Exploring The Hazards and Benefits of Chemical Peels

Posted by The Popular News Today on Sunday, January 8, 2012

By Yuri Szilasi


Everyday folk worldwide choose to have a chemical peel in an effort to revive a young appearance and suffuse their skin with a new found glow. These peels help you to fight back against the indications of ageing. Skin specialists are now in a position to fight fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, scarring, acne, and colouration aberrations both safely and effectively through the utilisation of both mild chemical peels as well as more aggressive chemical peels.

To determine if a chemical peel may be a suitable option for you, you should first understand exactly what it is. These treatments consist of using a chemical exfoliating product to the client's skin. The chemical composition of this solution targets aged or injured skin and makes it "peel off". The strength of these solutions vary depending on the severity of the skin damage being treated. The more concentrated the chemical solution, the deeper layers of skin which can be reached. While skin specialists agree that these these procedures are generally safe, just like any cosmetic procedure there are some hazards you should be conscious of.

Superficial chemical peels which are preformed using alpha hydroxy acids also known as AHA's are considered to be the safest of these treatments. Common side-effects using this form of chemical peel include redness, burning, itching, mild pain, and scarring. These side effects are generally transient and decline within just a few days. Skin specialists have also started using beta hydroxy acids or BHA's to perform these mild peels. These BHA's are becoming increasingly favored because of a lower occurrence of side effects which are mostly ascribed to AHA's.

An intermediate chemical peel can be employed to treat deeper wrinkles, irregular pigmentation, and acne scars. These peels which are able to penetrate to deeper layers of skin are made up of trichloroacetic acid sometimes called TCA's. These intermediate peels can achieve more obvious results then a superficial peel however , there are additional risks linked with these peels too. Intermediate or medium level chemical peels have many of the same side effects as light peels but they can last significantly longer. These side effects may last as much as a few weeks.

For the most severe cases of skin damage a deep chemical peel may be an option. These peels generally need the patient to be sedated and a local anesthetic to be applied. While these peels use highly effective agents like phenol, they also pose the greatest hazards. Patients may experience raised levels of discomfort and require a significant healing time. As well as the side-effects which can sometimes be experienced with milder chemical peels there's also the chance of permanent lightening of the skin with these deeper peels. You might also experience increased sun sensitivity and permanent scaring as a consequence of this treatment.

Before you are able to get a chemical peel you'll first have to go through a complete evaluation by a skin specialist. Your dermatologist will explain all hazards and benefits which apply to your specific condition as well as the level of chemical peel that you will be receiving. As a general rule you should always select the gentlest chemical peel which will be effective for your skin condition. The deeper the peel the higher the hazards will be.




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