Is Chemical Peel Benefits For Face? Chemical peels for the face can help you to clear up your skin and erase damaged layers that lead to rough, dull and wrinkled skin. They can improve the appearance of acne scars, fine lines and wrinkles. Chemical peels remove dead skin cells, stimulate new cell production, even out pigmentation imbalances and reduce enlarged pores.
A light chemical peel improves skin texture and tone and lessens the appearance of fine wrinkles. The results are subtle but increase with repeated treatments. If you have a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be noticeably smoother
Chemical peels for the face are a common treatment and improve many of the key components that the skin needs to look healthy. Chemical peels may be used to treat acne, aging and sun spots, wrinkles, and other imperfections. The following review will take a close look at chemical peel results. Read on to learn more about chemical peeling treatment/skin peeling on face side effects.
Is Chemical Peel Benefits For Face
chemical peels are one of the most sought after anti-aging treatments – and with good reason. Chemical peels are an excellent solution to various skin concerns – from fine lines and wrinkles to acne and hyperpigmentation. Getting a chemical peel at our clinic – or at a skincare clinic near you – can quickly help you achieve brighter, more youthful-looking skin. Bringing home the power of a clinic-grade chemical peel allows you to achieve and maintain similar results from the comfort of home for smooth, radiant, brightened, younger-looking skin.
Not sure if a chemical peel treatment is right for you? We asked our Skin Health Experts at Kate Somerville to share the five facial peel benefits for healthy skin.
It’s important to note that not all chemical peels are the same. Before you incorporate a chemical peel into your skincare regimen, identify your main skin concerns and speak with a practitioner to determine which type of chemical peel is best for your skin’s individual needs, whether it be for purposes of anti-aging, skin resurfacing, acne, or hyperpigmentation.
Once you’ve chosen a chemical peel for your skin type, get ready to reap the fantastic benefits!
Chemical Peels Help Repair Sun Damage
Our skin is exposed to harmful UV rays daily. While you may not notice a difference in your skin each time you step out of the house, over time, damage caused by UV rays builds up and manifests as signs of premature aging. Thankfully, chemical peels can help visibly reduce this damage. When applied to your face, hands, neck, and chest, a chemical peel strips away old, damaged cells, revealing more youthful-looking skin. Visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles, helping to plump and tighten skin.
Chemical Peels Work to Clear Pigmentation Issues
If you’re struggling with issues of hyperpigmentation, you’re not alone. Common skin issues we see and treat in our Skin Health Expert Clinics include melasma, hyperpigmentation, and discoloration caused by age spots and acne. By sloughing away the top layer of your skin, chemical peels remove some of the discolored pigment along with it. So, if dark spots and acne scars have outstayed their welcome, it’s time to invest in a quality facial peel that will reveal a more even-toned complexion.
Chemical Peels Can Help Improve Acne
Are you struggling with acne? Opt for a facial peel that contains salicylic acid. Chemical peels formulated with salicylic acid as its main ingredient can significantly reduce acne and prevent future blemishes from forming. Because acne is commonly a skin surface issue, aside from reducing acne scars’ appearance, chemical peels can help unclog pores and remove the bacteria that cause acne in the first place.
Chemical Peels Help Reduce Fine Lines & Wrinkles
By removing your skin’s damaged outer layer, chemical peels reveal a new layer of skin free of dry, fine lines [1]. Though not all wrinkles diminish during a chemical peel treatment, it can reduce their appearance. Depending on your skin’s health and the volume of your wrinkles, you’ll want to consult a seasoned practitioner to determine if a moderate or deep chemical peel is the best solution for your specific skincare goals.
Chemical Peels Increase the Effectiveness of other Skincare Products
Because chemical peels remove the top layer of dead skin from your face, they allow other skincare products to better penetrate the skin and be absorbed more efficiently. With the dead skin gone, each product in your skincare regimen is more effective. Not only will you notice a boost in your skin’s health, but you’ll also be able to stretch your budget a bit more.
Who is an Ideal Candidate for A Chemical Peel?
When determining if a chemical peel is right for you, identify your skin concerns. If your skin shows signs of pigmentation, scarring, fine lines, or wrinkles, you’d likely benefit from a chemical peel. While there are various types of chemical peels, if you’re hoping to enhance your skin’s overall appearance without undergoing an invasive treatment, then a light or medium chemical peel is best. Our Skin Health Experts can help you identify the best peel for your skin’s needs.
Skin Peeling On Face Side Effects
A chemical peel can cause various side effects, including:
- Redness, scabbing and swelling. Normal healing from a chemical peel involves redness of the treated skin. After a medium or deep chemical peel, redness might last for a few months.
- Scarring. Rarely, a chemical peel can cause scarring — typically on the lower part of the face. Antibiotics and steroid medications can be used to soften the appearance of these scars.
- Changes in skin color. A chemical peel can cause treated skin to become darker than normal (hyperpigmentation) or lighter than normal (hypopigmentation). Hyperpigmentation is more common after superficial peels, while hypopigmentation is more common after a deep peel. These problems are more common in people with brown or black skin and can sometimes be permanent.
- Infection. A chemical peel can lead to a bacterial, fungal or viral infection, such as a flare-up of the herpes virus — the virus that causes cold sores.
- Heart, kidney or liver damage. A deep chemical peel uses carbolic acid (phenol), which can damage heart muscle and cause the heart to beat irregularly. Phenol can also harm the kidneys and liver. To limit exposure to phenol, a deep chemical peel is done a portion at a time, in 10- to 20-minute intervals.
A chemical peel isn’t for everyone. Your doctor might caution against a chemical peel or certain types of chemical peels if you:
- Have taken the oral acne medication isotretinoin (Myorisan, Claravis, others) in the past six months
- Have a personal or family history of ridged areas caused by an overgrowth of scar tissue (keloids)
- Are pregnant
- Have frequent or severe outbreaks of cold sores
How you prepare
Choose a doctor with knowledge of the skin and procedure — a dermatologist or dermatologic surgeon. Results can be variable and depend on the expertise of the person doing the peel. Improperly done, a chemical peel can result in complications, including infection and permanent scars.
Before you have a chemical peel, your doctor will likely:
- Review your medical history. Be prepared to answer questions about current and past medical conditions and any medications you are taking or have taken recently, as well as any cosmetic procedures you’ve had.
- Do a physical exam. Your doctor will inspect your skin and the area to be treated to determine what type of peel you might benefit from most and how your physical features — for example, the tone and thickness of your skin — might affect your results.
- Discuss your expectations. Talk with your doctor about your motivations, expectations and potential risks. Make sure you understand how many treatments you might need, how long it’ll take to heal and what your results might be.
Before your peel, you might also need to:
- Take antiviral medication. Your doctor might prescribe an antiviral medication before and after treatment to help prevent a viral infection.
- Use a retinoid cream. Your doctor might recommend using a retinoid cream, such as tretinoin (Renova, Retin-A) for a few weeks before treatment to help with healing.
- Use a bleaching agent. Your doctor might recommend using a bleaching agent (hydroquinone), a retinoid cream, or both before or after the procedure to reduce the risk of side effects.
- Avoid unprotected sun exposure. Too much sun exposure before the procedure can cause permanent irregular pigmentation in treated areas. Discuss sun protection and acceptable sun exposure with your doctor.
- Avoid certain cosmetic treatments and certain types of hair removal. About a week before the peel, stop using hair removal techniques such as electrolysis or depilatories. Also, avoid hair dying treatments, permanent-wave or hair-straightening treatments, facial masks, or facial scrubs in the week before your peel. Don’t shave the areas that will be treated beginning 24 hours before your peel.
- Arrange for a ride home. If you’ll be sedated during the procedure, arrange for a ride home.
What you can expect
Before the procedure
A chemical peel is usually done at an office or in an outpatient surgical facility. Before the procedure, your doctor will clean your face, protect your hair, and cover your eyes with ointment, gauze, tape or goggles.
Pain relief isn’t typically needed for a light chemical peel. If you’re having a medium peel, you might receive a sedative and painkiller. For a deep peel, you might have a sedative, something to numb the treatment area and fluids delivered through a vein.
During the procedure
During a light chemical peel:
- Your doctor will use a brush, cotton ball, gauze or sponge to apply a chemical solution typically containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
- You might feel mild stinging while the chemical solution is on your skin.
- Your doctor will apply a neutralizing solution or wash to remove the chemical solution from the treated skin.
During a medium chemical peel:
- Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator or gauze to apply a chemical solution containing trichloroacetic acid, sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.
- After a few minutes, your doctor will apply cool compresses to soothe treated skin. You might also be given a hand-held fan to cool your skin. No neutralizing solution is needed, however.
- You might feel stinging and burning for up to 20 minutes.
During a deep chemical peel:
- You’ll be given intravenous (IV) fluids, and your heart rate will be closely monitored.
- Your doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply carbolic acid (phenol) to your skin. Treated skin will begin to turn white or gray.
- To limit your exposure to phenol, your doctor will do the procedure in portions at about 15-minute intervals. A full-facial procedure might take about 90 minutes.
After the procedure
After a chemical peel of any depth, your skin will be red, tight, irritated or swollen. Follow your doctor’s directions for sun protection, cleansing, moisturizing and applying protective ointments to your skin. And avoid picking, rubbing or scratching your skin. It may take several months before your skin color returns to normal and you can see the full results of the peel.
After a light chemical peel, treated skin will be red, dry and mildly irritated — although these effects might be less noticeable with each repeat treatment. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the skin. You can usually wear makeup the next day if you wish.
Treated areas take about one to seven days to heal after a light chemical peel. New skin might temporarily be lighter or darker than normal.
After a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be red and swollen. You’ll feel stinging. Your doctor might apply a protective ointment, such as petroleum jelly, to soothe the area and prevent dryness. After five to seven days, you can use cosmetics to cover any redness.
Use ice packs for comfort. Over-the-counter pain-relieving medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve, others), may help reduce any discomfort. You’ll likely schedule a checkup soon after your treatment so that your doctor can monitor your healing.
As swelling decreases, treated skin will begin to form a crust and might darken or develop brown blotches. Treated areas take about seven to 14 days to heal after a medium chemical peel, but redness might last for months.
After a deep chemical peel, you’ll experience severe redness and swelling. You’ll also feel burning and throbbing, and the swelling may even make your eyelids swell shut.
Your doctor will apply a surgical dressing to treated skin. He or she might also prescribe painkillers. You’ll need to soak the treated skin and apply ointment several times a day for about two weeks.
Treated areas will develop new skin within about two weeks after a deep chemical peel, although redness might last for months. Treated skin might become darker or lighter than normal or lose the ability to tan.
You might prefer to remain at home while you’re healing from a chemical peel. You’ll likely need several follow-up visits soon after your treatment so that your doctor can monitor your healing.
Once new skin completely covers the treated area in about two weeks, you can use cosmetics to conceal any redness. Use sunscreen every day.
As your skin heals, you may need to apply a protective ointment. You’ll also need to wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
The recovery process is different for each type of peel. Let’s take a closer look at what recovery may be like for the different chemical peels.
Light chemical peel
After a light chemical peel, you may experience mild irritation and dryness. You can typically wear makeup the following day and resume your normal skin care activities, like cleansing and moisturizing .
It will most likely take between 1 to 7 days for your skin to fully heal.
Medium chemical peel
The most common side effects of a medium chemical peel include:
- swelling
- redness
- stinging
In most cases, you can safely wear makeup within 5 to 7 days.
The recovery process typically lasts 7 to 14 days. You may have some redness for several months, though.
Deep chemical peel
The most common side effects of a deep chemical peel include:
- crusting
- swelling
- severe redness
The swelling can last for 14 days, while the redness may last for 3 months.
It may take up to 14 days for your skin to grow back. During this time, you’ll need to wear a surgical dressing and take medication for the pain.
You can typically start wearing makeup after 14 days.
Although rare, deep chemical peels can be associated with more severe side effects and complications, including:
- infection
- bruising
- delayed wound healing
- reactivation of herpes simplex virus.
Chemical Peeling Treatment
A chemical peel is solution applied to the face to remove dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of new cells. The aim is to improve the appearance of the skin – for example, by reducing age spots and evening out skin tone. There are 3 types of peels, called superficial, medium and deep.
Is a chemical peel good for all skin types?
Generally, superficial peels can be used on all skin types. However, if you have a darker skin tone, you have a greater risk of experiencing a darkening of your skin after treatment. This condition is called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. If you have a naturally darker skin tone, you may want to get the advice of your dermatologist about other less aggressive treatments to reduce the risk of hyperpigmentation.
Chemical peeling may also not be recommended if you:
- Have a history of abnormal skin scarring.
- Have extra coloring in your scars.
- Have skin conditions or take medications that make your skin more sensitive.
- Can’t stay out of the sun for the healing period.
PROCEDURE DETAILS
How are chemical peels performed?
A chemical peel can be performed in a doctor’s office or in a surgery center as an outpatient procedure. Your skin will be thoroughly cleansed with an agent that removes excess oils, while your eyes and hair are protected. A chemical solution is then applied to your skin. Chemical solutions typically used include glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid or carbolic acid (phenol). The different types of chemicals cause a controlled injury, each penetrating through to a different skin depth, then peeling away to reveal a new layer of skin.
The different chemical solutions provide different results. The choice of chemical depends on your goal. You will work with your dermatologist to determine the depth of your peel.
- A light (“lunchtime”) chemical peel provides subtle improvement over time and is often done in a series. The outermost layer of skin is removed. This choice may be best if you have fine wrinkling, acne, uneven skin coloring or dry, rough sun-damaged skin to help promote a healthy glow. Recovery from this type of peel may be within hours to a few days but with little to no down time.
- A medium chemical peel gives your skin a smooth, fresh look. The outermost layer and the upper part of your middle skin layer are removed. This choice may be best if you have uneven or moderate skin discoloring, age spots, acne scarring or fine-to-moderate wrinkles. Recovery from this type of peel may take a week or more and require some down time.
- A deep chemical peel produces the most dramatic results. This chemical penetrates down to the lower middle layer of your skin. Recovery time is longer with a deep peel. This choice may be best if you have moderate lines and wrinkles, extensive sun-damaged skin, deep acne scars, blotchy skin, and/or precancerous growths called actinic keratosis. A deep chemical peel requires pretreatment for up to eight weeks. Your doctor will provide specific instructions. A deep chemical peel is a one-time only treatment if applied to your face and does have significant down time.
To prepare for your chemical peel, some general instructions include:
- Avoid tanning and direct sun exposure for two weeks before each treatment.
- Apply topical products (such as hydroquinone) as instructed before treatment to prepare your skin.
- Don’t use any products containing retinoids (such as tretinoin) one to two weeks before treatment, unless your physician tells you differently.
- If you have been prescribed oral antibiotics or an oral antiviral medicine, start taking it at least 24 hours before your chemical peel.
- Peel areas must be free of any open sores, lesions or skin infections.
Your doctor will give you specific instructions for your peel type and your unique skin condition.
Day of peel: Your skin will be thoroughly cleaned. If you are having a deep chemical peel, you will receive general anesthesia (you will be asleep).
The procedure: During a chemical peel, solution is applied to your skin. You may feel a warm to somewhat hot sensation that will last a few minutes. This is followed by a stinging sensation. To relieve the sting, a cool compress may be applied your skin. The chemical is then washed off and/or neutralized.
What are the possible complications of chemical peels?
In certain skin types, there’s a risk of a temporary or permanent change in the color of your skin. Taking birth control pills, pregnancy or a family history of brownish discoloration on your face may increase your risk of developing abnormal pigmentation.
There’s also a low risk of scarring in certain areas of your face and certain individuals may be more prone to scarring. If scarring does occur, it can usually be treated with good results.
If you’ve had a history of herpes outbreaks, there’s a small chance of reactivating the cold sore. Your dermatologist can prescribe medication to reduce the chance of a flare up. Follow the instructions of your doctor.
Before your chemical peel, be sure to tell your dermatologist if you have a history of keloids (scar tissue overgrowth created at the site of a skin injury), any unusual scarring tendencies, any X-rays of your face or history of cold sores.
- A chemical peel damages the skin in a controlled manner, producing a superficial wound.
- As the natural healing process repairs the damage, the skin’s appearance is improved.
- The nature of the chemicals applied to the skin determines the depth at which the damage occurs.
- The type of chemical peel used depends on the nature of the skin problem to be treated.
- Skin problems that respond best to chemical peels are due to chronic sun damage from ultraviolet light.
- Since most skin peels damage the skin, there is a period of recuperation necessary.
- As with any surgical procedure, there are risks, which include scarring, infection, and undesirable color changes.
- Currently, dermatologists often use chemical peels in conjunction with other destructive techniques like laser to diminish the signs of sun damage or acne scarring.