Chemical peels are increasingly popular with those who are unhappy with their sun-damaged skin, especially the age spots or freckles, rough patches, and uneven pigmentation that comes along with being a sunbathing beauty. This treatment is a great way to get overall fresher, younger looking skin without having to break the bank or limit your social calendar.

Types of Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are classified as superficial, medium, and deep peels:

• Superficial Peel

  This peel is designed to help smooth coarse, dry skin, improve the texture of sun-damaged skin, and even out skin tone. The recovery is generally rapid and usually involves some minor flaking. A series of treatments is ordinarily recommended to obtain the desired result over a period of time. Typically, there is no down time and with appropriate sun protection, you can resume regular activities immediately.

• Medium Peel

  Medium peels contain a stronger potency of acids. Medium peels target the epidermis and upper dermis and cause the skin to slough within 5 to 7 days. Immediately after treatment the skin has a red appearance and is occasionally accompanied by swelling. Within a day the skin may turn brown in color, and after 3 or 4 days the skin initiates the peeling process.

• Deep Peel

  Deep peels produce the most dramatic results. This peel is recommended for treating wrinkles, scars, blemishes and, in some cases, pre-cancerous skin lesions. A deep peel targets the dermis. In some cases, anesthesia is required during the procedure to reduce the warm-to-hot stinging sensation. After a deep peel, the skin is red and can result in some swelling and blistering. A crust may form and the skin will darken just prior to peeling. Many layers of the skin will peel over a period of 1 to 2 weeks. An ointment may be given to keep the area moist. Temporarily, the new skin will have the color and sensation of significant sunburn which will gradually fade to your normal skin color.