The word 'chemical' itself generates a negative image for most people who have never had a peel, however the chemicals come from very natural sources. For example, most glycolic acid (a common peel ingredient) comes from sugar cane. There are a LOT of options when it comes to chemical peels varying in ingredients and strengths. Some peels I perform on brides the day before a wedding and some will require a week of peeling and flaky skin. Your esthetician or dermatologist will help you decide what is right for you depending on the results you want. We will explain what to expect, and the post-peel care (if any).
The most common acids used in chemical peels are glycolic, lactic, trichlorocetic (tca) and salicylic acid. Lactic acid is my go to for dry skin, tca or salicylic for acne, and glycolic for everyone else. We can even use different acids on different areas of the face for a customized peel treatment. Peels are an effective way to smooth texture, even out skin color, brighten, reduce fine lines, and even improve acne scars.
A question I get a lot from clients is "Do I need a facial or a peel?" Almost every facial treatment I perform incorporates some type of gentle, 'no downtime' chemical peel. For clients that have a lot of pigmentation/dark spots, scars, or wrinkles, we will do a monthly peel (or a series of peels) to get their skin into shape, and then maintain the results with facials. If doing a peel during a facial treatment, there will be a tiny bit of stinging for a moment, and then its neutralized. For a peel without a facial, these will usually be 'self neutralizing' which happens in a few minutes but is left on the skin until you wash your face that evening.
Some of my favorite peels come from Skin Medica, a skin care brand from Allergan (yep the pharma company that makes Botox). They have three options from light to strong, here is a chart explaining each one in depth.
Complications with chemical peels are very rare, especially the superficial ones. Sun exposure after a peel, can result in hyper-pigmentation, so diligent application of spf is mandatory! Another issue that can arise is post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, which is a temporary overproduction of melanin following any type of inflammation. Your esthetician or dermatologist will discuss your skin care routine and history to greatly reduce the risks of these complications.