Chemical Peel

Procedure: Restore wrinkled, blemished, unevenly pigmented, or sun-damaged facial skin, using a chemical solution to peel away skin’s top layers. Works best on fair, thin skin with superficial wrinkles.

Length: 1 to 2 hours for full face.

Anesthesia: None; sedation and EKG monitoring may be used.

In/Outpatient: Usually outpatient. Full-face phenol peel may require admission for 1 to 2 days.

Side Effects: Both: Temporary throbbing, tingling, swelling, redness; acute sensitivity to sun. Phenol: Permanent lightening of the treated skin; permanent loss of ability to tan.

Risks: Both: tiny whiteheads (temporary); infection; scarring; flare-up of skin allergies, fever blisters, cold sores. Phenol: Abnormal color changes (permanent); heart irregularities (rare).

Recovery: Phenol: formation of new skin: 7 to 21 days. Normal activities 2 to 4 weeks. Full healing and fading of redness: 3 to 6 months. TCA: new skin within 5 to 10 days.

Duration of Results: Phenol: permanent, although new wrinkles may form as skin ages. TCA: variable (temporary).