigmentation-prone skin. Unlike aggressive peels that strip the surface without addressing the underlying melanocyte activity, Melapeel works at two levels simultaneously: exfoliating the hyperpigmented surface layer while delivering active ingredients that inhibit tyrosinase and reduce melanin synthesis in the layers below. This dual-mechanism approach produces more lasting pigment correction than surface-only peels and carries a lower risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker skin types. Melapeel is typically performed as a series of 3 to 6 treatments spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart, paired with the Melarase home maintenance cream series for optimal and sustained results.

Cosmelan — The Gold Standard Depigmentation Peel

Cosmelan is the most widely validated professional depigmentation system for melasma and represents the gold standard for treating hormonal and UV-driven hyperpigmentation across all skin types. It works through a two-phase protocol. The Cosmelan 1 mask is applied in-office and left on the skin for 8 to 12 hours depending on the patient's Fitzpatrick phototype and skin sensitivity before being removed at home. Following this, the Cosmelan 2 maintenance cream is used daily for several months to sustain melanin suppression and prevent new spot formation. The active ingredient complex inhibits tyrosinase at multiple pathway points, producing a comprehensive melanin suppression that is more thorough than single-acid peels alone.

The MD version of Cosmelan — available at Kare Plastic Surgery — adds hydroquinone to the formulation for patients who are candidates for this enhanced depigmenting agent. Downtime for Cosmelan is typically 3 to 5 days of peeling and flaking with 2 weeks of social sensitivity. Optimal pigmentation results are visible at 4 to 8 weeks as the full depigmenting response matures, with continued improvement over 3 to 4 months. Dr. Karamanoukian pairs Cosmelan with the Melarase AM and PM home cream protocol to extend and maintain the peel results.

Microneedling for Acne Scars and Skin Resurfacing

Microneedling at Kare Plastic Surgery — Collagen Induction for Acne Scars and Skin Renewal

Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy, uses a device with fine medical-grade needles to create thousands of controlled micro-injuries in the skin surface at a precise and adjustable depth. Each micro-channel triggers the skin's wound healing response without creating macroscopic damage — stimulating fibroblast activation, collagen synthesis, and elastin remodeling in the treated dermis. The cumulative result over a series of 3 to 6 sessions is a measurable improvement in acne scar depth and surface texture that develops progressively over 4 to 6 months as the collagen remodeling response matures.

Microneedling is particularly effective for rolling scars and shallow boxcar scars, which represent the majority of post-acne scarring in the Los Angeles patient population. It is safe across all Fitzpatrick skin types including the darker skin tones that carry the highest risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation from more aggressive ablative resurfacing techniques. For ice pick scars — the deep, narrow scar channels that microneedling alone cannot address — Dr. Karamanoukian combines microneedling with TCA Cross (100% TCA applied focally to individual ice pick scars) to selectively induce collagen production within the narrow scar channel without affecting surrounding skin.

Microneedling Combined with Chemical Peeling — The Evidence

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery evaluated the combination of microneedling with chemical peeling versus either treatment alone for atrophic acne scars. The analysis found that the combination regimen outperformed microneedling or chemical peeling monotherapy across studies using Jessner solution, TCA 15 to 20%, and glycolic acid peels in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types III through V. The biological rationale is straightforward: microneedling creates micro-channels that enhance penetration of the chemical peel into the dermis while simultaneously triggering its own collagen induction cascade. At Kare Plastic Surgery, Dr. Karamanoukian offers this evidence-based combination protocol for patients with moderate to severe atrophic acne scarring who want to maximize improvement within a manageable treatment course.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Skin Peels in Los Angeles