Cosmetic Procedures: The Different Kinds of Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are classified as cosmetic surgery because they involve the use of dangerous chemical solutions that can cause the skin to blister and peel. You might be asking yourself why anyone would want to have this type of surgery? Well, the new skin will grow back eventually, less wrinkled and blemished than before; therefore, it's a procedure many aging women are willing to risk. Even though some peels can be bought and done by almost anybody, it's advised that you get your chemical peel done by a professional dermatologist or plastic surgeon in order to make sure you stay safe and your skin ends up looking the best it can. There are several different kinds of chemical peels you can choose from, but in this article you'll get introduced to three of them.

An AHA Peel, otherwise known as an alpha hydroxyl acid peel, is one of the most popular. This is the mildest chemical peel and it uses caroxylic acids found in sour milk. Many women mix this acid with facial wash or a cream in lesser-concentrated form and use it daily. When you use this acid in it's concentrated form, it can reduce fine lines and uneven coloring; smooth, rough, and dry skin; improve the texture of your skin; and help battle acne. You may need to get multiple treatments to receive the results you want. After every treatment, you'll experience some pain in the form of redness, stinging, and mild irritation that lasts a few days.

The tricholroacetic acid peel is another type of popular chemical peel. This chemical is much stronger than the AHA peel, and people usually use concentrations of 20-50%: however, due to a risk of scarring, concentrations above 35% are rare. You can use this peel for smoothing fine lines, correcting skin discoloration (especially if you have darker skin pigmentation), and removing blemishes. This treatment will take several days to heal and you have to use special care with other skin products to maintain your results.

The phenol/croton oil chemical peel is the strongest kind of peel. In most cases, the improvement you'll get on your skin when you use this procedure are drastic and long lasting, and a single treatment is all you need. This peel removes precancerous growths and blemishes, smoothes out deep wrinkles, and eliminates any type of blotches on the skin related to aging or sun exposure. It might also remove freckles permanently, and there are some cases of it lightening the skin permanently as well. Because of it's drastic results, if you have this procedure done you'll need sun protection for the rest of your life, along with several months of recover time to heal.

Other kinds of chemical peels are available too. Just talk to your cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist if you want to learn more about how they can work for you and your skin.