Would anyone who has had a chemical peel like to share their experience?

Answer 1

The previous poster seems like she got maybe a lighter peel that requires 3 visits. I had a "deep" chemical peel done, in October after summer because you don't need to get any sun on your face afterwards. With deep peels, you will probably only need this done once. Deep peels means they leave the chemicals on longer and it takes off more layers of skin. I had it done to remove brown spots & acne scars on my face and also to help with acne. I would recommend getting a deep peel, I think the medium and light peels aren't as effective and not worth the money. Here was my experience:

I went to a plastic surgeon to have it done. It cost $100. Its a pretty quick process (takes about 5 min). I went in without makeup, sat in a chair, and he started rubbing the chemicals on my face with cotton. He keeps doing it until it "frosts" (turns white). You will start feeling your skin sting and tighten up. I'll warn you, it starts to burn like h*ll the longer it stays on. Then once its been on long enough to eat through several layers of skin (about 3-4 minutes), he puts a neutralizer on, which helps alot but it still stings a little. Then you leave and go home and start applying moisturizer. The stinging stops after about 4 hours.

The first day your face will mostly just be red and really hot, like a really bad sunburn. Then after a day or 2 it will start turning brown. By the 3rd or 4th day it will start to peel (like a sunburn), and underneath you will have pink, healthy skin.Try not to pull the dead skin off, let it come off on its own. The skin underneath may not be healed enough (kind of like picking at scabs, the underneath part needs to heal first). During the whole time you are healing, you will need to apply a strong moisturizer ALOT, everytime it starts feeling dry put more moisturizer on. I used Eucerin which you can get at any grocery store. You will also need to plan on not going out in public for about a 5 days to a week (I take a week off work to do this). Your skin may peel more than once. I recommend only washing your face (very gently) once a day. The key is to keep it moisturized continously.

I was very pleased with my first peel, it completely got rid of the brown spots and light acne scars that I had. It didn't really help with clearing up acne after my skin healed- my skin looked great for about 3 months afterwards, then I started breaking out again.

I had a second peel a year later, and I plan on getting one every year from now on to undo any sun damage I've had during the summer and hopefully delay any wrinkles that start cropping up (I'm 32). So if you are in the same situation with brown spots and acne scars, I would recommend getting one deep peel.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Chemical peels are considered "cosmetic" and are therefore not covered under insurance. A chemical peel can range from $50 on up, depending on the peel and where you get it. Typically they are from $50-$150 per peel. I am an esthetician (skin care specialist) and perform these daily. I charge $65 a piece. The cost will differ greatly if you go to an esthetician vs a dermatologist or plastic surgeon. Medi Spas or estheticians inside plastic surgeons offices or dermatologists offices are generally much more expensive than those in a day spa or private esthetics practice. There are also so many different kinds of peels available. Go talk to an esthetician and ask the differences and they can help choose which one(s) are right for you as an individual and your specific skin care needs. Many offer a package deal (a series of six at a discount for example) if it is something more serious where you will need a series rather than a one time peel.

Answer 3

I had a chemical peel at my dermatologist's office. It was a less drastic peel than some - to clear up some red scars from acne, not so much to reduce lines from aging.

I believe that the main agent used was "retinoic acid," along w/ another chemical agent.

After she applied the two chemicals, my face became very itchy, some people feel a burning sensation but my face just itched! She had me hold a small fan to blow air on my face which helped assuage the discomfort. After I was done, my face was slightly yellow - it looked a bit like I had Jaundice. She said that I could put make up over it if I wanted.

I wasn't allowed to shower until the next day. On that day there was no reaction.

I began peeling two days after the treatment was applied. It wasn't severe - but it was annoying b/c I couldn't wear make up on my face. It reminded me a bit of a peeling sunburn, only w/o redness or painful irritation.

She had me use a thick moisturizer on my face for the whole week following the treatment, until the peeling subsided.

Depending on the power of the chemicals, you may need to wear a hat after the treatment, and will definitely need to wear a sunblock.

She told me that I would need a series of three treatments to have full results. It apparently also helps to clear acne, as well as reduce the appearance of old scars' redness. I found that the annoyance of having a peeling face outweighed the benefits - and that my blue light treatment (to prevent future acne and therefore future scarring) was less of a pain in the butt.

Good luck!