Dermatologist in Japan

---Chemical Peel---

A couple of weeks ago I finally took the time to go to the dermatologist and get a chemical peel! The last time I had gotten one was during high school back in the U.S. so I had to find a dermatologist here in Japan. Using the Tokyo Embassy website to search for doctors in Chiba and Tokyo (There's a huge list of English speaking doctors across Japan so check it out if you're ever in need of one!), I came across a place in Roppongi's Midtown Center called Noage. Noage English Site They seemed pretty legit and had pricing similar to what I remember paying in the U.S. so I made an appointment there.

They said they have English speakers, so I decided to test this out, and made my appointment via e-mail in English. I was told that they only do glycolic acid peels, so I shouldn't expect a whole lot of visible peeling. When I got my peel done in the U.S., I had some sort of blended peel that was only offered by my dermatologist there, but it had me peeling for several days afterward, so I had to take off work at the time. Because of this, I was a bit concerned as to how my skin would react this time around, so I kept my weekend plans tentative.

Upon arrival to Midtown Clinic (which is connected to the Ritz-Carlton hotel btw :o ), I headed up to the sixth floor and down the back hall to Noage. I was a bit nervous because the place is very upscale, but the woman at the front desk greeted me with a smile. The office was super trendy and had a very relaxing atmosphere. It seemed more like a spa than a dermatologists office, honestly. It was, however, extremely hot in there! It was a bit windy out that day so I had worn a sweater, which I then regretted upon entering. The woman at the front desk had me fill out some paperwork after leading me to my room. The forms were written in both English and Japanese. I filled them out while sipping on some tea, and the doctor came for a consultation. Unfortunately, due to a benzoyl peroxide allergy I can't use topical medications (I'm not sure if they use salicylic acid in Japan?), so we discussed the chemical peel, and then headed straight into it. They removed my makeup for me but left my eye makeup on so I wouldn't have to redo it later. Next, I was taken to a different room so we could take the “before” photos. Then, we headed back to my room for the peel. The chemical application took about fifteen minutes, and afterward they applied a paper collagen mask for another fifteen minutes to keep my skin healthy and soft. The peel itself didn't burn nearly as much as I remember it having done in the U.S. (probably because that one was a lot stronger). This time it was more of a tingling and slight warming of my skin.

After everything was completed, I was taken to a vanity mirror to await my bill with another glass of tea. Many tester products were arranged by the mirror, and I was told to use the time to reapply my makeup if I should so choose. All together, between the consultation fee and the peel, my bill was around 20,000 yen (about 200 USD).

As for visible peeling, there was little to none. It was truly a lunch time peel. I didn't experience any redness afterward either. My skin was pretty bad so I'll have to go back for multiple treatments. I'll probably head back again in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime I've been doing an at-home glycolic peel by REN. The at-home kits aren't nearly as strong as what you'll get at the dermatologist's office, but they're a nice, cheap alternative to getting a full professional peel. Of course, the effects aren't as great as what you will get at the dermatologist's, but it's a nice in-between product. When using the REN peel however, I do keep it on for a lot longer than what the packaging says. You're supposed to leave it on for about 10-15 minutes, but I left it on for about a half hour the first time, and 45 minutes the second time.

Overall, I have to say that my experiences with chemical peels have been excellent. However, I don't recommend doing them at home the first time, because you don't know how your skin will react. Also any at-home kit shouldn't be more than 10% glycolic acid, because you can easily burn your skin. Anything above that and you need a professional. The results that I have seen from this peel here in Japan are a reduction in acne, reduction in pore size, smoothing of the skin's surface, and a slight lessening in scarring. I do wish that it had a greater affect on my scarring than it did, however.

I was given a bunch of product samples from the dermatologist before I left. Upon trying them out I highly recommend all of the muNoage products. The whitening serum stands out in particular. Made with vitamin C and pieces of 24 carat gold, not only did I see a dramatic reduction in scarring after only one use, but I feel like one of those crazy rich people that just swims in a giant pool of money for fun. It is a bit pricey, but you can purchase it cheaper from the doctor's office than you can from online, and with the results I saw, this product is totally worth it. There, of course, will not be pictures of my face on here because that's just embarrassing.