What Are The Benefits of Chemical Peels?

Posted November 28, 2023 in Face

Despite all the advancements in skincare, there’s nothing quite like a chemical peel and all it has to offer. While you may wonder what are the benefits of chemical peels, there are quite a few, and the reason for a peel and its strength will determine the effects on the skin. 

The Different Types of Chemical Peels

All chemical peels act as an exfoliator to restore and rejuvenate the skin while addressing specific skin concerns. Different peels use different acid-based solutions to penetrate the skin at varying depths. No matter how light or deep a peel goes, the goal is to lift away dead, damaged skin cells so that new, healthy, fresh skin cells emerge in their place.

Used on the face, neck, chest, and the backs of the hands, chemical peels rely on skin-safe acids such as glycolic, salicylic, trichloroacetic (TCA), and Jessner’s peels (a solution consisting of a blend of lactic acid, salicylic acid, and resorcinol). There are also light, medium, and deep peels. The depth of each chemical peel will dictate the specific benefits of chemical peels.

• Light or superficial chemical peels provide the lightest level of skin exfoliation. They only remove the outermost layer of skin.
• Medium chemical peels are stronger than light peels. These peels exfoliate the epidermis plus the top layer of your dermis.
• A deep chemical peel focuses on removing the epidermis and the upper and middle layers of the dermis. Deep chemical peels use the most potent peeling agent, phenol, and require anesthesia. They should also only be done once in your lifetime.  

Chemical Peel Benefits

There’s a lot that a good chemical peel can do to improve the skin. Some of the more noteworthy benefits of chemical peels include the following: 

Improving acne scars

Acne often leaves behind hard-to-correct scars on the skin. These scars are a result of new collagen fibers that are created in an attempt to repair the acne and inflammation in the skin. When the skin produces new collagen fibers to promote self-healing, the result can be bumpy, raised scars or ones that leave the skin with indents and depressions.

A chemical peel can benefit acne-scarred skin by exfoliating away the top skin layer, which helps remove any excess collagen on the skin’s surface. The peel can provide a smoothing effect, too. Usually, medium chemical peels are recommended to treat acne scars.

Refreshing aging skin

When aging skin and its effects become problematic, chemical peels can help. Some chemical peel benefits for aging skin include reducing wrinkles, fine lines, sun spots, age spots, and uneven skin tone and texture. These treatments can improve rough and dry spots, too. 

A concern amongst aging skin is a lack of collagen and elastin, which are responsible for plump, resilient skin. After a chemical peel, new skin emerges with reorganized collagen and elastin, which can make the skin supple and firm and reduce the appearance of age-related lines and wrinkles. However, it’s important to know that chemical peels benefit the skin itself, but they won’t tighten loose or sagging skin.

Hyperpigmentation

Stubborn discoloration is one skin issue where a chemical peel benefits the complexion dramatically. No matter the cause of hyperpigmentation, chemical peels can improve the appearance of uneven skin tone, freckles, melasma, sun damage-induced discoloration, and any other type of discoloration on the skin. 

Acne

Just like how a chemical peel can benefit acne scars, it can also help with acne. While many treatments and products are often used to treat acne, a chemical peel benefits acne-prone skin in more ways than one. Regularly treating acne-prone skin with chemical peels helps to break down clogged pores and comedones, decrease oil production, kill acne-causing bacteria, reduce inflammation, and aid in topical skincare treatments. Most acne types respond well to light chemical peels, but some may fare better with a medium peel.