Chemical Peel - All You Ever Wanted to Know

Chemical peels have been around for a long time, and they are somewhere in between cosmetic surgery and minimally invasive procedures like Botox in terms of discomfort and recovery times. While a chemical peel does require some recovery time, it can dramatically improve the skin's appearance. During the procedure, a dermatologist applies a specially purified form of acid to the skin, which causes the top layers of skin to peel away. The skin that appears from under the sloughed off layers generally has a more even skin tone and is smoother.

This type of procedure address many common skin concerns, such as blotchiness, melasma (sometimes called "mask of pregnancy"), age spots, fine lines, and mild acne scarring. This procedure does not, however, fix deeper wrinkles or sagging skin. In addition to being used on the face, chemical peels are also used on the neck, chest, and hands for the same kind of improvement in skin tone. The acids used in chemical peels include salicylic acid (which is found in a milder concentration in some over-the-counter facial cleansers), carbolic acid, lactic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and glycolic acid (also found in some over-the-counter preparations at a much lower concentration).

Dermatologists will determine how deep a peel is right for a patient based on age, skin type, the type of problems the patient wants to address, and the amount of time the patient has free for recovery. Deeper peels may require prescription pain medications during or after the procedure, and have a longer recovery time than less potent peels. Patients generally feel a warming sensation or a stinging sensation while the chemical is on the skin.

After having your first peel, in order to protect the new skin and prevent recurrence of the problems that led to the peel in the first place, patients must apply a broad spectrum sunscreen every day. While a chemical peel won't stop further aging of the skin, with properly and dutifully applied sunscreen, those problems will be slower in coming back.

Superficial peels generally cause some redness and flaking for three to five days. Deeper chemical peels often result in swelling and blistering, and recovery may take up to three weeks. Some chemical peels are deep enough that the dermatologist dresses the skin with surgical dressing after the procedure.

The risks of the treatment will depend on how deep or superficial a peel is. Patients who have herpes (cold sores) on the lips must take extra precautions before and after a chemical peel. Some patients have redness that persists for several weeks, but it is usually mild enough to be covered by makeup. Skin types that are more prone to scarring can develop scars from a chemical peel, but dermatologists take steps to minimize scarring.

Leonard Dawson is a freelance article writer who writes for Cosmetic Surgery Guru about current issues, technology and news within the cosmetic surgery market.

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