Chemical Peels: What You Need To Know
Just the ‘chemical’ in chemical peel could scare you off as we try to avoid bad chemicals when dealing with our skin. There’s the misconception that chemical correlates to dangerous and unnatural ingredients that can damage our skin.
However, as we’ve learned in previous posts the word ‘chemical’ is not a word you should fear. Many chemicals derived from plants or food and have been proven to be beneficial for the skin in helping the process of cell turnover.
To read more about chemicals in skincare read this blog post
Chemical peels, while they have regained popularity in the realm of skincare treatments, have a longer history than you might realize. The earliest record of a chemical peel was used by ancient Egyptians. Ancient Egyptians used to apply sour milk to their skin. Sour milk contains the AHA, lactic acid, which is meant to revitalize the skin and is typically catered more towards those with hyperpigmentation, acne, and aging skin. Then eventually from World War I up to the 80s, chemical peels were shown to also be useful to treating scarring.
A chemical peel is essentially an exfoliating acid solution that improves the skin’s appearance. They can help boost collagen and improve elasticity in the skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines. This treatment can be applied to the face, hands, and neck as these are typically the first places we see signs of aging and dark spots. Despite ‘peel’ being in the name this should not be a painful and damaging process. As mentioned before, chemical peels help in speeding up the process of cell turnover. This process sheds dead skin cells to make way for new skin cell growth, preventing dryness and dullness on the epidermis layer of the skin.
There are chemical exfoliants that can be purchased for at home use but of course the lower the pH (stronger the acid) can only be used by professionals. If you do end up buying chemical exfoliants at home, do your research to be safe that you’re not using an acid that would do more damage to your skin.
There are numerous types of acid solutions used for chemical peels and it’s best that you know which is suitable for your skin type.
Glycolic Chemical Peel
Glycolic acid, an AHA derives from cane sugar or fruit sources and can penetrate deeper into the skin. They have a smaller molecular structure that makes this penetration through the layers of skin possible. Glycolic acid aids in the process of cell turnover, therefore, making it beneficial for those with aging skin looking for a glowy appearance. Glycolic peels can be offered at different intensities which in turn affect your skin differently based on the pH level. For at-home products, there are pretty good glycolic acid exfoliants safe enough for applying yourself.
Lactic Chemical Peel
Lactic acid is another AHA that is made from milk or other plant sources. Same as the ancient Egyptians, the milk or plant is fermented or soured to make the lactic acid that you finally apply to the skin. This acid is great for those with sensitive skin as it won’t irritate your skin compared to the other acids listed. Lactic acid increases the skin’s natural moisturizing factor, increases barrier function, and builds hydration. Not only is it safe for sensitive skin but it will also hydrate thirsty dry skin.
Beta Chemical Peel
Beta chemical peels contain the BHA, salicylic acid that is derived from willow bark. BHAs are beneficial to acne-prone skin types as it penetrates deeper into the pores and removes dead skin cells and sebum. Salicylic acid is found to reduce oil and has an anti-inflammatory action that regulates inflammatory irritants reducing the chance of hyperpigmentation or scarring. Getting a Beta chemical peel helps with breakouts and clogged pores by targeting acne-causing bacteria.
Pigment Balancing Chemical Peel
Pigment balancing is combined with multiple AHAs and BHAs to target hyperpigmentation and help even out skin tone. This process takes longer to see results as a dark spot will need more time to even out. You should be wearing sunscreen with all chemical peels but especially with this treatment as sun damage can worsen hyperpigmentation.
TCA Chemical Peel
TCA, (trichloroacetic acid) is a chemical agent used to exfoliate and renew the skin at a medium or deep level. TCA peels work by removing dead skin cells and stimulate new skin cell growth. This treatment is used by achieving a youthful glow, treating certain skin conditions such as melasma and acne scarring. TCA peels should only be applied by a certified skin professional due to the strength of the acid solution. As we said with the deep peeling after-effects, you’ll experience burning and discomfort after the treatment. You would not be the ideal candidate for a TCA peel:
If you’re breastfeeding or pregnant
Have psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea
Have a job working outside
Take acne medication
Along with differing acids there are different strengths of chemical peels: light or superficial, medium, and deep.
Superficial Peels
Superficial peels are the lightest option and my personal preference for giving chemical peels. Superficial peels typically use AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) to target the epidermis or BHA (beta-hydroxy acids) to penetrate deeper into the skin. This peel can minimize the appearance of pores, fine lines, and wrinkles, and improve textured skin, and acne.
During the treatment, the acid solution will be applied to the skin giving a slight stinging sensation. After a few minutes, the acid solution will be removed then neutralized. Compared to a medium and deep peel, a light peel will not take weeks to heal and you won’t have to take as many precautions. You may notice a bit of redness shortly after the peel but no other excessive fall of the skin will happen.
Medium Peel
Medium chemical peels are stronger than the superficial peel and target the middle layers of the skin. These peels have a higher strength of glycolic, lactic, salicylic, TCA, or a mixture of acids to reduce toxicity levels. Once applied to the skin, the acid solution will penetrate the skin by destroying the epidermis and some of the papillary dermis.
During the peel, the professional may apply a cool compress to the skin as you’ll feel stinging or burning for up to 20 minutes (much longer than a superficial peel). There will not be a neutralizer applied after the peel but they may give you a hand-held fan to cool the skin. Medium peels will typically take a week or two to heal.
Deep Peel
Deep peels are less common as they are more aggressive to the skin and intense in the process. This peel penetrates the deepest layers of the skin and is used for more serious skin issues, such as deeper facial wrinkles, sun damage, scars, or pre-cancerous growths. In deep peels, they tend to use TCA, strong glycolic, resorcinol, and phenol. Phenol penetrates the deepest out of all the other peels and is really only for those with fair skin, low risk of hyperpigmentation, and no underlying medical issues. This acid needs to be combined with croton oil in various concentrations as its ability to penetrate the skin rapidly and cause severe burns.
During deep peels, you’ll need to be sedated along with an anesthetic to numb your face. The process is done in 15-minute portions to limit the exposure to the acid during which you’ll experience mild burning or tingling. After the appropriate amount of time, the solution will be neutralized with water and then ointment will be applied to the skin and must stay in place to prevent dryness and pain. For a week or more the skin will show peeling, crusting, skin redness, swelling, and discomfort. For this, you might be provided with painkillers to keep you comfortable. Even when the main effects will disappear after about two weeks the skin will remain red for about three months. I personally do not support using medium or deep peels that actually make the skin peel off for my chemical peel treatments due to the harshness of the process.
Those with dark skin should aim more for a lighter peel strength compared to a medium or deep peel as these are known to cause severe and permanent hyperpigmentation and scarring. When receiving a chemical peel it’s important to be certain that the professional knows how to modify for people of color with darker complexions and if you choose to do it at home take the precautions to be sure the product you’re using is safe for your skin.