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Chemical peels, essentially controlled damage of old skin to make way for fresh skin, can achieve amazing results ranging from a mild pick-me-up to a radical makeover. What do you need to know before you get one?

Would you see a doctor to get your face injured on purpose? If your instinctive answer is "no" (as indeed it should be!), think again: that's essentially exactly what chemical peels are all about. Using abrasive substances, these peels create controlled damage on the skin that allow old skin cells to literally "peel" off, so that they can be replaced by new and better-looking skin.

If all of that sounds unpleasant, that's because it can be. There are plenty of reasons to submit to a chemical peel, however. Are you dealing with acne, acne scars, fine lines, age spots, sun damage, darker patches of skin, or has your skin just been looking a little worse for wear? Chemical peels may well send your skin problems packing.

What peels are out there, and which might be suitable for you? What do you need to know before getting a chemical peel, and how do you care for your skin after getting a peel? Let's take a peek!

Types Of Chemical Peel

Chemical peels essentially come in three different categories: superficial, medium, and deep. The effect of a particular peel is determined by the strength of the acid used, how it is applied, and how long it remains on the skin as well as by the ingredients found within it. A very wide range of ingredients is used in chemical peels today, and we can't cover them all. However, here's a brief overview.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, and malic acid are used for superficial peels. These superficial chemical peels are suitable for people who would like to refresh their overall look. They can treat mild brown spots, slightly reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and improve mild sun damage. Though AHA is now present in numerous cosmetics that will allow consumers to maintain a milder version of the effects attained by chemical peels at home, AHA peels achieve a more radical effect more quickly. A series of AHA peels will allow you to achieve more striking results than a single peel. In any case, such peels are designed to leave you looking more refreshed.

Though you can go home right away after getting a light peel and will usually be able to wear makeup again immediately, keep in mind that it still takes around a week for your skin to fully heal. You need to be diligent about using sunscreen along with the moisturizer recommended by your practitioner.

Trichloracetic acid (TCA) peels are already much more potent. They can target wrinkles as well as sun damage, minor scars left over from acne, chickenpox, or small injuries, and pigmentation changes of the skin including even melasma. Certain types of acne can also improve with the use of medium-strength TCA peels. As with AHA peels, TCA peels may be done in a series, in this case usually of two or three, to provide cumulative improvement.

Medium-strength TCA peels come with a "downtime", during which your skin processes what just happened to it, that lasts around a week. You will carefully have to follow your surgeon's instructions and may want to take some time off work due to the fact that you'll look like you've just experienced a severe sunburn. (Yes, your skin will be very sensitive to the sun, and you'll have to wear sunscreen and avoid retinoids for the duration of time advised.)

Deep peels using phenol, also called carbolic acid, are serious business: you can't have a phenol peel more than once. You may consider talking about a phenol peel if your skin is severely sun damaged, you have deeper wrinkles, you suffer from more severe pigmentation challenges, or even if you have certain precancerous skin conditions.

Such peels may take up to 21 days to heal, and will certainly require you to take it easy, so plan on taking time off work. Going in the sun simply isn't an option after a deep peel. Though other peels can cause some discomfort, deeper peels will require anesthesia as well as the use of post-procedure analgesics at home. You may also take antiviral medications to protect your injured skin from infection while it is healing. Deep peels are, essentially, a kind of "surgery". Though they can achieve truly amazing results, they aren't to be taken lightly at all.

Random Questions About Chemical Peels

Who can perform a chemical peel?

Estheticians, dermatologists, and plastic surgeons can perform chemical peels. That doesn't mean you might not come across unlicensed individuals offering chemical peels, nor that it isn't possible to purchase kits for even the deepest peels on the internet for home use. Stay away from both those options, and only get treated by a licensed professional performing peels at a reputable clinic or medical spa.

Choosing a reputable clinic means that you will get the right advice regarding the type of peel you would most benefit from, as well as professional application and dedicated pre- and after-care instructions.

Do I need to do anything special before and after my peel?

Yes. Depending on the type and strength of peel you will be getting, you will be required to use a pre-peel regimen as well as following after-care instructions to the letter. Pre-peel regimens may include certain creams and lotions (frequently retinoids) as well as oral medications. Post-peel care centers around keeping your skin moisturized properly to enable it to heal evenly and comfortably, and using a sunscreen. Newly peeled skin is very vulnerable to sunburn.

The exact care instructions vary from peel to peel, and pre- and after-care represent yet other reasons to make very sure that your peel is performed by a licensed professional who will be able to tell you exactly what to do.

What are possible complications of chemical peels?

Ooph. Pigmentation changes, lingering redness, scarring and burning, activation of the herpes simplex virus, and infections. Your practitioner will discuss these risks, and how likely you are to suffer side effects, with you prior to the peel. Minimizing your risk of complications also depends on your compliance with their care instructions to a large extent. What happens after the peel matters as much as what happens during the peel; keep this in mind.

Can chemical peels be used on areas of the body besides the face?

Some can! AHA peels and TCA peels are frequently used on the neck, hands, and arms, for instance. Phenol peels, on the other hand, can only be used on the face.

Can dark skinned people undergo chemical peels?

Yes, although the risk of post-peel pigmentation alterations is higher in people with dark skin than in light-skinned people. TCA peels are generally considered to the the best choice for dark-skinned people. People with darker skin should choose a practitioner with wide experience treating darker skin to minimize their risk of complications.

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