Types of Skin Peels
Skin peels are divided into the categories of light, medium and deep, which refer to how intense the treatment is and how much it can potentially change your skin. The deeper the peel, the longer it takes to recover from it. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Laser
-
Lasers can be used for all three peel levels by removing the skin's top layer. They can improve a range of imperfections, from fine lines to reducing age spots and making the skin appear smother.
Trichloroacetic Acid
-
A peel with "medium" intensity contains trichloroacetic acid, or TCA. It's done for moderate skin damage, like small lines and blemishes. Recovery takes about 2 weeks.
-
Glycolic Acid
-
Glycolic acid is for superficial face problems, like dry skin. It is a "light" peel. Your skin might flake a little, but you can resume normal activities immediately after.
Phenol
-
Phenol is used for a "deep" peel on badly damaged skin, like deep lines and blotches. Full recovery can take up to 3 months, since the skin forms a crust and flakes off to reveal new skin underneath.
Alphahydroxy Acid
-
Alphahydroxy acid (or AHA) peels are so light that an AHA agent like lactic acid can be used daily for better skin texture. AHA peels can act as a pretreatment to a more intense TCA peel.
Acne
-
Acne peels can help control acne if over-the-counter or prescribed treatments aren't working, and also for to reduce scarring. How intense the peel is depends on the patient's needs.
-
