Chemical Peel
Description
Chemical peels are one of the most widely used non – invasive procedures carried out to help improve the skin's youthfulness and appearance of the skin. Chemical peels are used to treat wrinkles (most commonly caused by sun damage, diet, and heredity), scars, potentially cancerous skin legions, and faulty skin pigmentation. There are different levels of peels, light or Superficial Peels, medium peels and deep peels all of which differ in results, amounts, and types of chemicals applied. Ask your physician about which level and combination is best for you.
Procedure Length
From 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on the type of peel you choose.
Side Effects
Superficial peels can produce redness and skin peeling for a few days. Deeper chemical peels can result in blisters that scab or burst. Skin may continue peeling for up to two weeks. This may be accompanied by swelling.
Recovery
You may feel some redness and light burning in the skin (something similar to sunburn). New skin will grow within 1-2 weeks. Some skin peeling will occur and use of protective ointment is recommended. Recovery varies on type of treatment chosen and reaction to chemicals.
Risks
Severe reactions to the chemicals may be treated by ointments, steroids, or other types of creams. Consult your doctor if recovery is severe.
Results
After the chemical peel is performed, the epidermis (or outer layer of the skin composed of 5 layers) is lightly damaged which then triggers cell growth and collagen reproduction in the dermis (inner layer of your skin) and epidermis. When the cells repair it makes your skin softer, clearer, and stronger. Results vary depending on depth of treatment.
Patient Status
Outpatient. Procedure takes between 15 minutes and 2 hours.
Anesthesia
None.