Using Chemical Peels - How Safe Is Your Skin?

The technique of chemical peel is employed to improve the appearance of the skin on the face, neck, and hands of an individual. In this process, a chemical compound would be applied to the skin that exfoliates the skin and peels off within 2-3 days. After that, the new and regenerated skin that emerges would be generally smooth and less wrinkled than the old skin. However, care must be taken for a few days to enhance the healing process by keeping the skin well-moisturized and protected from harmful rays of the sun. The fingers should not be used to peel off the skin, as it might cause possible scarring.

Complications with superficial peels are limited. There may be some initial redness and swelling, but these immediate irritations would go away as soon as the skin adjusts to the introduction of the new elements.

The three basic types of a chemical peel include superficial, medium, and deep peel. In the superficial peel, mild acid or alpha-hydroxy acid is used to penetrate the outer layer of the skin and gently exfoliate it, thus improving the appearance of the skin. In medium peel, glycolic or trichloroacetic acid is used to reach the deeper cells. In deep peel, trichloroacetic acid or phenol is used to deeply penetrate the skin cells and remove the moderate lines or dark spots. Chemical peel procedure can help alleviate problems of rough skin.

Though the process of chemical peel is quite simple, your surgeon would perform an evaluation to assess if you are suitable for the procedure. This is because the procedure is not recommended to people infected with infections, cut or broken skin, active skin diseases, sunburns, or active Herpes simplex 1 scores. Even those who have eczema, psoriasis, rosacea or dermatitis would be barred from undergoing the procedure. The treatment and results depend on skin damage.