Chemical skin peels

What is a chemical skin peel?

Chemical skin peels are cosmetic procedures which predominantly remove layers of dead or diseased skin to expose newer, healthy and vibrant looking skin underneath. Skin peels vary according to the concentration and type of acid used.

A light salycilic acid skin peel such as Obagi™ Blue Peel Radiance is designed to remove only the uppermost layer of the epidermis. This layer known as the stratum corneum and contains dead skin cells.

Deeper peels such as the Obagi™ Blue Peel TCA contain trichloroacetic acid. This is a medium peel with more aggressive action designed to get to the lowermost layers of the epidermis, or beyond to treat skin conditions such as hyper pigmentation (excess pigment), melasma, photo damaged skin, age spots and acne, etc.

How can chemical skin peels improve my skin?

An acid peel improves skin tone, skin tightness and laxity by removing unwanted dead skin cells, diseased skin and bacteria from the skin.

Chemical skin peels differ according to the type of acid used. The stronger the acid the deeper and more aggressive the penetration will be. A light salicylic acid peel is effective in removing dead skin from the uppermost layer of the epidermis to expose younger, brighter looking skin beneath. A medium deep TCA (trichloroacetic acid) chemical skin peel gets deeper in to the epidermis and dermis to treat conditions such as acne, hyperpigmentation, melasma, lines and wrinkles, sun damage and photo damage.

How long does a skin peel take?

The time a chemical peel takes varies according to the type of peel and several other factors such as skin type, condition(s) to be treated and the penetration required. A light salicylic acid skin peels can take only 10-15 minutes and a medical grade medium deep TCA blue peel can take approximately 90 minutes. Please note that additional time must also be allowed for consulting, and for preparing, cleansing and washing the skin before and after the procedure itself.

How will my skin look after an acid skin peel?

The skin will look fresher and more youthful with improved skin tone. The skin will also look brighter and tighter too. Where a chemical skin peel has been prescribed for skin conditions such as acne or pigmentation then the skin will look clearer with improved and more even skin tone across the treated area.

Are chemical peels suitable for all skin types?

Chemical skin peels are suitable for all skin types. However, it is very important that a suitably qualified medical aesthetics practitioner assesses the skin qualities before determining the safest and most appropriate acid skin peel for a client. There are certain factors such as skin thickness, pigmentation, oiliness and overall skin condition which must be assessed at a medical level before deciding on a chemical skin peel.

For further information about dermatological skin conditions, medical cosmetic skin treatments and Obagi Medical Skin systems see:
Obagi Medical
Medical and dermatological skin conditions
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