Chemical peeling has been used for centuries to improve and small to the skin. Women from all over have applied different substances to make their skin feel and look beautiful.

As we get older, so does our skin. There are also factors that contribute to the overall deterioration of the skin and these would include sunlight, anger, anxiety, smoking and hereditary issues.  

Chemical peeling is the process where one or more exfoliating (peeling) agents are used on the skin. This purposely wounds and removes the superficial layers. The reason behind this is to allow for the creation of new skin. Chemical peels do not work for everyone and the results are often dependent on the skin type. People who have light brown or fair skin and have the chemical peel done will have great results. Avoiding the sun is necessary for people who have skin peels as a way to prevent hyperpigmentation.

A chemical peel can either be done with glycolic acid or trichloroacetic acid. Glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid which can be found in different fruits. Glycolic acid is very popular because it is naturally occurring and easy to use.

Before a chemical peel is done, the skin is prepared 2 weeks in advance with a product called tretinoin. This will make the superficial layers of the skin to be less adherent. Doing this will improve the results that can be gained from a chemical peel.

Depending on the condition of the skin, a concentration of glycolic acid 25% or 50% is applied to the skin. This is done from the least sensitive area to the most sensitive part.

The glycolic acid is left on the skin for around seven minutes. It is then neutralized with cold water.

After the peel the face will have a mild redness. This will fade in a few hours, which will be followed by scaling in two to five days. After the procedure, patients will be able to go about their regular day to day activities. Patients should be advised to use sunscreen to prevent post-peel pigmentation.

Glycolic acid chemical peel is able to treat a wide range of cosmetic problems:

•          Chloasma
•          Freckles
•          Acne scars
•          Photoaging

Wrinkles