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Chemical Peel

Chemical peel, also known as chemexfoliation or derma-peeling, is a technique used to improve the appearance of the skin. In this treatment, a chemical solution is applied to the skin, which causes it to "blister" and eventually peel off. The new, regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin. The new skin also is temporarily more sensitive to the sun.

What Conditions Do a Chemical Peel Treat?

Chemical peels are performed on the face, neck, or hands. They can be used to:

  • Reduce fine lines under the eyes and around the mouth
  • Treat wrinkles caused by sun damage, aging and family history
  • Improve the appearance of mild scarring
  • Treat certain types of acne
  • Reduce age spots, freckles and dark patches due to pregnancy or taking birth control pills (melasma)
  • Improve the look and feel of skin that is dull in texture and color

Areas of sun damage, which may contain pre-cancerous keratoses that appear as scaly spots, may improve after chemical peeling. Following treatment, new pre-cancerous lesions are less likely to appear.

However, sags, bulges, and more severe wrinkles do not respond well to chemical peels. They may require other kinds of cosmetic surgical procedures, such as laser resurfacing, a facelift, brow lift, eyelid lift, or soft tissue filler (collagen or fat). A dermatologic surgeon can help determine the most appropriate type of treatment for each individual case.

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What Are the Treatment Options for Aging Skin?

The doctor's palette of resurfacing options for aging skin continues to expand. In patients with early skin changes, nonsurgical treatment methods such as tretinoin, vitamin C, and alpha hydroxy acids may provide satisfactory improvement. Chemical peels, dermabrasion, and laserabrasion may be used alone or in combination with other surgical procedures to treat moderate to severe degrees of facial sun damage.

Deeper facial lines may be treated with botulinum toxin or soft tissue enhancement, including collagen, autologous fat, and Goretex implants. Patients with more sagging, excess skin may benefit from additional procedures such as a facelift, browlift, or blepharoplasty (surgical reconstruction of the eyelid). Treatment must be individualized according to the patient's facial characteristics and cosmetic concerns.

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