Dermatologic Surgeons have been using peeling agents for the past 50 years. Light peels to correct mild defects, medium-depth to correct moderate defects, and deep peels to correct severe defects can be used over the entire face and neck area uniformly or in combining light, medium- depth, and deep peels on the same face to correct different skin problems.
Today with rejuvenation of the skin and reversal of the aging process paramount in the minds of many, chemical peeling has emerged as an exciting supplement to a total skin care program.
Most chemical peels today are supplemented by the peeling effects of creams such as retinoic acid (Retin-A) on a daily basis, which gives a constant turnover of the top layers of the skin, further improving the integrity.
What Chemical Peels Can Do
1. Correct sun damage (Actinic Keratosis)
2. Improve irregular hyperpigmentation
3. Impart a more healthy appearance to the skin
The mild and moderate peels are called freshening peels because they improve the quality of the skin without altering its normal architecture. The ability of the skin to return to the same color after peeling or sunlight exposure is unchanged.
With deeper peels usually involving phenol, the color of the skin is lighter after peeling and may not ever tan again; instead, it will freckle.
What Chemical Peels Cannot Do
1. Chemical peels cannot change pore size. If anything, they may actually increase pore size temporarily.
2. Chemical peels cannot improve lax skin; removal of the fine wrinkling and cross-hatching may not make any difference if there is profound lax skin.
3. Chemical peels cannot improve deep scarring. Punch grafting, punch elevation, or excision of scarring of much more effective.
4. Chemical peeling cannot always totally remove hyperpigmentation in dark-skinned Caucasians, Orientals, or African-Americans and may not be indicated.
5. Chemical peeling cannot remove broken blood vessels on the face.