Am I a Good Candidate for a Chemical Peel?

If you’re looking for a way to rejuvenate your face by promoting the growth of younger, healthier-looking skin, a chemical peel just might be the answer for you.

But what exactly is a chemical peel, and how do you know if you’re a good candidate?

At Melanie L. Adams Dermatology in Columbia, Maryland, our team has performed hundreds of peels over the years. Here’s our advice on what exactly a chemical peel entails, and how to know if you’re a good candidate to undergo a peel.

What is a chemical peel?

Americans spend more than $43 billion a year on skin care procedures and products. And chemical peels are one of the most popular procedures among those who want healthier skin. 

Doctors use a peel to resurface and rejuvenate your skin by removing the top layers of your skin, which contain dead and damaged cells that have accumulated so much they’re clogging your pores.

Once this skin has been “peeled” away, a fresh, healthy layer of skin is revealed underneath. The procedure also triggers your body to begin producing new, vibrant skin cells to replace those that were lost.

How does a chemical peel work?

The chemicals in the peel solution usually include a type of acid to exfoliate and treat your skin. There are generally three levels of peels. The strength of your treatment depends on your unique situation, as determined during a consultation with Dr. Adams.

A light peel uses a mild acid to penetrate the superficial layers of skin and perform exfoliation. This type is good for dull and lifeless skin and superficial scars, and requires little recovery time. You may get several light peels over a period of time.

Medium peels use a stronger acid to treat light to moderate wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and minor scars.

Deep peels are a more powerful treatment that reach deeper into your skin for greater enhancement. They can treat deeper lines and wrinkles, deeper scars, and even stretch marks. You usually only receive one of these treatments.

Am I a good candidate for a peel?

Most skin tones and types respond well to peels, although they do work the best with fairer skin tones with thinner layers. Freckles can create results that don’t look natural, and if you have deep wrinkles and sagging skin, or extremely oily skin, the peel may not be able to help.

Pregnant and nursing mothers also aren’t good candidates for chemical peels.

If you’re interested in rejuvenating your facial appearance with a chemical peel, call our office to set up an appointment, or book with our easy-to-use online scheduler. We can’t wait to help give you healthier, younger-looking skin.

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