Are chemical peels for everybody?
If you are looking to improve your skin’s appearance a chemical peel can be a great choice for you!
A chemical peel is a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin on the face, neck or hands. During this treatment, a chemical solution is applied to the skin that causes it to exfoliate and eventually peel off. The results are usually a smoother and less wrinkled regenerated skin.
After this kind of procedure, the new skin becomes temporarily more sensitive to the sun, so it is very important to protect the treated area, the time varies depending on the kind of peel that you got done.
There are three basic types of chemical peels:
Superficial or lunchtime peel: are the mildest type of chemical peel. They can be used on all skin types. In most cases, they use liquid containing a mild (dilute) acid, most often glycolic acid. Dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) is sometimes used. This acid is used to penetrate only the outer layer of skin to gently exfoliate it. The treatment goal is to improve the appearance of mild skin discoloration and rough skin as well as to refresh the face, neck, chest or hands.
Medium peel: soak deeper into the skin than superficial peels do. They cause a burn of the skin. Glycolic or trichloroacetic acid is applied to penetrate the outer and middle layers of skin to remove damaged skin cells. The treatment is used to improve age spots, fine lines and wrinkles, freckles and moderate skin discoloration. It also can be used to smooth rough skin and treat some precancerous skin growths, i.e. actinic keratosis.
Deep peel: soak into several layers of skin and cause a burn. They are used only on the face. Tricholoracetic acid or phenol is applied to deeply penetrate the middle layer of skin to remove damaged skin cells. The treatment removes moderate lines, age spots, freckles and shallow scars. Patients will see a dramatic improvement in skin appearance.A deep peel can be done only once in most cases.
The candidates for this treatment can vary depending on the type of peel. Generally, fair-skinned and light-haired patients are better candidates for chemical peels. If you have darker skin, you may also have good results, depending upon the type of problem being treated. But you also may be more likely to have an uneven skin tone after the procedure.
Skin sags, bulges, and more severe wrinkles do not respond well to chemical peels. Chemical peels can be done on the face, neck, or hands. They can be used to:
- Reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth
- Treat wrinkles caused by sun damage and aging
- Improve the appearance of mild scars
- Treat certain types of acne
- Reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches (melasma) due to pregnancy or taking birth control pills
- Improve the look and feel of skin
Benefits
- Helps reduce visible signs of photoaging, including fine lines and wrinkles
- Improves the appearance of uneven skin tone and dullness by exfoliating surface cells
- Softens and smoothes the skin’s surface texture
- Decreases the frequency of acne breakouts and fades the appearance of post-acne discoloration
- Complements benefits of other in-office procedures
- Office-based chemical peels are essential for maintaining skin’s health and appearance and they need to be done with a skincare professional.
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