Uneven skin tone, acne blemishes and scars, spots, rough texture and skin pigmentation can be perfected by removing the damaged outer layer on the skin. Chemical peel is the process used to provide a smooth texture to broken or damaged skin due to various reasons. It is one of the best ways to improve the appearance of the skin. Chemical peels can also be used to remove fine lines and wrinkles on the facial skin.

The Process

It is must to have evaluation tests on skin before the chemical peel process to find out variables that may affect the peel penetration. The thickness and oiliness of the skin is verified in this stage. There are different types of chemical peels that can be used on the skin depending on the skin type including alpha hydroxy peels, beta hydroxy acid peels, trichloroacetic acid peels and fruit acid peels. The physician chooses the type of peel based on the result of the evaluation.

The process starts by applying acetone over the areas requiring treatment and covering those areas that need to be protected with petroleum jelly like nose and lips. The peeling agent is then applied for some time mostly around 10 minutes. During this time the skin will feel a stinging affect which is the chemical working on skin. After the peel process a neutralizing agent or cold water is applied and an after peel cream is applied. This is to be used regularly as prescribed by the physician.

A medium chemical peel can turn the treated area to a whitish grey color or red or brown after the peel. It will take around four to six weeks to get the normal looking refined skin back. People having extensive skin damage will require a strong chemical like phenol to penetrate into the dermal layer. This might also require local anesthesia to be provided before the treatment.

A deep chemical peel also requires some sort of pretreatment on the skin to get it ready for peeling. This can take four to eight weeks to get the skin ready. The process is the same in this case as well and the chemical agent is applied for up to two hours.

Recovery & Side Effects

Light chemical peels may require 5 to 6 sittings after every two weeks to have a glowing skin. Medium peels can take up to 2 sittings. The peeling process starts in a day or two after the treatment. During this time the skin will experience redness, stinging, irritation, skin crusting and slight color changes. Some people can develop infection and scarring which are not frequent but can occur. Normal activities can be resumed after two weeks and a glowing skin will be visible in about 3 to 6 months.

Chemical peels can produce long lasting result which can last up to 10 years. It is important to understand that it is not suitable for all types of damages. Deep scars, deep facial lines, facial warts or abnormal pigmentation cannot be treated with chemical peels.