Chemical Skin Peels

You’ll see results within a few days of the procedure. Generally, results last for up to 5 months.

Various types of chemical peels are available — some are more superficial, while others address deeper layers of the skin. If you are assessed and treated by a medical professional, the appropriate chemical peel for you can improve fine lines and wrinkles, acne, scars, uneven skin colour and other skin imperfections.

After an appointment with your doctor, they will determine the depth of your peel. Light (lunchtime) chemical peels can provide subtle improvements over time and are best performed in a series.

With light peels, the outmost layer of skin is removed. A light peel may be best suited for fine wrinkling, acne, uneven skin colouring or dry, rough, sun-damaged skin. In these cases, your peel will help promote a healthy glow. Recovery time from a light peel may be within hours to a few days but with little to no downtime.
A medium chemical peel gives skin a fresh, smooth look. The outermost layer and the upper part of your middle skin layer are removed. This peel may be best if you have uneven or moderate skin discolouring, age spots, acne scarring, fine lines or wrinkles. It may take you a week or more to recover with a medium chemical peel, and some downtime may be required.

A deep chemical peel produces the most dramatic results. Deep peels penetrate down to the lower middle layer of your skin. Resultantly, recovery time is longer. Deep peels are best if you have moderate lines and wrinkles, deep acne scars, blotchy skin, extensive sun damage and/or precancerous growths called actinic keratosis. A deep chemical peel requires pre-treatment for up to 8 weeks, and you must follow specific instructions outlined by your doctor. A deep chemical peel is a one-off treatment and has significant downtime. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Dermatologists sometimes recommend deep chemical peels when laser treatment is not appropriate. This is sometimes the case when an individual has moderate to severe sun damage. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Your appearance after a chemical peel will depend on the type of peel you’ve had. Typically, your skin will appear red and slightly swollen. Redness and swelling will be minimal for light peels, while deeper peels may be more extreme. You may experience severe redness and swelling and feel burning and throbbing. In this case, your doctor may prescribe painkillers. With light or medium peels, minimal downtime is required as the physical reaction to your peel will be short-lived.

After a light chemical peel, you’ll soon see improved skin texture and tone with fewer fine lines or wrinkles. These results will be subtle but will increase with repeated treatments. If you have a medium chemical peel, your treated skin may be noticeably smoother. Deep peels typically produce lifelong changes to the skin quality.

Depending on the depth of your peel, you may need to factor in downtime. With severe peels, you may experience redness, swelling and pain. However, with light or medium peels, downtime is minimal. While very rare, infection or scarring can result from chemical peeling treatments.

A light chemical peel (a.k.a. superficial peel) will usually produce results that can last from 1 to 2 months. Alternatively, a medium peel can last for six months. These results will typically last a lifetime for individuals undertaking a deep peel to address extreme sun damage or various dermatology concerns.