I’ve been thinking about getting a chemical peel

Question:
I’ve been thinking about getting a chemical peel for the last few months. I’m a 33-year-old woman and I’ve had some sun damage and acne in the past that I’m concerned about. I know a chemical peel is only supposed to stay on for a certain amount of time, but what happens if it is accidentally left on longer than it should be?

Answer:
Chemical peels come in all strengths. Chemical peels are separated into light (superficial), medium, or deep chemical peels. The chemical peel can be left on and not removed after its application as the concentration of the active ingredient in the chemical peel will determine the depth of the skin injury more than the time that the chemical peel is left on your face. The science and explanation behind this is a little more detail than you are probably interested in hearing about. The most important issue related to a chemical peel is the knowledge of the person applying the peel. The more familiarity your provider has with chemical peels the safer and more effective the peel will be.

Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld