Chemical Peel - What It Is
A chemical peel is an age-old process that has been used for many years in cosmetic procedures. If you’ve ever had bad sunburn, you can understand the basic concept of peeling off an old layer of skin in exchange for a new one. However, with a chemical process, you will be able to deliberately get rid of old skin and bad textures and replace them with fresh new skin. There are several types of acidic solutions that are used to improve the texture and appearance of the skin, and each one can offer different results for different patients.
The acids work by breaking down and removing old layers of skin to make way for new layers that will provide a smoother, fresher looking appearance. There are many different types of chemical peels to choose from, but three are the most common. The first is the AHA peel that is used for light to medium use. This peel consists of alpha hydroxyl acid and often requires multiple treatments for best results. If a stronger peel is needed, the next step is a TCA peel. This is essentially trichloroacetic acid, which is a little stronger and can get into the skin deeper to get more bad layers off in a shorter amount of time. This is most commonly used for wrinkling in the lip and chin area and includes Phenol, which is not recommended for patients with heart disease or dark skin.
The third type of chemical peel is a combination of a TCA peel that is preceded by an AHA peel for much better results than you might get with one or the other. The deeper your peel, the longer the results will last and the more you can expect from the process as a whole. The benefits of chemical peels are that they can provide you with a fresh, new look and can be better for some people than more invasive treatments might be.
Side effects of chemical peels include burning, redness, irritation, and swelling in some cases. People will generally have some sort of effect for at least a few days following treatment, at which point the symptoms will subside. The peels that are deeper will require IV sedation in many cases because of the amount of pain involved in removing the layers of skin. Chemical peels require sun block because the new skin is not accustomed to the harsh sunlight. Other than that, there isn’t much care involved in the healing process.