Chemical peels are a great way to improve the look of your skin. They are especially helpful for people with acne and pigmentation problems, or if you have wrinkles or fine lines. They can also help smooth out rough patches, like those caused by scarring or sun damage.
Chemical peels work by removing the top layer of skin and revealing new, healthy skin underneath. This is usually done with glycolic acid, which is a naturally-occurring fruit acid that helps slough off dead cells and stimulate collagen production. You can get a chemical peel in many different places—from dermatologists to spas to salons—and they all have their own techniques when it comes to application and removal.
What are chemical peels?
Chemical peels are cosmetic treatments that can be applied to the face, hands, and neck. They’re used to improve the appearance or feel of the skin. During this procedure, chemical solutions will be applied to the area being treated, which causes the skin to exfoliate and eventually peel off. Once this happens, the new skin underneath is often smoother, appears less wrinkled, and may have less damage.
Chemical peels can improve the skin’s appearance. In this treatment, a chemical solution is applied to the skin, which makes it “blister” and eventually peel off. The new skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.
Chemical peels can be done on the face, neck, or hands. They can be used to:
- Reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth
- Treat wrinkles caused by sun damage and aging
- Improve the appearance of mild scars
- Treat certain types of acne
- Reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches (melasma) due to pregnancy or taking birth control pills
- Improve the look and feel of skin
Areas of sun damage may improve after chemical peeling.
After a chemical peel, skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun, so wear sunscreen every day. It should say “broad-spectrum” on the label, meaning it protects against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays. Also, it should be a physical sunscreen and be above SPF 30. Limit your time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
What type of chemical peels can I get?
There are three different types of chemical peels that you can get. These include:
- Superficial peels, which use mild acids like alpha-hydroxy acid to gently exfoliate. It only penetrates the outermost layer of skin.
- Medium peels, which use trichloroacetic or glycolic acid to reach the middle and outer layer of skills. This makes it more effective for removing damaged skin cells.
- Deep peels, which fully penetrate the middle layer of the skin to remove damaged skin cells; these peels often use phenol or tricholoracetic acid.
How many chemical peel
- You can wear makeup immediately after treatment or the next day.
- Additional peels may be repeated every two to five weeks until you achieve your desired results. Typically three to five peels are needed to achieve your goal.
How much do chemical peels cost?
Chemical peels are almost always considered a cosmetic procedure, and insurance rarely covers it. You’ll be paying for the procedure out of pocket. Your initial consultation visit, however, may be covered by insurance.
The cost of the procedure will vary depending on factors like location, expertise of the provider, and what type of peel you want to get. Light peels can cost as low as $150, and deep peels can cost $3,000 or more (specifically if it requires anesthesia, or in-patient stays). According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the current average cost of a chemical peel is $673.
How is a chemical peel done?
Chemical peels are typically done in-office; deep peels may be done in an outpatient surgical facility. Before the procedure, they will likely have you tie back your hair. Your face will be cleaned, and eye protection like goggles or gauze may be applied.
Your doctor may numb the area with a topical anesthetic, especially if you’re receiving a deep peel. For deep peels, your doctor may also use a regional anesthetic, which will numb large areas. They are particularly likely to do this if you’re having your face and neck treated. For deep peels, you’ll also be given an IV, and your heart rate will be closely monitored.
Light peel
During a light peel a cotton ball, gauze, or brush will be used to apply a chemical solution like salicylic acid to the area being treated. The skin will start to whiten, and may have a slight stinging sensation. Once complete, the chemical solution will be removed or a neutralizing solution will be added.
Medium peel
During a medium chemical peel, your doctor will use a gauze, special sponge, or a cotton-tipped applicator to apply the chemical solution to your face. This may contain glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid. A blue color may be added to the trichloroacetic acid, commonly known as a blue peel. The skin will begin to whiten, and your doctor will apply a cool compress to the skin. You may feel stinging or burning for up to 20 minutes. No neutralizing solution is needed, though they may give you a hand-held fan to cool your skin. If you’ve had the blue peel you will have a blue coloring of your skin that may last for several days after the peel.
Deep peel
During a deep chemical peel, you will be sedated. The doctor will use a cotton-tipped applicator to apply phenol to your skin. This will turn your skin white or gray. The procedure will be done in 15-minute portions, to limit the skin exposure to the acid.
How often can i do chemical peel?
The frequency of chemical peels depends entirely on what kind of chemical peel you are having done. For superficial, or surface layer, peels, you can repeat your treatment up to once a month. By contrast, deep peels require additional healing time for your skin and should only be done once every two to three years.
About the Light Skin Peel
Light skin peels are a very low-intensity process that uses natural acids and vitamins found in fruits to produce results. These peels take less than thirty minutes and produce only mild redness of the skin when they are complete. Most patients return to normal activity immediately and start seeing results immediately. If your goal is long-term healthy skin, your doctor may put you on a treatment plan that includes 3-6 light skin peel treatments performed at regular intervals.
In most cases, the first several skin peel treatments will be done within 10-14 days of one another, giving your skin just the right amount of time to jumpstart the healing and rejuvenation process before undergoing another peel. You will repeat this cycle several times and then continue to have treatments done once a month or less frequently, as needed.
About Deep Skin Peels
Deep skin peels are a slightly different process from a light skin peel. In this case, the chemical peel gel applied to the face is much stronger than that used in a light peel. It goes deep into your skin and causes the outer layers of your skin to peel away while giving you deep exfoliation. This process takes a little bit longer to complete and does take up to two weeks to completely recover from. During this time, the skin may be red and sensitive while your body works to rebuild healthy layers of skin.
Deep skin peels are usually done at the beginning of a longer treatment plan, setting you up for success by giving you a fresh surface to work with. That is also why these treatments are only recommended once every two to three years. In between, you may choose to have light skin peels done to maintain your results.
How soon after chemical peel can i use retinol
Do not use any products containing Retin A, retinol, AHA, benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid or any other acid during the healing phase. Reintroduce these products when you feel your skin has fully healed, everyone is different but two weeks post-peel is a good guideline.
Who Is a Good Candidate For a Chemical Peel?
Generally, fair-skinned and light-haired patients are better candidates for chemical peels. If you have darker skin, you may also have good results, depending upon the type of problem being treated. But you also may be more likely to have an uneven skin tone after the procedure.
Skin sags, bulges, and more severe wrinkles do not respond well to chemical peels. They may need other kinds of cosmetic surgical procedures, such as laser resurfacing, a facelift, brow lift, eyelid lift, or soft tissue filler (collagen or fat). A dermatologic surgeon can help determine the most appropriate type of treatment for you.
Before You Get a Chemical Peel
Tell your doctor if you have any history of scarring, cold sores that keep coming back, or facial X-rays.
Before you get a chemical peel, your doctor may ask you to stop taking certain drugs and prepare your skin by using other medications, such as Retin-A, Renova, or glycolic acid. The doctor may also prescribe antibiotics or antiviral drugs.
Work with your doctor to determine the depth of your peel. This decision depends upon the condition of your skin and your goals for treatment.
Ask your doctor in advance whether you will need to have someone drive you home after your peel.
How Chemical Peels Are Done
You can get a chemical peel in a doctor’s office or in a surgery center. It’s an outpatient procedure, meaning there’s no overnight stay.
The professional who does your peel will first clean your skin thoroughly. Then they will apply one or more chemical solutions — such as glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, or carbolic acid (phenol) — to small areas of your skin. That creates a controlled wound, letting new skin take its place.
During a chemical peel, most people feel a burning sensation that lasts about five to ten minutes, followed by a stinging sensation. Putting cool compresses on the skin may ease that stinging. You may need pain medication during or after a deeper peel.
Why chemical peel process is bad
Firstly, if you are considering having one of the three facial chemical peels mentioned, make sure that you do your homework in terms of researching and choosing a reputable aesthetics clinic and/or physician to assist you. You need to ensure that your clinician or doctor is certified because, if administered incorrectly, your chemical peel could go horribly wrong, resulting in you suffering the consequences of, for example:
- Blistering
- Persistent erythema (superficial reddening of the skin)
- Severe infection
- Permanent tissue damage/injury
- Severe scarring
- Corneal damage
Superficial peels
- The most common side effects include mild irritation, redness and peeling of the skin. However, these symptoms won’t last more than a few days.
Medium peels
- Erythema (superficial reddening of the skin) is common after a medium depth chemical peel and can last up to 4 weeks.
- Although scarring is uncommon it may occur several months after the peel.
- Herpetic lesions (e.g. cold sores) are common especially in patients with a history of herpetic lesions. This is why most physicians will prescribe anti-viral medication to be taken in advance before the chemical peel is facilitated.
- Infection is uncommon, but if it occurs, it should be able to be identified early in the recovery phase due to excessive crusting and pain.
- Immediately after a medium depth chemical peel, the patient’s skin may be swollen and can feel tight. This will resolve as the skin heals.
Deep peels
As these are the deepest and most aggressive type of chemical peel they generally have a longer healing time than other types of peels. This treatment is so powerful that only one is required to achieve dramatic results which will last for many years (if proper post-peel care is followed). Risks and possible side effects include:
- PIH (permanent hypo-pigmentation) is a risk and is more likely to occur with patients who have a pre-existing pigmentation problem.
- There is a higher risk of infection if the proper aftercare procedures are not adhered to.
- During the first week, facial movements will be limited and the perioral tissue (i.e. tissue area around the mouth) can crack and develop wounds so patients are generally advised to limit facial movements by ingesting a liquid diet through a straw.
- Some fluid may ooze from the skin itself.
- Patients can expect a severely swollen, red and uncomfortable face for at least a week or two.
How does your face feel after a chemical peel?
Depending upon the type of chemical peel, a reaction similar to sunburn occurs following the procedure. Peeling usually involves redness followed by scaling that ends within three to seven days. Mild peels may be repeated at one to four-week intervals until you get the look you’re after.
Medium-depth and deep peeling may result in swelling as well as blisters that may break, crust, turn brown, and peel off over a period of seven to 14 days. Medium-depth peels may be repeated in six to 12 months, if necessary.
After treatment, you may need bandages for several days on part or all of the skin that was treated.
You’ll need to avoid the sun for several months after a chemical peel since your new skin will be fragile.
How long does it take to start peeling after a chemical peel?
Peeling will generally start two to three days after the treatment. It can last up to five days.
It is crucial not to pick off the skin during that time, even though it may become pretty dry.
The actual peeling will likely be minimal. The general advice is to apply moisturizer after the treatment; that should be enough.
Please wait for the peeling to happen on its own. Premature peeling of the skin can result in dryness and cracks in the new skin, which may develop into hyperpigmentation.
Why no peeling after chemical peel
If your skin is not peeling after a chemical peel, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. It is important to remember that while you might not see any peeling with the naked eye, it does not mean that the treatment is not working.
You will still get the results you are hoping for, and you are fortunate enough that you are not visibly peeling! The peeling process will still work, even if you’re not actively peeling. It’s counter-intuitive, but your skin won’t always peel after a chemical peel!
During this process, the acidic solution is penetrating the skin and dead cells are exfoliated. The particles are so small (we can have thousand of cells shedding at the same time even right now) that they are practically invisible to our eyes.
In older-style peels, there was always visible peeling to complete the process. But that’s no longer the case with modern chemical peels.
Newer versions are more fine-tuned so that we can attain the same results without the cosmetic side effects. After all, undergoing treatment for cosmetic reasons and going through a whole host of aesthetically displeasing side effects was quite counter-intuitive for most people!
Even though you can have reasons to question the therapy since you are witnessing no effects taking place, the consequence of administering acids to the skin is a scientifically-established process.
Stay the course.
Sit tight and wait as your new skin is coming up to the surface.
In addition to the exfoliating effects, new techniques have the added benefit of creating new collagen and hyaluronic acid, which increase the overall health of your skin. The old ”no pain no gain” motto certainly does not apply here, since there are many gains with no pain, thanks to modern science.
Look for signs of tightness, itchiness, or dryness
As the chemicals make their way through your skin, it is natural for your skin to start to dry up. You might feel itchy, and the skin will possibly feel and look quite dry and tight.
That is a good sign.
Even if you are witness no visual peeling, you can tell the treatment is working and progress is being made.
If the dryness and itchiness are bothering you, try to regularly control the situation by applying moisturizer and waiting. Something simple like Cetaphil Face Moisturizer should suffice.
That said, it’s is important not to over hydrate. The whole point of a chemical peel is to let the damaged skin flake and peel away.
To get the full benefits of the process, you need to let it happen in its own time. Instead of over-hydrating, continue to moisturize as normal.
Avoid Touching Your Skin Excessively
No matter what, do not pick, pull or scratch your skin. Not even to test if you are peeling or to clean any loose skin.
You have to resist since anything you do will interrupt your skin’s natural healing cycle. You will most likely interfere with the process, spoil the results, and may even encourage hyperpigmentation.
How long after chemical peel do you see results?
Many clients are pleased when they see chemical peel results in only a few days. This is entirely possible and is actually common with a chemical peel. The process of applying the acid chemical solution takes up to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the area affected. Then the peeling process begins after a few days and can take up to a couple of weeks to complete. One of the main reasons why clients are pleased with chemical peels is because the results are quick and there is very little discomfort throughout the entire process.
HOW MANY CHEMICAL PEELS ARE NEEDED TO SEE RESULTS?
Many clients see chemical peels before and after photos and want to get theirs done right away. However, depending on your skin type and other factors, some clients have to get multiple treatments for best results. Many medical professionals recommend getting up to three treatments per year to maintain their results.
When you take care of your skin following your treatment, you can enjoy your chemical peel results for several months before it’s time to get another one.
Possible Complications
Some skin types are more likely to develop a temporary or permanent color change in the skin after a chemical peel. Taking birth control pills, subsequent pregnancy, or a family history of brownish discoloration on the face may make that more likely.
There is a low risk of scarring in certain areas of the face. Some people may be more likely to scar. If scarring does happen, it can usually be treated with good results.
Chemical Peel Results
A light chemical peel improves skin texture and tone and lessens the appearance of fine wrinkles. The results are subtle but increase with repeated treatments. If you have a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be noticeably smoother. After a deep chemical peel, you’ll see a dramatic improvement in the look and feel of treated areas. Results may not be permanent. Over time, age and new sun damage can lead to new lines and skin color changes.
With all peels, the new skin is temporarily more sensitive to the sun. Talk with your doctor about how long to protect your skin from the sun.