After a deep chemical peel, you'll see dramatic improvement in the look and feel of the treated areas. Over time, age and new damage caused by the sun can cause new lines and changes in skin color. Know that redness and irritation are expected after a chemical peel. Skin is likely to look dry and flaky as the top layers begin to peel off.
This dryness and flaking usually lasts a few days for light peels and up to four weeks for deep peels. Wash skin with a mild cleanser. Choose a highly moisturizing cleanser that contains no abrasive detergents. Your skin will be incredibly sensitive after exfoliation, so avoid harsh cleansers.
Use cold water to rinse the area. Do not use hot or even warm water. The heat will further irritate burned skin. Chemical burns range from mild to severe. Minor chemical burns usually heal quickly, but severe chemical burns can cause permanent tissue damage, scarring, or death.
Chemical burns require immediate medical treatment. TCA, or trichloroacetic acid, is an agent used in chemical peels on the face. Demarcation, lesions and dark spots indicate that it is likely that the chemical burned the skin or, at the very least, caused clinically unacceptable results. This could happen if you are experimenting with chemical peels with TCA at home. This doesn't necessarily mean that “buffered peels with slightly higher pH levels aren't decisive; remember that chemical peels rely on unnatural pH levels and can damage your skin if you're not careful. Chemical peeling accelerates caustic-induced exfoliation; when applied to the skin, they can dissolve “desmosomal connections,” adhesive cellular junctions that maintain dead skin buildup on the face.
People, especially children, can also suffer chemical burns if they accidentally touch or swallow certain household chemicals. Consumers don't know that professional-grade chemical peels can, in some cases, cause more harm than good. A good quality at-home chemical peel is usually dampened with slightly higher pH levels to give you more time and safety. A medium-depth chemical peel is best for stubborn pigmentation problems and can include 13%, 20%, and 30% TCA in multiple layers. Depending on the depth of the peel, within 2 to 5 days after the chemical peel, this dead skin dries and begins to peel off the face.
I had a 12% TCA chemical peel facial treatment about two months ago to remove some minor scars. Medium to high intensity chemical peel treatments should only be performed in a medical setting by an appropriately trained professional, such as a qualified esthetician, nurse, or physician. Before embarking on a chemical peel, do your research well because there are many reasons you should NOT have a chemical peel, including: infections, inflammation, redness, scarring, and pigmentation. During treatment, they will constantly monitor the skin for unusual rashes, swelling, erythema, frost, and other telltale signs that the acid may need to be neutralized or that the chemical peel may be progressing too much.
