If you want to enhance and smooth your skin without surgical intervention, a chemical peel may be the right treatment for you. Across the Sutter Health network, cosmetic surgeons, dermatologists and other skin care professionals use top-quality, medical grade chemical peels to exfoliate and rejuvenate your skin.

Chemical peels are designed to reduce fine to medium wrinkles, treat acne and acne scars, reduce discoloration from melasma or sun damage, treat age spots and improve the texture, look and feel of your skin. Chemical peels work by removing the damaged layers of your skin, allowing new, healthier skin cells to rise to the surface.

What to Expect

During a chemical peel, your skin care specialist thoroughly cleanses your face and neck before applying a chemical solution in multiple layers to your face. These safe and effective solutions include commonly used acids such as salicylic, lactic, retinol, hydroxy, glycolic and trichloroacetic acid. A burning or stinging sensation is often noticeable upon application of the peel. This sensation is so brief that most people choose not to use any sedation. Sedation is typically used in stronger peels that use phenol, the strongest type of chemical used for deep peels.

After a few minutes, your skin care specialist washes off the chemicals. Dead skin cells gradually peel off over a period of two to seven days, depending on the strength of the peel and the condition of your skin. When the old skin has peeled off, it exposes a new layer of undamaged skin, which has a smoother texture and more even color.

Recovery and Ongoing Care

The length of your recovery depends on whether you undergo a light, medium or deep chemical peel. It’s common to experience some redness, swelling and irritation after a light or medium peel. A deep peel requires about two weeks of recovery time as you need to keep your swollen skin hydrated and covered in ointment or lotion. 

Most chemical peels, excluding a deep peel, can be repeated multiple times to reach your desired result. It’s important to note that it’s essential to adequately protect your skin from sun damage after a chemical peel as your skin will be more sensitive. Avoid the sun as much as possible and use hats and sunscreen. Also, avoid smoking, as this increases the likelihood of unwanted side effects such as infection and scarring.