Treatments with facial chemical peels are the best treatments for wrinkle free skin care, which works well for fine as well as for coarse wrinkles.

If you are suffering with fine and deep rhytids, uncontrollable acne, acne scars, ephelides, lentigines, telangiectasias and actinic keratoses, your skin is suitable for treatment with chemical facial peel.

Skin with dyschromia, premalignant skin tumors and acne scars can also be treated with chemical peeling. Chemical facial peel provides you the best skin care in all these cases.

Chemical Peel Guide

Chemical facial peels may also remove pre-cancerous skin growths, soften acne facial scars and even help control acne. Chemical peels are a good preventative regimen for cancerous skin care and are most often included as a part of skin cancer treatment.

Originally, only women with a fair complexion were the ideal candidates for deep chemical peels. However, there are phenol-based chemical peel techniques which can be safely performed on you, even if you have olive or dark skin.

Thick male skin is usually less responsive to a deep peel so this skin resurfacing procedure is not normally suitable for males.

Consultation with skin care specialists

If you are thinking of going for a chemical peel procedure, you should first fix a meeting with your skin care specialist. In the meeting your should discuss your expectations out of the facial chemical peel, your age, sun exposure history, any genetic predisposition to hypertrophic scars or keloids and also the issues such as chemical peel cost.

Skin type and color, ethnic background and age are important factors in determining which of the different chemical facial peel procedures is most appropriate for your skin. If you have problems such as allergies, previous burns, a history of poor scars, or radiation exposure, you may need special evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate for chemical facial peels or not. If you have had cold sores and blisters around the mouth, inform your surgeon of this condition as this could be a problem with some chemical peel techniques.

Do not hide anything from your skin care specialist and inform him or her about your scar formation history. While this is less of an issue with superficial chemical peels like glycolic acid peels, it is required with a more potent professional skin care regimen such as phenol peels. A thorough medical history, including surgeries such as facelifts, radiation treatments, dermabrasion and laser treatments, is definitely required by your skin care specialist.

Your facial skin care specialist may recommend a skin care regimen prior to the procedure for preparing your skin for more aggressive procedures or chemical peel. If you have extensive damage from aging or injury, he may recommend you more than one procedure – mixed peels, microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing to offer you the best results.

Facial chemical peel procedure can be performed on you even if you have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thrombocytopenia, thyroid malfunction, as long as your disease is stable and in controlled state.

Chemical peeling is a technique used to freshen the skin, soften fine lines, increase the circulation and improve the skin overall. It lightens pigmentation of the skin in the form of sun spots, liver spots, freckles, blotchiness due to sun damage & taking birth control pills. Mild acne scarring & certain types of acne can be treated.

Chemical peels have been performed for over 70 years. There are 2 types of chemical solutions used in these types of peels. Phenol and Trichloro Acetic Acid (TCA). Phenol is not commonly used anymore, as it can have many side effects.

Today we approach the skin differently by peeling less deeply and more often.

The depth of the peel can be adjusted depending on the patients needs, skin type and skin damage. Your face will be cleaned thoroughly with a special prep to remove any dirt or oil. The TCA solution is painted on the skin. A white “frosting” occurs over 5 minutes. The white colour will diminish as the chemical has been absorbed. Your face will then appear slightly sunburnt and feel tight.

The chemical applied causes separation and eventual peeling of upper layers of skin, enabling new regenerated skin to appear.

As the new skin is fragile and more susceptible to injury during the healing stage avoidance of the sun for the next 3 months is mandatory as the skins tanning cells are too immature to protect it. It is important to where sun protection & a hat. It is also a good idea to sit in the shade where ever possible in these 3 months.

In some states, no medical degree is required to perform a chemical peel – even the strongest phenol peels. Many states have laws that permit non-physicians to administer certain peel solutions, but regulate the strengths which they are permitted to apply. You should be warned that phenol and TCA peels have been offered by inadequately trained practitioners claiming “miracletechniques” to rejuvenate the skin.

It is very important that you find a physician who has adequate training and experience in skin resurfacing. Your plastic surgeon may offer you a choice of peel techniques or suggest a combination of peels to obtain the best result for you.

During your initial consultation, it is important that you discuss your expectations with your plastic surgeon. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions or express any concerns that you may have. Expect your plastic surgeon to explain the planned procedure in detail, including its risks and benefits, the recovery period and the costs. If you have a history of herpes, you should inform your physician prior to the procedure. Remember, chemical peel treatments are usually not covered by medical insurance unless they are performed for medically related problems.

There are different levels of the chemical peel– each with its own set of risks and benefits. Procedures can be light, medium or deep. All chemical peels work to exfoliate damaged outer layers of the skin. Chemical peels also reduce acne and acne scars, eliminate sun damage and produce an even skin tone.

The Risk and Benefits Associated with Light Chemical Peels

Light chemical peels are performed with alpha-hydroxy acids. The solution is made according to the chemistry of your skin. Commonly referred to as AHA peels, light chemical peels are a perfect choice for patients wishing to create an even skin texture, reduce acne scars, fine lines and mild sun damage. The result is fresh looking, healthier skin.

The AHA peel treatment is performed in an outpatient facility and takes as little as 15 minutes. Side effects are mild and patients can immediately return to normal activities. Following the procedure, the patient may feel slight irritation or redness. Flakes and dryness are other common side effects.

Because the AHA peel is mild compared with other chemical peels, your treatment plan may require repeat treatments to achieve desired results. Your doctor may also prescribe facial creams filled with alpha-hydroxy acids to maintain results. Sun protection is also necessary, as skin is more susceptible after any chemical peel.

Medium Chemical Peels: Risks and Benefits

Medium chemical peels use solutions with trichloroacetic acid. The medium chemical peel, or TCA peel, goes deeper into the skin to reduce acne and acne scars. It also helps reduce wrinkles, fine lines, age spots and other signs of sun damage.

The TCA peel is a midpoint between mild and deep chemical peels. This type of chemical peel can also be used on various parts of the body. The procedure usually takes about 15 minutes.

Depending on your circumstances, a medium peel may provide better results. But this level of cosmetic plastic surgery requires some recovery time. Following the procedure, the skin may begin to crust and form scabs. Patients may also experience facial swelling, throbbing, irritation and redness.

Recovery time usually lasts about one week. Keep in mind that while a TCA peel does not prevent you from producing pigment, slight discoloration of the skin is a possible risk. Your doctor may recommend a treatment plan, scheduling a series of TCA peels in intervals separated by a few months.

Deep Chemical Peels: Risks and Benefits

Deep chemical peels involve a one to two hour procedure performed with a phenol solution. Phenol peels provide a dramatic improvement to the skin, penetrating deep wrinkles, restoring pigmentation and eliminating pre-cancerous growths. No follow up treatments are necessary and results are long lasting.

Phenol peels require a lengthy recovery period. While you may be able to return to most daily activities after a couple of weeks, the healing period can take several months. Substantial facial swelling, crusting and scabbing are common. Symptoms usually subside within the first two weeks.

Phenol peels are not recommended for patients with dark skin or freckles. This type of facial plastic surgery permanently lightens the skin tone and can only be performed on the face. Treated areas will no longer will able to produce pigmentation. Sun protection is necessary indefinitely.

Patients with a history of heart disease may not be eligible for a deep chemical peel. If you have a skin condition that produces cold sores, you will need to take medication prior to the procedure to avoid outbreaks. If your skin is prone to keloid formation, a deep chemical peel may not be an appropriate choice.

An important thing to note about the chemical peel is that it will not stop your skin from aging. Chemical peels also cannot eliminate sagging skin.

The new skin that is revealed is usually smoother with less wrinkling then the skin that was initially treated. The new skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun, therefore you must stay out of the sun for a period of time to allow for proper healing. The new skin is just that, new, so it will be very sensitive – take good care of it.

Various peeling agents have been used by dermatologic surgeons for over the last fifty years, making them experts in performing various types of chemical peels. As with any procedure, you must have a thorough consult to determine which procedure is right for you.

What Can a Chemical Peel Do?
Chemical peeling is most commonly used for treating fine lines around the mouth and around the eyes. Chemical peeling can reduce or even completely eliminate wrinkles that have been caused by aging, sun damage and hereditary factors. There are some areas that are more difficult then others to treat, such as bulges, sags and wrinkles that are more severe. These types of flaws may require other types of cosmetic surgical procedures, such as brow lifts, face lift, eye lift or even a soft tissue filler.

Most people are not aware that mild scarring and certain types of acne can be treated with chemical peels as well. Also, pigmentations of the skin, such as sun spots, liver spots, age spots, blotching from birth control pills, freckles and skin that is dull or flat colored or textured, can be improved from chemical peeling.

There are other types of treatments that chemical peeling can be combined with to achieve the best results. Chemical peeling can be combined with such procedures as dermabrasion, resurfacing with lasers or soft tissue filler to help obtain cost-effective rejuvenation of the skin that is customized to the needs of the individual patient. Some other areas that may improve after a chemical peel are precancerous keratoses, sun damaged spots or scaling patches.
After a chemical peeling, new patches or lesions are less likely to show up. Usually, people that are fair skinned and/or have light colored hair are good candidates for such treatments as chemical peels. Even darker skin types can also experience positive results, depending on the types of skin problems they have encountered.

How Are Chemical Peels Performed?
Instructions prior to surgery may include stopping certain medications to reduce interference with the procedure or recovery time. The doctor may treat the skin to pre-condition the skin with topical pre-conditioning medications. Cleaning of the area with an antiseptic soap is usually required prior to surgery, generally the day prior to surgery.

Chemical peels can be performed right in a doctor’s office or as an out-patient procedure in a surgery center, making these procedures more convenient for people. The skin must be thoroughly cleansed at the time of treatment. This is done to remove any excess oils and to make sure the eyes and hair are well protected. If you would like to try one or more solutions, such as a chemical peel, you might want to try such items as: salicylic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, a glycolic acid, lactic acid or a trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and sometimes a carbolic acid (phenol). These are used by Dermatologic surgeons that are well qualified to choose the proper peeling agent, this is based on the type of skin damage present. When getting a chemical peel, the physician will apply the solution to directly to small areas on the skin. These applications produce a controlled wound that will enable new, refreshed skin to appear. The majority of patients may experience a sensation that is warm to somewhat hot that may last from about five to ten minutes, followed by a stinging sensation. Deeper peels may require the use of pain medication during or after the procedure to make the person comfortable.

What Should Be Expected After Treatment?
Depending on the type of peel treatment you get, you may have a reaction similar to a sunburn that will occur following the chemical peel. There will be superficial peeling that usually involves redness, which is followed by scaling that will end within three to seven days. If you have medium-depth and/or deep peeling occur, this may result in swelling and the first sign of water blisters that may break, turn brown, crust and peel off over a seven to fourteen day period. You may require bandages, depending on what kind of chemical peel you had done. These would have to cover all or part of the skin that has been treated.

These bandages can usually be removed in several days and usually improve the effectiveness of the treatment. Avoiding overexposure to the sun is crucial after a chemical peel as the new skin is more susceptible to getting sun burned. Th skin will be very fragile and will need to be well taken care of to ensure that you do not damage the new skin. Without proper care, you may run the risk of an infection or a serious sunburn that can be detrimental to the new skin. Your dermatologic surgeon may prescribe the medications to allow for proper follow-up care to reduce the chance to develop abnormal skin color after peeling.

As with any procedure, check with your doctor to make sure you get the best treatment possible. Follow your doctor’s instructions to a T to ensure that you heal correctly. You do not want to ruin the outcome of the chemical peel by not following the right advice.