Chemicals peels are considered a minimally invasive producer that is used to help people look younger. This procedure uses a chemical solution to strip away layers of skin and remove fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration spots, acne scars and other skin problems.
There are actually three levels of peels and depending on how deep those lines, scars, and discoloration goes your plastic surgeon may recommend a mild, moderate or deep chemical peel. Keep in mind that while a mild or moderate peel may be repeated after your skin has fully healed a deep chemical peel is done once and only once in order to prevent permanent damage to deep layers of skin and tissue.
In essence what a peel does is melt away layers of skin until a layer of skin is reached that has no scars of blemishes. New skin then grows in blemish free. However this does take time and like laser resurfacing chemical peels are not without risk. The deeper your peel goes the higher the chance you have of the experiencing the more negative side effects.
Depending on the depth of the peel you may experience a mild to moderate stinging or some real pain oftentimes cool cloths are applied during the procedure to help with the discomfort and in cases of a deep chemical peel anesthesia is often used.
Once the chemical peel is complete then a sterile bandage is placed on the areas that were peeled and these should remain on for a couple of days or more as per your plastic surgeons recommendation. Once the bandages are removed then the wounds must be kept clean and lubricated to help prevent crusting and scarring. Pain may continue to be an issue for several days to weeks and the application of cold compresses may help to reduce the pain and some of the swelling. Recovery time may be as long as 21 days.
Some of the side effects that patients experience with peels include: redness and swelling, pain, numbness, hyper pigmentation, blistering, scarring, and infection. Due to these side effects many potential patients are reluctant to have this procedure and search for other less painful ways to get the younger looking skin they want.
Chemical peels are also extremely expensive averaging between $600 and $900 a peel with deep peels costing as much as $6000.00. This is another reason why many potential patients are looking for alternative ways to look younger. This is actually a very smart decision as knowing what treatments are available, their affordability and their pros and cons can help patients make a more informed decision which will generally translate into a more satisfied patient.
If you are considering a chemical peel take the time to explore your options, talk to those who are experts in the field as well as people who have had the depth of chemical peel you are considering. The more you learn the more you will become convinced that this treatment option is either the right one for you or the wrong one.Image Source: http://images.google.com
