Chemical peeling of facial skin is an established technique for improving aged and photodamaged tissue. The procedure relies on the penetration of an acid into the skin, resulting in a chemical burn and sloughing of the superficial layers of the skin. This produces a nonspecific regeneration of tissue, creating a smooth, more youthful appearing skin.

Indications:
Chemical skin peeling is indicated for any and all fine lines, superficial wrinkles, most age spots (keratoses) and pigmentary problems on any part of the face. The more intense wrinkles of the face occur in areas that are always exposed to the sun (i.e. the upper lip, chin, forehead, and skin over the cheekbones). Some patients are better candidates for chemical peels than others. The best candidate has a fair complexion and thick oily skin with little or minimal pigmentation.

What Types of Chemical Peels Are There?
There are many types of chemical peeling agents. Two of the most common types of chemical peels are:

Superficial Peels(usually performed with alpha-hydroxy acids[AHAs] ie. glycolic acid); low strength Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA), or TCA masque.

Medium Depth Peelsare usually performed with a higher strength of TCA. The correct type of peel indicated for you depends on the condition being treated and the results desired.

Superficial Chemical Peels
Superficial peels produce a more temporary result, and may be repeated every 2 to 6 weeks so that a cumulative effect can be obtained. The agent used most often is glycolic acid (one of the alpha-hydroxy fruit acids [AHA]). These peels are done within a few minutes (“lunch time peels”), and produce minimal side effects or redness after the procedure. The cumulative effect helps to treat fine wrinkling, mottled pigmentation, and other skin changes seen with acne, sun damage and aging. Repeated daily application of a cream containing low dose AHAs followed by regularly scheduled chemical peelings with high dose AHAs will create the cumulative effect needed to reduce the intensity of fine wrinkling and the mottled discoloration seen with acne and aging.

Medium Depth Chemical Peels
For a longer lasting effect, medium depth peeling with TCA is an option. These may be repeated every 4 to 6 months as needed. TCA peelings are effective for the treatment of sun damaged, leathery textured skin with pigment abnormalities and the fine wrinkling often seen in an aging face. The cosmetic improvement is due to a controlled chemical burn and subsequent regeneration of new collagen. This results in new facial skin with a significantly rejuvenated appearance.