Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are the one of the simplest procedures that is used in skin resurfacing. This cosmetic procedure is much simpler than others in the same league, such as dermabrasion, Vibraderm and laser surgery. The procedure is quite simple and doesn’t take much time either. It is done as an outpatient treatment in a doctor’s clinic. A special doctor known as a dermatologist, who deals with skin problems exclusively, could be a good choice for helping with this kind of procedure.

Chemical peels are quite popular in the United States. Over a million people undergo this cosmetic procedure every year, which is more than the number of people going through with other skin resurfacing techniques such as Vibraderm, dermabrasion and laser surgery.
This method is scientifically called as derma-exfoliation.

Who are Good Candidates for Chemical Peels?

People who have some kind of scarring or blemishes on the skin can use this procedure to get a smoother, younger-looking skin. The following are some kinds of people who would do well with this procedure.

  1. People who have scars on their skin which take away from their appearance.
  2. People who have age lines and wrinkles.
  3. People who have some kinds of trauma on their skin which might be the result of some injuries.
  4. People who have acne scars, pox marks or pits on their face.

It is found that chemical peels are more effective in people with darker skin than in people with fairer skin. This could have to do with the greater degree of skin pigmentation that occurs in people with dark skin.

How do Chemical Peels work?

The following is the manner of working of chemical peels:-

  1. First, a chemical peel which has a single chemical ingredient or a mixture of several chemical ingredients is applied on the skin, right on the area that needs to be smoothened. These ingredients are mostly acids such as glycolic acid and salicylic acid.
  2. When these chemicals are applied onto the skin, some degree of burning of that particular area of the skin takes place. This causes the destruction of the cells that are present.
  3. Upon healing, these cells are removed and newer, younger cells that lie below this layer are exposed. The younger cells are always much better-looking than the previous layer cells.
  4. Consequently, the person gets a smoother and younger skin left behind.

What Care must be taken with Chemical Peels?

One of the most important things to note is that this is a skin resurfacing procedure and, as in others of the same kind, care must be taken not to aggravate the skin much after the procedure has been implemented. This includes avoiding exposing the skin to harsh conditions. Also, the person must avoid going out in the sun. Smoking is quite harmful to the proper ‘settling’ of the new skin in a healthy and esthetic manner and hence it must be avoided. All these precautions are expected to be followed for at least a month after the procedure has been fully completed.