Environmental factors, stress, and aging all have an impact on the texture and appearance of the skin on your face, neck, and hands. This can affect your self-confidence and quality of life. Chemical peels are non-invasive, effective treatments that may correct some of these concerns.
Chemical peels are the third most popular cosmetic procedure in the United States, with hundreds of thousands being performed every year. The popularity of the treatment lies in the ability to help with a range of skin concerns, including fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, uneven tone, and even acne.
If you’re considering a chemical peel, it's important to understand the treatment and how to achieve the best possible results.
A chemical peel is a cosmetic treatment with certain acids that may be used for the face, neck, and hands to improve the appearance and texture of the skin. A chemical peel works by removing the damaged layers of skin, stimulating cell turnover, and boosting collagen development. This exposes new skin that is smoother with improved tone, softer wrinkles, and less damage.
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Chemical peels are used to treat skin concerns, including: Sun damage, Acne scarring, Wrinkles and fine lines, Hyperpigmentation, Melasma, Uneven skin tone, Redness, Age spots, Skin discoloration, Scars Dullness or roughness.
Pros: Reduces wrinkles, Corrects hyperpigmentation, Improves skin ton, Customized to match your skin concerns and skin type, More affordable than comparable laser treatments, Light peels have little to no downtime.
Cons: May not be suitable for sensitive skin and darker skin tones, Risks include scarring, permanent changes in skin color, infections, and increased risk for heart, kidney or liver damage.
The three main types of chemical peels are light peels, medium peels, and deep peels.
Light peels typically use a mild acid, such as alpha-hydroxy, to gently exfoliate the skin. Superficial peels only penetrate the outermost layer of your skin.
Medium peels use glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid and penetrate to the outer and middle skin layers.
Deep peels often use phenol or trichloroacetic acid to penetrate through to the deeper layers of the skin, effectively correcting deep wrinkles and other flaws.
In most cases, a chemical peel will be done in-office, although deep peels may be done in a surgical facility on an outpatient basis. Before starting the procedure, your doctor or aesthetician will tie back your hair, clean your face, and cover your eyes with goggles or gauze.
The treatment area may then be numbed with a topical anesthetic, particularly if you have a medium or deep peel. For deep peels, your doctor may elect to use a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Using a cotton ball, gauze, or brush, a chemical solution, such as salicylic acid, is applied to the treatment area. Once the solution has been applied, the skin will start to whiten and may sting slightly. The chemical solution is then removed, and a neutralizing treatment is applied.
To apply a medium chemical peel, a gauze, special sponge, or cotton-tipped applicator is used to apply the solution to your face. It may contain trichloroacetic acid or glycolic acid. If trichloroacetic acid is used, a blue color may be added, which is where the term ‘blue peel’ comes from. As the skin begins to whiten, your doctor will apply a cool compress. You may notice a stinging or burning feeling for up to twenty minutes after the treatment. A neutralizing solution may be applied to the skin to stop the peeling process. If you have had a blue peel, your skin may have a slightly blue tint for a few days.
A deep chemical peel is applied with a cotton-tipped applicator. The acid, usually phenol, turns the skin white or gray. The procedure will be done in 15-minute intervals to limit your skin’s exposure and control the treatment time.
Before the treatment, you will have a consultation with your skincare specialist to help you determine the best peel for your skin and discuss the details of the treatment. The consultation may also include a brief medical history to identify any factors that may affect the treatment. This includes any acne medication that you have taken and whether you scar easily. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not have chemical peels.
Depending on your risk factors, you may also need to:
Your recovery time will vary depending on the type of chemical peel.
You may not need any recovery time. It may take four to seven days for your skin to return to normal. You may notice that your skin is light or darker temporarily.
Initial recovery from a medium chemical peel can take five to seven days. Noticeable redness after your chemical peel may last for several months. You may notice some initial swelling. It is normal after a medium chemical peel to have some crusting and scabbing on the skin, as well as brown-colored blotches. This indicates that new skin is forming after the peel.
Deep chemical peels produce significant swelling and redness initially. It’s also common to experience burning and throbbing sensations. Your eyelids may also swell, making it difficult to keep your eyes open. White spots or cysts may be noticeable for several weeks, and the redness can last for a few months. New skin starts to emerge after two weeks.
For any type of chemical peel, follow the recovery instructions carefully, including how often to wash your face, when to moisturize, and which products to use. You will need to avoid the sun while your skin heals. Avoid using make-up and perfume until the skin is completely healed. If you experience any discomfort, gently apply ice packs to the area. A small fan may also help relieve the discomfort.
There are a number of different chemical peels available, so the treatment can be customized to match your specific needs. An experienced skincare specialist will match your skin requirements with an acid solution that will offer the best results. For those with sensitive skin or dark complexions, Medium and deep chemical peels are usually not recommended for those with sensitive skin or dark complexion due to higher risk of scarring and hyperpigmentation.
If you have a light peel, you may notice a burning sensation that lasts five to ten minutes, followed by some stinging. Gently apply cold compresses to the area to relieve the discomfort. If you are having a deeper peel (a medium or deep peel), you may need prescription or non-prescription pain medication during and after the treatment.
The most common side effects are temporary redness, burning, stinging, slight swelling, changes in skin color, and dryness.
Other less common side effects of a chemical peel include:
A glycolic peel (light peel) can reduce the appearance of dark circles caused by hyperpigmentation. Medium and deep peels are not recommended for the delicate skin of the eye area.
To speed up the healing process and reduce discomfort:
If you have had a light chemical peel, you may experience some mild redness and slight swelling, so you might choose to take the rest of the day off from work. Light chemical peels take around one to seven days to heal.
If you have had a medium-depth or deep chemical peel, you should be able to return to work after a week, although your skin may take a few months to heal fully.
Light chemical peels are recommended every two months or less depending on the condition being treated. A follow-up medium chemical peel can be done after three to nine months. You can only have one deep peel in your lifetime.
While all chemical peels carry some risks, they are considered very safe when performed by an experienced, qualified professional. You can minimize your risks by informing your skincare specialist of any history of keloids (overgrowth of scar tissue), unusual scarring, cold sores, a family history of skin discoloration, or hormone medication use.
Light peels cost between $150 and $300. A deep peel can cost up to $3000, especially if the treatment requires anesthesia or an in-patient stay.
Microdermabrasion, non-ablative laser skin resurfacing, dermabrasion, ablative laser treatments, and IPL® are non-surgical treatments that offer similar results to a chemical peel.
Microdermabrasion exfoliates the top layer of dead skin cells to brighten your complexion. A chemical peel may be performed after microdermabrasion.
Fractional non-ablative lasers vaporize columns of skin tissue in the treated area, stimulating self-heling of the skin through collagen production. This can be used for improving skin texture and pigmentation, as well as fine lines, skin discoloration, and mild acne scarring. Fractional non-ablative laser treatments are comparable to medium chemical peels in terms of results, side effects, and downtime.
Dermabrasion is a deeper level of exfoliation that works by removing damaged skin cells down to the dermal layer. It’s an alternative to a deep chemical peel, and it is often used for skin discoloration, crow’s feet, and acne scarring.
An ablative laser treatment removes the top layers of skin, and it is used for age spots, scarring, and deeper wrinkles. It is associated with higher risks and has a longer downtime.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL®) focuses on pigmentation and discoloration, including liver spots and sun damage. It can also be used for broken capillaries. This makes it a popular alternative to chemical peels for people who have birthmarks, rosacea, and skin redness. It can be used in combination with a light chemical peel.
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I was in the same building when I found this place. The spa entrance was open and the front desk woman was inviting and friendly. I really enjoyed her fruit-flavored water. The spa is tastefully decorated and smells very nice. I was lucky to get an instant botox appointment with the lovely Camille. I filled out forms in a soothing massage chair and enjoyed the colorful fish in the coolest stonework fish tank. Botox is very reasonably priced! I will return!
Cristea on Chad Deal, Dr via Google Reviews
Dr. Chad Deal seems to have quite the reputation around town as an extremely talented surgeon who is a perfectionist. Due to this dedication, he spent an xtra couple of hours with me on the operating table to do some very extensive revision work to fix my old surgeon’s work. I wish I had just used Deal for my original surgery b/c I can tell his results are gonna be perfect. Dr. Vince Gardener also performed some facial procedures on me at the same time, and these results were already incredible the day after surgery! He has a special eye for facial proportions, and a remarkable bedside manner. My pre-op bloodwork and the IV placement were both done by nurses who had no trouble at all on my typically difficult veins. And lastly, I was paired with Nurse Erica Rankin who took amazing care of me for 24 hrs after my procedures. She is a very special and devoted lady who was the the smartest & sweetest caregiver I could’ve ever asked for.
Jade Dowiat on Chad Deal, Dr via Google Reviews
I purchased a service during their Black Friday event. I never got a receipt of the purchase. I contacted them today stating that I was not able to do the...
Michelle W. on Chad Deal, Dr via Yelp
I originally left a 5 star review but am unfortunately going to have to change it due to some major administrative issues I’ve gone thru with this office for the past 6 months. I’m leaving an honest update so that it can help Dr. Deal make adjustments for the sake of fairness to his patients:
The GOOD:
Dr. Deal is an incredible surgeon whose technique far outshines the surgeon I always used previously. His attention to detail is impeccable while actually in the operating room. During your official surgery, you will have his full attention & all his talent. This is his strength.
The bad:
Since Dr. Deal is specifically focused on what his two hands are doing in the operating room…you will take an absolute back burner whenever you aren’t in his OR. He relies on his staff members to manage everything, and unfortunately they are not perfectionists like what he is (the Calhoun office is an exception). None of them. You are expected to pay THEM by their mandated due date…but if you ever need a refund of any of YOUR money, good luck. I think Dr. Deal genuinely WANTS to get patients’ $ back to them, but for some reason his staff just don’t respect patients enough to do it properly. I’m still waiting on my refund nearly 9 weeks after it supposedly began processing. They never update me, and they’ve already thrown one check into snail mail without any tracking (supposedly) that never showed up whatsoever. Trying to coordinate w/ them is like pulling teeth. Additionally, the surgery coordinators work on commission which creates major conflicts of interest and breaches of trust between them and their patients. And unfortunately because Dr. Deal is spread so extremely thin, you will never see him again after your surgery. You will be thrown onto a lower level doctor who did not perform your surgery and is not even a board certified cosmetic surgeon yet…so you’ll never get to discuss whatever is actually going on with your individual anatomy on the INSIDE. Because these doctors never saw you from the operating room—they do not know. You might as well just look stuff up on Google/Realself for yourself cuz that’s about all your post-op doctors are gonna be able to provide anyway. I was also given pricing as if I was a brand new patient for my operation, even though I had already been botched twice by a doctor who has since left SSA…so that wasn’t cool. And be prepared to be treated sugary sweet by staff whenever you’re about to cut them a fat paycheck because once that has been locked in, they do not need or care about you one bit. In fact, you will even hear the tone of their voice change in mid sentence whenever they find out you’re wanting to pay for a big surgery. They’ll go from rude and curt, to angelically sweet. I had our call on speakerphone that day and my boyfriend even heard it and his jaw dropped. Lastly, God forbid you ever be mandated to hire them for care for your day 1 of post-op cuz they’ll charge you about $40/hour even though they’re literally in bed under the covers sleeping for a plenty of those hours. Which yep you also have to pay for a proper bed for them to sleep in while you pay them that $40/hour. It’s just a mess. Word to the wise: don’t hire them for post-op…you can easily find other CNA’s online who will do it for about $15/hour. Especially given that it’s really just to make sure you don’t unexpectedly have complications from the general anesthesia for 24 hours.
In conclusion, if you can truly get Dr. Deal’s attention you will have beautiful results. But be prepared to be driven batshit by the office staff and charged in ways that aren’t fair.
Jade Dowiat on Chad Deal, Dr via Google Reviews
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