Did You Know The 7 Amazing Chemical Peel Benefits?

Chemical peeling is a procedure where a chemical solution is used to remove the top layer. The skin on the back is softer. With light or medium skin, you need to go through the procedure several times to get the desired result.

Studies reveal that chemical peel benefits¹ for your skin are numerous. It treats wrinkles, acne, melasma, and spots and reduces scars and fine lines under the eyes. This article will guide you to bust the myths and explore the benefits of chemical peel.

1. What Is a Chemical Peel?

The earliest usage of face peels is found in Egyptian civilization. Egyptian women used to apply milk over their faces. Milk contains lactic acid that improves the skin tone. It increases the skin turnover rate which helps younger skin to appear frequently. It is a natural moisturizer².

Nowadays, a chemical peel is tested and trusted by consumers. A chemical peel is a procedure used to improve the quality of the skin to reduce ageing factors. Climate issues like pollution, UV rays, and lifestyle complications affect our skin.

Removing the outermost layer of skin is the purpose of a chemical peel. It helps peel off the dead skin. The procedure includes the healing of the damaged skin to regenerate new skin. The regenerated skin is smoother and less wrinkled.

The common chemical peel ingredients are vitamin C, polyphenols, salicylic acid³, TCA, and AHA.  It is advised to use any chemical peel under the supervision of a dermatologist or medical expert.

2. Types of Chemical Peels

A chemical peel is used based on the needs and complications of the skin. It is applied on the face, neck, and hands. Depending on the condition of the skin and its requirements, dermatologists advise these peels. However, a chemical peel can also be used at home for mild problems.

A chemical peel has been categorized into three types:

• Superficial Peel
• Medium Peel
• Deep Peel

Let’s have a look at what they are and what are their benefits.

2.1. Superficial Chemical Peel

Superficial peels are used to treat minor skin problems like minor skin discolouration or skin texture complications. Among the three layers of the skin, superficial peel penetrates the top layer, the epidermis. Alpha hydroxy acids⁴ are commonly used in the superficial peel.

Interestingly, alpha hydroxy acid is observed in natural sources like sour milk and tomatoes. Glycolic acid is the most commonly used acid in superficial peels. This facial treatment is useful for improving skin tone and reducing spots and acne.

2.2. Medium Chemical Peel

A medium peel is applied to the dermis: the middle layer of the skin. The chemicals used in medium peels help shed dead skin. It is a complete professional practice done by experts.

It gives you youthful skin and reduces wrinkles. Trichloroacetic acid (TCA) is used in the process. The average recovery is 10 days. It is quite effective in treating scar-related issues.

2.3. Deep Chemical Peel

Sun damage, wrinkles, spots, and acne scars are treated with a deep chemical peel. Phenol is the most important ingredient of the deep peel. Deep peel addresses the innermost layer of the skin: hypodermis.

It has a longer effect on the skin and is used for advanced skin problems. It helps you give a youthful texture to your skin. It also reduces the unevenness of colour and texture of the skin.

A dermatologist decides the type of chemical peel based on the skin’s condition. Which layer of skin needs the treatment is the prime concern during the recommendation of a specific chemical peel.

Deep and medium peels have some strong skin effects as the peeling is quite deeper than the superficial peel. Generally, after the treatment, the dermatologist uses cool compresses to heal the skin.

3. Chemical Peel Benefits: An Overview

Skin is the largest organ of the integumentary system comprising nails, hair, scales, and others. It helps in temperature regulation, vitamin D synthesis, and control of excessive water loss. Our skin heals any damage by forming scar tissue itself.

As we become old, our skin loses the ability to heal itself. Ageing also decreases the elasticity of the skin. Wrinkles and sagging are two outcomes of skin ageing.

The degradation of collagen⁵ causes skin ageing. Cortisol accelerates ageing by degrading collagen. Chemical peels work on the ageing factors of the skin and benefit in numerous ways.

3.1. It Exfoliates the Skin

A chemical peel benefits by exfoliating (removing the dead skin) the skin through the active ingredients. Unlike the scrub that only polishes the skin, chemical peel dissolves the dead skin. It consists of enzymes and fruit acids that unclog the pores.

Generally, people believe that exfoliation is necessary only for oily skin, but it is recommended for all skin types. Exfoliation supplies oxygen to the skin cells. It softens the skin texture and regenerates the cells. It keeps the moisture of the skin.

A chemical peel provides all the necessary ingredients for exfoliation. It helps dissolve the dead cells. It maintains the tone and texture of the skin. Regular chemical peeling helps the skin to adapt to different beauty products, which is an added advantage.

3.2. Reduces Acne Marks

Acne or pimples a common skin problems. Acne marks on the face alleviate a person’s grace. The beauty products in the market that advertise their effect on acne have temporary consequences.

Acne forms when the skin pores are glutted with excess oil, bacteria, and dead skin cells. When these pores swell, they break the follicle wall. The skin repairs these breaks naturally, but the repair is not flawless like the original skin. Thus, acne marks become visible over the skin.

According to Dermatology Times, superficial and mid-depth peels help treat acne marks. These chemical peels contain salicylic acid, glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and other ingredients that remove the skin’s top layer, allowing new skin to surface.

Lactic acid, an integral part of chemical peels, helps reduce acne marks. Dermatologists consider chemical peeling an effective method to treat acne marks. If you are fed up with inefficient cosmetic products for your acne marks problem, you must try chemical peeling. The reduction of acne marks is one of the benefits of chemical peel.

3.3. It Minimizes Sun Damage Effectively

We are well-versed with the harmful effects of UV rays on our skin. The chemical solution in a chemical peel benefits from the sun damage caused to the skin. It replaces the outer layer of the skin with smoother and less wrinkled new skin.

Repeated sun damage causes the skin to look dry, discolored, and wrinkled. The skin starts weakening, and the chances of bruises increase. Ignorance of sun damage may cause serious skin irritation and discoloration.

You should consult a dermatologist for the best peel option for your skin. Medium to deep chemical peels are effective in the treatment of sun damage.

3.4. Minimizes Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition in which patches of skin become darker than the normal surrounding skin colour. It is caused by sun exposure, drug reactions, and diseases. Women who take birth control pills have more chances to develop scars. A chemical peel reduces hyperpigmentation by removing the epidermis.

Glycolic and lactic acid are used in a chemical peel to treat hyperpigmentation. Melasma, which is very similar to hyperpigmentation, is also treated by chemical peeling. Medium and deep chemical peels are effective in the treatment of hyperpigmentation and melasma.

3.5. A Skin Smoother

Other benefits are that they diminish lines, improve skin tone, and make skin smoother. The smoothness of skin depends on collagen. An appropriate chemical peel builds collagen by removing dead skin cells.

Scrubs generally provide temporary smoothness to the skin as they check only the outermost layer of the skin. A chemical peel, on the other hand, clears the pores effectively and gives long-term results. By building collagen, the chemical peel helps reduce ageing factors and gives younger, smooth skin.

3.6. Beyond The Face

An interesting fact about chemical peel benefits is its use beyond the face. It can be used for the neck and arms beside the face. Our clothing normally exposes our skin to sun rays. Neck and arms also feel sun damage like the face.

Neck and arms get darker due to sun exposure. Chemical peels equally benefit them as they act on the skin. Salicylic acid and glycolic acid are used to treat body acne and chest wrinkles, respectively, in chemical peels.

3.7. Cost-Effective and Less Time-consuming

Chemical peel treatment costs less than laser treatment and other methods. An average chemical peel sitting takes 15 to 25 minutes, making it easy to carry. Dermatologists now prescribe chemical peel treatment for its effectiveness and less time-consuming tendency.

4. In The End

Chemical peeling must be done under the supervision of a dermatologist. Human skin differs from person to person and from place to place. Some skins are exceedingly sensitive. Some are dry, and some are oily. So treating skin according to its physical traits is a matter of medical expertise. Here are some precautions that should be taken before chemical peel treatment:

• People who are vulnerable to cold sores or herpes should take extra precautions.
• Swelling and redness may also appear, which are normally temporary.

Hence always use the chemical peel your doctor advises you. Self-treatment could be harmful to your skin.

5. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Are Chemical Peels Good for Your Skin?

Chemical peels can reduce or improve fine lines and wrinkles, acne, scars, uneven skin tone, and other skin imperfections.

Q2. Is a Chemical Peel Good or Bad for the Face?

Superficial and medium peels are generally safe, as long as they are done correctly. This type of peel is not permanent and needs to be repeated. Deep bark is more dangerous. They are long-lasting and usually do not need to be repeated.

Q3. How Long Do Chemical Peel Results Last?

A mild, or superficial, peel produces results that usually last between one and two months. The results of a medium peel will last between two to six months, and the results of a deep peel are permanent.

1. Rendon, Marta I., et al. “Evidence and considerations in the application of chemical peels in skin disorders and aesthetic resurfacing.” The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology 3.7 (2010): 32. ↩︎
2. Chandar, Prem, Greg Nole, and Anthony W. Johnson. “Understanding natural moisturizing mechanisms: implications for moisturizer technology.” Cutis 84.1 Suppl (2009): 2-15. ↩︎
3. Lee, Ho-Sup, and Il-Hwan Kim. “Salicylic acid peels for the treatment of acne vulgaris in Asian patients.” Dermatologic surgery 29.12 (2003): 1196-1199. ↩︎
4. Tang, Sheau-Chung, and Jen-Hung Yang. “Dual effects of alpha-hydroxy acids on the skin.” Molecules 23.4 (2018): 863. ↩︎
5. Veis, Arthur, and Jerome Cohen. “The degradation of collagen. A method for the characterization of native collagen.” Journal of the American Chemical Society 76.9 (1954): 2476-2478. ↩︎

Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology