Chemical Peels and What to Expect

A chemical peel is a procedure meant to enhance and smooth the texture of your skin. It is a potent treatment (medical therapy) for wrinkles, facial blemishes, and rough skin pigmentation. Chemical peels can be performed in an office-based technique room or an outpatient surgical facility. It’s good practice for your doctor to clean your face and cover your eyes with rub, tape, surgical dressing or goggles, before the procedure. On occasion, your doctor might protect your hair as well. Although the procedure is the same, doctors develop different habits that allow them to perform the work properly and easily, and more importantly, safely.

When having a deep chemical peel, your doctor will give you sedatives, with the help of a local anesthetic, to numb a certain part of your skin/body in order to minimize the pain.

There are three types of chemical peels: Light, medium, and heavy, which can be performed based on your individual needs, as they are different from the needs of others.

To minimize your vulnerability to phenol, your doctor would choose to perform the procedure in intervals of 15 minutes that would allow him or her to work on a small portion at a time. You can expect a full-facial procedure to last about 90 minutes. It’s best practice for your doctor to explain to you what’s being done before he or she begins working on you, and you will be afforded the chance to ask your doctor any questions you might have.

After the Procedure

Follow your doctor’s recommendations for cleansing after any depth of chemical peel to ensure that your desired results are achieved. Apply suggested protective ointments and deep-skin moisturizers to your skin. It is in your best interest to follow your doctor’s simple instructions, as that will help you attain optimal results and heal quicker. Your doctor will tell you what the aftereffect may be based on your depth of chemical peel.

At your doctor’s directive use ice packs for comfort; your doctor might suggest other relief as well. In most instances, over-the-counter pain medications, such as Aleve, Advil, or Motrin, can help relieve you of any discomfort. Your doctor will most likely schedule you for a checkup immediately after the procedure so that he or she can monitor your healing progress.

It’s not unusual for your skin to form a crust as the swelling diminishes. Skin around treated areas will appear different from the rest of your body as new skin begins to develop, which varies dependent upon each level of treatment – light chemical peel, medium chemical peel, and heavy chemical peel.

It is your responsibility to ensure that instructions as per your doctor’s orders are followed correctly. Should you have any questions, do not wait until the problem worsens to call your doctor. It’s okay to call your doctor with non-emergency questions as well.