Skin Peels & Chemical ResurfacingNewstead, Brisbane
Body Dezign House is a doctor-led clinic in Newstead, Brisbane. Skin peels are one of the oldest and most reliable ways to resurface the skin. A peel lifts dull surface cells, smooths texture, settles congestion, and softens the pigmentation our Brisbane sun leaves behind. There are two main families, AHA and BHA. Each one works at a different depth and suits a different concern. At Body Dezign House in Newstead, every peel consultation is guided by your anatomy. We consider your skin type and how much it can tolerate, and there is no obligation to go ahead.
A peel that is right for one face is wrong for the next, and a peel that suits a patient in winter may be too much for the same patient in midsummer. The same glycolic that calmly refines one complexion will leave another flushed and uneven for weeks. Choosing the right depth, the right acid, and the right month is most of the work. The peel itself is almost the easy part.Dr Fatemeh Asadi, MD, FRACGP
Dr Fatemeh Asadi, MD, FRACGP brings two decades in cosmetic medicine and general practice to every consultation. She is a Key Opinion Leader for Merz Aesthetics and an Official Trainer for Aptos Threads. This reflects her ongoing role in cosmetic medicine education, including attending national and international conferences, training other doctors and nurses, and contributing her clinical knowledge to the wider medical aesthetics community.
Our approach is careful and honest. We look at what is really driving your concern. It might be sun damage, surface pigmentation, uneven texture, congestion, or a mix of these. We also look at whether any treatment is genuinely right for you.
Concerns Skin Peels
May Address
Skin peels are not one single treatment. Different acid families work at different depths and answer different concerns. Choosing the right peel starts with seeing what your skin is actually showing, and which layer is driving most of it.
Dullness
& Uneven Surface
The most common reason people consider a peel is a complexion that has slowly lost its brightness. Surface cells turn over more slowly than they used to, dead skin builds up, and the tone starts to look flat rather than fresh. A gentle AHA peel is usually the first thing we talk about here. It lifts that dull layer to reveal smoother, more even skin underneath.
Sun Damage
& Surface Pigmentation
The pigmentation our Queensland sun leaves behind often sits near the surface, where AHAs can treat it directly. Sun-driven pigmentation usually responds best to a course of peels, paired with daily SPF and good skin habits.
Congestion
& Blackheads
Oil-soluble BHAs reach into the pore where AHAs cannot. A salicylic peel is often the first option we discuss for oily, congested, or blackhead-prone skin in Brisbane's warm climate.
Acne
& Post-Inflammatory Marks
Active acne often responds to a course of BHA peels. The dark marks left behind once breakouts settle (post-inflammatory pigmentation, which tends to linger in olive and darker skin) may need a different acid family or a more careful approach. We work this out at your consultation.
Fine Lines
& Photoageing
Fine lines, crepey texture, and built-up sun damage sit deeper, in the dermis, beyond the reach of surface peels. For these, we look at complementary options that reach this layer, such as skin needling, PRX-Plus, or laser resurfacing, often over a series of carefully spaced treatments. The right choice is very personal. What suits one person in winter may be too much for another in midsummer. We decide what suits you at your consultation, not from how the skin looks alone.
Acne Scarring
& Texture
Older acne scarring and uneven, rolling texture often benefit from treatments that reach the dermis. We most often discuss skin needling here, sometimes paired with PRX-Plus or laser resurfacing to work on both at once.
Chemical peels are not interchangeable. AHAs lift the surface and BHAs reach into the pore. Each one answers a concern well, and each one could irritate the wrong skin. A good consultation reads your skin type, your tolerance, and your concern separately, and is honest about which depth belongs to where your skin is right now.Dr Fatemeh Asadi MD, FRACGP · GP & Cosmetic Physician
Your Consultation
in Brisbane
Your consultation at our Brisbane clinic starts with a conversation about your concerns and what you would like to achieve. We review your medical history, carefully assess your skin, and use VISIA skin analysis where appropriate to gain a better understanding of your skin's condition. We then explain our findings, discuss the treatment options that may be suitable for you, and answer your questions so you have a clear understanding of the benefits, possible risks, and alternatives before deciding whether to proceed. Risks & Complications →
Listening
Assessment
Options
Treatments We
May Discuss
The treatments listed here are examples of what may be considered. They are not a treatment plan and do not mean you will need all of them. Your recommendation may include one option, a combination, or a different approach altogether after your skin has been properly assessed at our Brisbane clinic.
Glycolic Peel
A water-soluble AHA from sugar cane, glycolic acid is the most widely used surface peel in cosmetic medicine. It works at the surface layer (the epidermis) to lift dull, dead cells and loosen the bonds that hold pigmented skin together, so brighter, more even skin can surface beneath. We often discuss it for built-up sun-driven pigmentation, dullness, and the early signs of sun-related ageing common across Brisbane skin. Glycolic peels usually work best as a course rather than a single session.
Lactic Peel
A gentler AHA from milk, lactic acid is well tolerated by sensitive skin and skin that flushes easily. We often discuss lactic peels where a stronger AHA would be too harsh: for surface melasma, for early pigmentation in reactive skin, or as a gentle first step into peels for those new to them.
Salicylic Peel
An oil-soluble BHA that reaches into the pore where AHAs cannot, salicylic acid is at the centre of most peel plans for oily, congested, and acne-prone skin. A salicylic peel can help active acne, blackheads, and the stubborn congestion that does not settle with skincare alone. It is often part of a longer plan alongside prescribed topical treatments and steady daily skincare.
PRX-Plus
PRX-Plus is a resurfacing peel that stimulates the dermis without the visible flaking of a usual peel. We often discuss it where you cannot take time off, when you want a resurfacing step between peel courses, or as a maintenance option alongside planned peels. We work out suitability and timing at your consultation.
Skin Needling with Special Serum
Medical-grade microneedling paired with carefully chosen special serums during and just after treatment. The tiny channels let brightening, antioxidant, and pigment-calming actives reach deeper than they could from the surface alone. We often discuss it alongside peels where pigmentation, texture, and overall skin quality are best treated together.
CO2 Laser Resurfacing
Where peel concerns reach into more noticeable texture, sun damage, uneven tone, or collagen loss, CO2 Laser Resurfacing may be discussed as a complementary or alternative option at your consultation, where it is clinically appropriate. Suitability depends on your skin type, your concern, how much downtime suits you, and a medical assessment.
CoolPeel CO2 Laser
CoolPeel CO2 Laser is a more superficial resurfacing option with less time off, and may suit you when recovery time is a concern. We can discuss it at your consultation for fine lines, pigmentation, texture, and overall skin quality. Suitability is assessed at your consultation.
Dermaceutic Foamer 5 Gentle Exfoliating Foam
A gentle exfoliating foam we stock, often discussed alongside peel plans.
Dermaceutic Advanced Cleanser All-in-One Cleansing Foam
A gentle cleansing foam we stock, often discussed as everyday preparation around peel programs.
All cosmetic procedures carry some risk and possible side effects. Whether a treatment suits you, what might rule it out, and the full range of possible complications are all discussed at your consultation. Individual results vary, and no outcome can be guaranteed. Read about Risks & Complications →
A few questions
before booking a peel?
If you would rather talk to our team before booking, we are happy to take a thoughtful phone call. No pressure, no obligation. Just a conversation.
Frequently
Asked
AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic and lactic) are water-soluble and work at the surface, helping dullness, uneven tone, and surface pigmentation. BHAs (beta hydroxy acids, mostly salicylic acid) are oil-soluble and reach into the pore, so they suit oily, congested, and acne-prone skin. Each family suits different concerns, skin types, and recovery. Where a concern sits deeper, we may discuss a complementary option such as PRX-Plus, skin needling, or laser resurfacing instead. The right choice is decided at your consultation.
Surface AHA and BHA peels often look brighter within a few days, with the full effect of a single peel usually settling around two weeks once the skin has turned over. Most concerns respond best to a course rather than a single peel, with the result building gradually over the series. Individual results vary.
It depends on the depth. Superficial AHA and BHA peels often cause mild flaking around days three to five, and sometimes none at all. Please do not pick, pull, or rush any peeling, as that can leave marks or pigment changes. Your clinician will explain what to expect, and how to look after the skin, before any peel is booked.
Brisbane's strong sun changes the conversation. Superficial AHA and BHA peels are often still fine in summer, as long as you wear SPF 50+ every day and keep out of direct sun for a few days afterwards. Deeper resurfacing is usually planned for the cooler months, because healing skin is more likely to develop pigment changes from UV. Whether the timing is right for your skin, your schedule, and your sun habits is decided at your consultation.
Most peel plans are designed as a course rather than a single session. Surface concerns like dullness and mild pigmentation often respond to 3 to 6 AHA or BHA peels, spaced 2 to 4 weeks apart. Deeper concerns like established sun damage and texture may be better suited to complementary options such as PRX-Plus, skin needling, or laser resurfacing, alongside ongoing surface peels and skincare. The exact plan depends on your concern, your skin type, and your tolerance, and is decided at your consultation. Individual results vary.
We decide this together at your consultation, as the right choice depends on your skin condition. It is not something we can settle online.
A skin peel is usually low-risk, but no treatment is risk-free. In the first few days you can expect some redness, mild stinging, tightness, dryness, and flaking, which normally settle on their own. Less common effects include prolonged redness, swelling, and a temporary darkening of the skin (post-inflammatory pigmentation), which is more likely in olive and darker skin. A peel can also bring on a cold sore if you are prone to them. Rarely, there can be infection, blistering, lightening of the skin, or a visible line between treated and untreated areas. Scarring is rare and is usually linked to deeper peels or to picking the skin while it heals. As a rule, the deeper the peel, the higher the risk, which is why careful selection and aftercare matter so much. We explain the risks for your skin and your chosen peel in full at your consultation, and again on the day. Full information is on our Risks & Complications page.
Dr Fatemeh Asadi MD, FRACGP
GP & Cosmetic Physician · Founder, Body Dezign House
Ready for a
Consultation or Treatment?
Book a time with Dr Asadi or her team at our Newstead clinic in Brisbane. New here? Begin with a consultation. Already consulted, or following a treatment plan you've discussed? Book your next session, or reach out with any other enquiry.