Facials, spa days, and skin care routines are a few ways we show ourselves self-care and restore our skin. Chemical peels are one of the most popular methods to rejuvenate skin, reduce wrinkles, and improve the overall appearance.
What is a Chemical Peel?
Chemical peels improve the appearance of the skin by exfoliating and peeling off the problematic layers of skin. The new skin underneath the top layer is often smoother, less wrinkled, and undamaged by the environment. Chemical peels may treat various skin conditions, including wrinkles, sun damage, hyperpigmentation, scarring, melasma, or uneven skin tone or texture.
What Are the Types of Chemical Peels?
There are three levels for chemical peels, depending on the depth of the peel. Deeper peels allow a more dramatic transformation but tend to have more dramatic side effects. The types of chemical peels are:
Light Chemical Peels
Light chemical peels involve mild acids for gentle exfoliation. Their minimal discomfort during and after your appointment makes them popular for typical facial treatments.
Medium Chemical Peels
Medium chemical peels reach the middle layers to remove more damaged cells. These peels are a little more uncomfortable, and you may be given a fan.
Deep Chemical Peels
They penetrate the middle layers of skin for the most dramatic skin renewal. You will likely need pain medication for this peel, and you can only do it once.
Is There Any Downtime With a Chemical Peel?
The amount of downtime from a chemical peel depends on the depth of the peel. Light chemical peels require little to no downtime, although you may experience redness for a couple of hours and peel for 1-7 days afterward.
Medium-depth chemical peels may experience side effects for 5-7 days, but the worst subside after 48 hours. The redness may persist for a period, and your skin may swell and form a crust before revealing your new skin.
A deep chemical peel may require up to 2-3 weeks for your new skin to develop. Mild redness may persist for several months. After your chemical peel appointment, follow all after-care instructions carefully.
What are the Results of a Chemical Peel?
Depending on the depth of the peel, you may need multiple appointments to see your results. Light peels require the most treatments with negligible downtime, while deep peels only require one appointment.
After your treatments and recovery, your skin will be brighter, and you may notice fewer wrinkles, scars, improved texture, and less discoloration. Your new skin will be less damaged and appear more youthful.
Take the Next Step
If you’d like to learn more about chemical peels, please fill out the form on this page or call (562) 997-1144. Laser Skin Care Center proudly serves the Long Beach, CA area and offers various cosmetic dermatology services.
*Individual results may vary.
