Chemical peel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A chemical peel is a body treatment technique used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the skin to blister and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin. Thus the term chemical peel is derived. Some types of chemical peels can be purchased and administered without a medical license, however it is advised you seek professional help from a plastic surgeon or dermatologist on a specific type of chemical peel before a procedure is performed.

1 Types
- 1.1 Alpha Hydroxy Acid Peels
- 1.2 Beta Hydroxy Acid Peels
- 1.3 Jessner's Peel
- 1.4 Retinoic Acid Peel
- 1.5 Trichloroacetic Acid Peels
- 1.6 Phenol Peels
2 References

Types

There are several types of chemical peels.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid Peels

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) are naturally occurring organic carboxylic acids such as glycolic acid, a natural constituent of sugar cane juice and lactic acid, found in sour milk and tomato juice. This is the mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels for treatment of fine wrinkles, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation and acne. Alpha hydroxy acids can also be mixed with a facial wash or cream in lesser concentrations as part of a daily skin-care regimen to improve the skin's texture.

AHA peels are used to:

reduce fine wrinkling
treat areas of dryness
reduce uneven pigmentation
aid in the control of acne
smooth rough dry skin
improve the texture of sun-damaged skin

AHA peels may:

cause stinging
cause skin redness
cause mild skin irritation
cause dryness
take multiple treatments for desired results

Beta Hydroxy Acid Peels

It is becoming common for the use of Beta Hydroxy Acid(BHA) peels to be used instead of the stronger Alpha Hyroxy(AHA)peels due to BHA's albility to get deeper into the pore than AHA. Studies show that BHA peels control oil, acne as well as remove dead skin cells to a certain extent better than AHA's, due to AHA's only working on the surface of the skin.

Jessner's Peel

Retinoic Acid Peel

Trichloroacetic Acid Peels

Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is used as an intermediate to deep peeling agent in concentrations ranging from 20-50%. Depth of penetration is increased as concentration increases, with 50% TCA penetrating into the reticular dermis. Concentrations higher than 35% are not recommended because of the high risk of scarring.

Trichloroacetic acid peels:

are referred for darker-skinned patients over Phenol
smooth out fine surface wrinkles
remove superficial blemishes
correct skin pigment problems

Trichloroacetic acid peels may:

require pre-treatment with Retin-A or AHA creams
require repeat treatment to maintain results
require the use of sunblock for several months (this is a must)
take several days to heal depending on the peel depth

Phenol Peels

Phenol is the strongest of the chemical solutions and produces a deep skin peel. Recent studies suggest that phenol is most likely only the carrier for another active component in the solution, namely croton oil. In fact, phenol alone produces only a light peel which is ineffective for restructuring the deeper dermal structures (such as wrinkles). The term Phenol/Croton oil peel has been proposed as a more accurate descriptor, but the established terminology phenol peel continues to be the dominant usage, as the role of croton oil in the mix is not as widely understood.

Effects of a phenol chemical peel are long lasting, and in some cases are still readily apparent up to 20 years following the procedure. Improvements in the patient’s skin can be quite dramatic. A single treatment usually achieves the desired result.

Phenol peels are used to: