Hollywood Peeling — Carbon Laser Peel

The Hollywood Peeling, also called a carbon laser peel or carbon laser resurfacing, is a two-stage laser treatment that produces smooth, pore-minimised skin with no post-treatment flaking and an immediate return to activities. A thin layer of liquid medical-grade carbon is applied to the face; the carbon particles penetrate the pores and bind to sebum, dead skin cells and surface impurities. A laser beam is then swept across the skin twice: the first pass vaporises the carbon and everything attached to it, instantly clearing pores; the second pass delivers controlled photothermal energy to the underlying dermis, stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis. The result is brighter, smoother skin with reduced pore visibility and improved tone, often described as a 'red-carpet glow' immediately post-treatment.

Petra Clinic's Hollywood Peeling combines two distinct mechanisms in one 30-minute, zero-downtime session. First, a medical-grade carbon lotion is applied to thoroughly cleansed skin and worked into the pores with gentle massage. The carbon is opaque to near-infrared laser wavelengths and has a high affinity for oils, sebaceous plugs and dead corneocytes, effectively acting as a targeted pickup agent for the materials that enlarge and clog pores. The laser handpiece — typically an Nd:YAG 1064 nm device — is swept across the carbon-coated face. The first sweep uses the photomechanical Q-switched pulse mode: the laser energy is absorbed explosively by the carbon layer, producing a micro-photoacoustic shock that removes the carbon plus its attached debris. At Petra Clinic the treatment then transitions to a gentle thermal mode: a second laser pass warms the upper dermis beneath the now-cleared epidermis to 40–42°C, initiating the same collagen-stimulation cascade achieved in conventional laser toning protocols. This thermal pass also reduces the activity of sebaceous glands, giving several weeks of reduced oil production — beneficial for acne-prone and combination skin types. Because the ablation is limited to the carbon layer and superficial epidermis, there is no open wound, no recovery time and no need for post-treatment topical antibiotics. Clients can apply tinted moisturiser immediately. Visible outcomes include uniform skin tone, reduced visibility of superficial pigmentation and dilated pores, softer skin texture and a luminous surface appearance. These effects peak over two to three days as mild inflammation subsides. A protocol of two to three sessions per year is recommended; treatments can be spaced as little as three to four weeks apart during a course. The treatment is frequently combined with a mesotherapy application at Petra Clinic, delivered topically immediately post-peel while the skin's permeability is transiently elevated.