Chemical Peel
A chemical peel is a skin-resurfacing procedure. At first, a chemical solution is applied to the skin to remove the top layers. After that, the skin that grows back after a chemical peel is smoother and younger looking. This process can be done alone or in combination with other cosmetic procedures. Basically, there are three different chemical peels depending on depths, such as light, medium or deep. Each type has a different chemical solution. And so deeper chemical peels produce more-dramatic results, but also require longer recovery times.
Chemical Peel and Face Peel
Chemical peels are one kind of cosmetic treatments that can be applied to the face, hands, and neck. It has the ability to improve the appearance or feel of the skin. During this procedure, chemical solutions will be applied in the target area to exfoliate and eventually peel off. When it happens, the new skin underneath is often smoother, appears less wrinkled, and may have less damage.
As it has a number of reasons people may get chemical peels. They often try to treat a variety of things, such as:
- It effectively reduces fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth.
- Also, treats well for wrinkles caused by sun damage and ageing.
- Successfully improve the appearance of mild scars.
- Treat certain types of acne especially in the face.
- Chemical peels reduce age spots, freckles, and dark patches (melasma). It may be due to pregnancy or taking birth control pills.
- Improve the look and feel of skin and uneven skin tone or redness.
- Also, works on hyperpigmentation.
Type of Skin Peeling
Chemical peel has so many different formulations like weaker glycolic peels that can be done at home. On the other hand, for the strongest Phenol peels that often require sedation or general anaesthesia. It can successfully correct acne, age spots, discolouration, tone, fine lines, freckles, melasma, sun damage, and more, reported by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Mild Peels:
Mild chemical peels are especially used on the face, neck, sometimes on the chest. It is great for busy people because they get significant results with minimal downtime or side effects. It is mainly AHA peels or fruit acid peels, most commonly Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, and Lactic Acid. Mild peels are applied for the improvement of acne scars, skin tone and texture, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, and reduce the sun damage.
Glycolic acid peels remove dead cells and debris to regenerate skin cells without the usual flaking and redness or discomfort linked with more intense formulas. You will look brighter right away with gradual improvement in fine lines, texture, and pigmentation but a series of mild or superficial peels treatments is often needed for optimal results.
Medium-Strength Peels:
Medium-strength peels have some of the same acids in mild peels, but the percentage of the active ingredients is higher level and it makes it a medium strength peel. When Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) used at more than 25 percent are medium strength, but anything lower would be considered superficial or mild. As these peels are stronger, your skin will be red and swollen after use, and blisters may form and break open. To heal the area your doctor may suggest taking an antiviral medication for 10 to 14 days.
Deep Chemical Peels:
Phenol peels are the strongest chemical peels. It is target deep wrinkles, sun damage, and uneven tone. It also helps in treating vertical lines around the mouth, the so-called smoker’s lines. Deep chemical peels work best on lighter skin as there is less of a risk of hypopigmentation or bleaching. Phenol peels are ordinarily used on the face only because the skin of the neck and hands are thinner and more delicate. It requires anaesthesia also has some real downtime but effectively produce dramatic and long-term results.
DIY Peels:
DIY peels are best for people who want to do them at home for acne or fine lines as it gives skin a great glow. Easily you can find it over the counter at the drugstore or doctor’s office, but at much lower concentrations, like Glytone Rejuvenating Mini Peel Gel and Exuviance Daily Acne Peel. At-home it takes around 10 minutes as some people do it weekly. It is very important to take the time to perform a small test area before putting a product on their entire face. It is also vital to wear a high-quality sunscreen of SPF 50+ after any peel. There are many different chemical formulas are used in various skin peels. Here are some common chemical peel ingredients listed:
- Trichloroacetic acid (TCA)
- Lactic acid
- Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA)
- Vitamin C
- Hydroquinone
- Salicylic acid
- Resorcinol exfoliant
- Polyphenols
The Possible Side Effects of a Chemical Peel
A chemical peel can cause various side effects such as:
Redness
Normal chemical peel involves redness of the treated skin. But in a deep chemical peel, redness might last for several months.
Scarring
It is a rare case that a chemical peel can cause scarring. Usually, on the lower part of the face, you can use Antibiotics and steroid medications.
Changes in Skin Colour
A chemical peel can cause treated skin to become darker (hyperpigmentation) or lighter (hypopigmentation) than normal. Hyperpigmentation is more common after superficial peels, on the other hand, Hypopigmentation is more common after a deep peel.
Infection
It can cause a flare-up of the herpes virus. That virus causes cold sores. Bacterial or fungal infection is rare.
Heart, Kidney or Liver Damage
A deep chemical peel uses carbolic acid (phenol), very rarely it damages the heart muscle so the patient’s suffering irregularly heartbeat. It can also affect the kidneys and liver. To avoid exposure to phenol, portions applied this at 10- to 20-minute intervals.
Medical and Physical History
If you have taken isotretinoin, Amnesteem, Claravis in the past six months or have a dark complexion you are not recommended for these treatments. And if you have abnormal skin pigmentation or a history of frequent or severe outbreaks of cold sores. So a chemical peel isn’t for everyone. You should have a discussion with the doctor before taking this treatment.
Fire and Ice
The spa industry often refers to the “Fire & Ice Facial”. In that process just using elements of heat and cold, this type of facial appears to brighten, smooth and tighten, as a result, it produces in photo-ready skin.
Process
Heat or stimulation is used to your skin to increase blood flow and circulation. The warming sensation is then followed by a cold treatment with cooling products, this helps reduce any inflammation or swelling in the skin.
Results of Chemical Peeling
A light chemical peel can enhance skin texture and tone, also reducing the appearance of fine wrinkles. The results will be will increase with repeated treatments. Avoid sun exposure after a light chemical peel until new skin completely covers the treated area. If you have a medium chemical peel treatment, then the treated skin will be noticeably smoother after the procedure. You should avoid sun exposure for several months. You will see a dramatic improvement in the look and feel of treated areas after a deep peel treatment. In that case, you have to protect your skin from the sun permanently to prevent changes in skin colour.
Benefits of Chemical Peeling
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles:
It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by removing the outer layer of your skin with a new layer that is fresh, smooth, and unlined.
- Correct sun damage:
The exposure to radiation from the sunlight is the reason for the premature ageing and the percentage of around 90%.
Chemical peels repair and reverse the sun damage on the skin of your face, hands, neck, and chest and keep your skin looking fresh and youthful.
- Improve acne:
One study shows that salicylic acid reduce acne by 47-75%, and 50-95% of patients saw their acne significantly improved with peels that contain glycolic acid.
- Diminish appearance of scars:
Moderate chemical peels treat more deeply into the skin. It diminishes the looks of more effective acne scars. In that case, phenol peel reduced acne scars in 100% with the overall severity of the scars improved by a mean of 75.12%.
- Address pigment issues:
It has an excellent record for correcting issues of pigmentation such as melasma, hyperpigmentation, and discolouration.
- Enhance skin tone and texture:
It not only addressing your current skin issues but also stimulates the growth of fresh, new skin. This rejuvenates the overall tone and giving you a healthy, pretty glow.
- Maximise the effectiveness of skincare products:
These treatments remove the top layer of dead skin that stands between you and the maximum effect of your skincare products. So when the dead skin is gone, your products will absorb into your skin more fully, it allowing the smallest amount of that costly night cream to go a long way.
Chemical peel treatments allow you to gain new smoother and younger skin. Remember that chemical peel results might not be permanent. Because over time you will continue to acquire lines by squinting and smiling also sun exposure can reverse your results and cause changes in your skin colour.