Chemical peel restores wrinkled, blemished, unevenly pigmented or sun-damaged facial skin using a chemical solution to peel away the skin’s top layers. It works best on fair skin.

Superficial epidermal peels (chemical peels) such as Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs) exfoliate the upper layer of the epidermis. The more moderate deeper peels such as TCA penetrate slightly deeper.

Active Acne peels are Beta-Hydroxy Salicylic Acid peels. They are safe even in darker skin patients.

Chemical peel is most commonly performed for cosmetic reasons — to enhance your appearance and your self-confidence. Chemical peel may also remove pre-cancerous skin growths, soften acne facial scars and even control acne.

Chemical peel takes about 30 minutes for the whole face.

No anesthesia is required for this procedure. This is an outpatient procedure.

Patients may experience temporary throbbing, tingling, swelling, redness or an acute sensitivity to the sun.

Tiny whiteheads may appear temporarily, as well as infection, scarring, flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores but all these complications are rare. Skin color lightening is another potential complication of chemical peel.

There is no downtime associated with the Glycolic Peel. The TCA peel has a recommended downtime of one to seven days. Formation of new skin occurs within seven to 21 days. Patients can resume normal activities in two to four weeks.

Chemical peel is a permanent procedure, although new wrinkles may form as skin ages.

Alphahydroxy acids (AHAs), such as glycolic, lactic, or fruit acids are the mildest of the peel formulas and produce light peels. These types of peels can provide smoother, brighter-looking skin.

AHA peels may be used to treat fine wrinkling, areas of dryness, uneven pigmentation, and acne. Various concentrations of an AHA may be applied weekly or at longer intervals to obtain the best result. An alphahydroxy acid, such as glycolic acid, can also be mixed with a facial wash or cream in lesser concentrations as part of a daily skin-care regimen to improve the skin’s texture.

Your doctor will apply the AHA solution to your cleansed facial skin, a process that usually takes no more than 10 minutes. No “after-peel” ointment or covering is required. Depending on the strength of the peel, periodic treatments may be necessary until the desired effects are achieved.

For some patients, the application of an AHA-based face wash or cream once or twice a day at home will be sufficient to accomplish the desired goal. After several weeks of at-home use, your doctor will examine your skin to determine if your regimen needs adjustment.

After an AHA peel, it is common to experience some temporary flaking or scaling, redness and dryness of the skin. However, these conditions will disappear as the skin adjusts to treatment, usually within one week.

Improvements from AHA peels may be very subtle at first. You may detect a healthier glow to your skin. With continued treatments, you will notice a general improvement in the texture of your skin.

2-4 peels are recommended for a single cycle but this is variable depending on the patient’s condition and the desired outcome. Your doctor will recommend a suitable number of peels in order to obtain optimal results, with each session 4 weeks apart. Avoid overexposure to the sun and apply sunscreen lotion, and use the moisturiser provided for up to 1 week or until skin is not sensitive anymore.