15 Things You Need To Know Before Going in for Chemical Peels

Today, we will talk about chemical peeling. I frequently get queries on the same & thus I’ve decided to post a detailed article about it.

Infact, like many other topics I’ve covered before like discoloured body parts, anti ageing etc.; this is going to be another article that I’d be posting in smaller installments because the range of this is so wide that it’s almost impossible to cover in a single topic primarily because of the following reasons:

·         Chemical peeling is a cosmetic procedure & like many other such procedures, this has given birth to a hell lot of misconceptions & doubts that I need to clear first.

·         There are many agents that are used as chemical peeling agents & each of them are different & require different post care routines along with widely varied downtime for each.

·         Depending on the agent used to peel, the depth of a chemical peel can vary widely.

In this installment, we’ll mostly talk about the doubts & misconceptions along with different questions regarding chemical peels. So let’s move on.

1.       What is a chemical peel?

= Chemical peeling refers to a procedure where a keratolytic agentis applied on the skin & after a specific time period (30 secs to 2 minutes), the same is removed & then the patient is asked to follow a certain routine until & after the skin where the agent has been applied is shed, & thus by ridding the skin of the damaged outer layer, a fresh beautiful skin underneath is revealed by chemically exfoliating the skin.

Keratolytes include retinol, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, TCA etc.

***keratolytes are anything that help shedding the outer layer of the skin faster & thus by shortening the cell turnover rate, they help you  get rid of the outer damaged layer on epidermis.

2.       Is the result of a chemical peel permanent?

= Depends. Mostly yes if you follow proper after care maintenance instructions. Chemical peels helps you shed the damaged outer layer of the skin to reveal fresh, undamaged, new skin & as long as you don’t repeat the same mistakes that damaged your skin last time (like sun exposure, not having a proper skincare routine etc), the results are mostly permanent, if not, atleast it lasts long.

3.       Are chemical peels safe?

= Mostly yes, when they’re done under the guidance of a trained professional. But if you’re a layman & try doing it at home, you may risk injury, burn & scars.

4.       Are chemical peels good for skin?

= Indeed. They shed the damaged outer layer of your skin which is indeed very healthy.

5.       Are chemical peels good for acne?

= Yes but not when you’re going through a break out period. Chemical peels are advised only after your acne is healed.

Acne is caused by pores clogged by oil/sebum & dirt which in turn help acne causing bacteria proliferate. These tiny bumps are called comedones.

There are some chemical peeling agents that target these open pores & clear skin pores of sebum & dirt by removing the superficial layer of the skin. Those agents like azelaic acid, salicylic acid help oily, acne prone skin greatly but I’d ask you to try them only after your acne is healed.

Azelaic acid, salicylic acid formulations are greatly used as treatment options for acne prone skin.

6.       Are chemical peels good for acne scars?

= Of course. I’ve used them myself to treat those stubborn acne scars & it’s helped a lot. You can successfully use chemical peels to address all kinds of scars.

7.       Are chemical peels painful?

= Depends on the type of peeling agent you’re using. Usually lighter peels like those based on glycolic acid, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, lactic acid aren’t painful. Higher concentrations on thinner skin (like on face/neck) may result in slight tingling or itching but they aren’t really painful.

But medium to deeper peels like TCA (conc 30% & above) are usually painful.

Also if you prime your skin with a topical bleaching cream (usually suggested to darker skinned individuals to avoid scars from chemical peels), you’re most likely to experience some pain or tingling because these creams have some kind of keratolyte in it which may result in a bit thinning as they’ve shed some of the outer layer of skin already & also because a ‘primed’ skin is easily penetrated by the peeling agent.

8.       Are chemical peels safe for Indian Skin?

= See, India is a country with a wide range of skin colours from the darkest to almost white. So it cannot be generalized that way. However, since darker skinned people are more likely to develop post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (scars) from deep peels, TCA & phenol peels ( the deep peels ) are usually avoided for those with darker skin tone & only lighter peels (glycolic, salicylic, low conc. TCA, Lactic acid etc.) are suggested for those honey toned individuals.

Yes they are mostly safe.

9.       Can chemical peels lighten skin tone?

= Depends on your #skingoals.

Frankly, no procedure can change your inherent skin colour (mostly genetically determined) but if by lightening, you’re talking about removing sun tan, melasma or acne scars; then YES, chemical peels can remove tan, melasma/liver spots, scars & dead skin cells which results in a lighter & brighter complexion.

10.   Can chemical peels remove white/blackheads?

= Ofcourse, without caring what’s inside, peels shed the outer layer of skin well & depending on the concentration & the agent used, it can definitely improve skin texture by removing the outer stratum corneum & the dirt & grim collected in the pores.

11.   Can chemical peels remove stretch marks?

= Usually chemical peels aren’t considered as treatment options for stretch marks for which derma roller work better but from my experience, deeper peels may treat milder cases of stretch marks in a few sessions.

I had a few old stretch marks on my lower waist which were successfully treated by a few sessions of 30% TCA peel. I was not targeting those marks; I was simply resurfacing the damaged skin there.

12.   Which peels are good for wrinkles?

= Virtually any peel is beneficial for wrinkled mature skin since they get rid of the damaged (wrinkled) outer layer. Lighter peels will take many sessions to treat deep wrinkles while deeper peels will require fewer sessions.

For heavily damaged skin, I’d advice TCA 30% peel, but please get that from a trained professional.

13.   Which chemical peel is the best for hyperpigmentation/scars?

= There’s no such ‘best’ or ‘worst’. Personally I’d recommend a few sessions of glycolic acid peels (or salicylic acid peels if you have oily skin) to address scars & hyperpigmentation issues.

TCA will do very well but you’ll need to stick to a strict post peel regimen or it may result in scars which will worsen the condition.

Consult a dermatologist.

14.   What are the side effects of chemical peels (if gone wrong) & how do we treat them?

= Chemical peels, if gone wrong may result in deep scars, minor dark patches or burns. Such scars are called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation & I find them quite easy to treat except those deeper ones of course which need medical attention.

Like other hyperpigmentation cases, these scars can be successfully treated by topical bleaching creams like triple combinations containing Hydroquinone+Tretinoin+Mid-potent corticosteroid or those safer ones based on kojic acid dipalmitate, arbutin etc.

AHA/BHA ointments like glycolic acid, azelaic acid or salicylic acid ointments can do the job as well. Mostly a combination of such treatments would result in faster healing.

Using a sunscreen on a regular basis is also important.

Usually people with darker skin are predisposed to post inflammatory hyperpigmentation but such incidents can more or less affect anyone. Stronger the peel is, more the chance of having such side effects.

So, I’d suggest dark skinned beauties to try a few sessions of lighter peels instead of a single session of medium to deep peel.

15.   How often can I go for chemical peels?

= Usually with deeper peels like 30% or higher conc. TCA; once a month is considered optimal.

Phenol peels, although obsolete these days are considered for once in a lifetime.

Lighter peels like glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid etc are safe to follow up 2 weeks apart.

So, above I’ve answered most common questions regarding chemical peeling procedure. If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask that in the comments box below.

Also, above are only information regarding chemical peeling procedure & the same is for educational purpose only; thus it cannot be treated as an alternative to a medical professional’s advice. Please refer to the disclaimer for further information.

In the next installment, we’ll discuss the standard chemical peeling procedure in details.

Let me also know how you found this article in the comments section below & don’t forget to follow me here on my blog & on social media (buttons on the collapsible sidebar ß).

Love,

Koyel M.