Chemical Peels

A chemical peel is a cosmetic procedure that involves application of a chemical solution onto skin to produce a controlled chemical burn. Sounds terrible, but not necessarily so, as the severity of the “burn” is controlled, so as to produce a benefit rather than damage. The (controlled) injury that is inflicted onto the skin by a peel procedure stimulates body’s healing process, resulting in a rejuvenated appearance of the treated area with reduction of wrinkles and pigment spots.

The chemicals used for a chemical peel can vary in potency from “light” such as glycolic acid, to “medium” such as Trichlor-acetic acid (TCA), to “deep”, such as Phenol. As the strength of the chemical used for the peel escalates, so does the risk of the procedure, with Glycolic acid peel being the safest, to Phenol peel being the most risky.

Although light and medium chemical peels are still popular, the deeper chemical peels are being replaced by laser peel due to greater control of the depth of the peel with laser, as well as greater safety of laser peels over deep chemical peels.

Mild chemical peels, such as glycolic acid peel and peels involving salicylic acid, are a very useful tool in treating acne, clearing pores, stimulating dermal collagen production, and improving and maintaining of the  tone and radiance of the skin. Medium peels, such as TCA peel, can still be used for decreasing pigmentation and wrinkles. Phenol peel, while very effective in removing pigmentation and correcting wrinkles,  is substantially more risky than a laser peel, and is performed more rarely.