Procedures >> For the Face >> Chemical Face Peel

The Chemical Peel - Procedure Overview

Okay, we admit it. The chemical face peel sounds like some kind of elaborate torture treatment from a science fiction movie. But that's obviously not the case. Actually, a chemical peel can improve the texture of your facial skin by removing outer layers of skin that may be damaged.

When researching the chemical peel procedure, most people want to know what kinds of chemicals are involved. After all, we are conditioned to view most chemicals as being harmful, so we want to know all about them, right? Right! So what, exactly, does the chemical face peel consist of?

In most cases, the facial peel consists of three different chemicals used together. They are phenol, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), and alphahydroxy acids (AHAs). While the exact formula may vary from one practicioner to the next, these three ingredients are typically present for most chemical peel procedures.

Risks of Chemical Face Peel

While the chemical peel is not a surgical procedure (no cutting), it still has potential risks associated with it. For that matter, every medical treatment has potential risks that go along with it, and the chemical face peel is no exception.

So what are the risks associated with this procedure? For one thing, a local anesthetic is sometimes used with some of the deeper chemical peel treatments. So this brings up the possibility of an allergic reaction. With that being said, it's only a local anesthetic (meaning you won't be put under), so there is less risk than with a full / general anesthetic.

Generally speaking, the deeper the treatment the higher the risk. While a deeper chemical peel will often produce the best results, it also comes with a higher level of pain because a higher concentration of the aforementioned chemicals is used. As mentioned, this can increase the level of discomfort during the procedure and can also lengthen the recovery time. Deeper treatments typically have a 2 - 3 week recovery period.

In addition, chemical face peels are not generally recommended for people with dark skin tones, as permanent lightening of the skin tone (hypo-pigmentation) may occur.

There are other potential risks of the chemical peel treatment that may be specific to the individual patient, such as allergies. Always seek medical advice of a doctor or dermatologist before undergoing a chemical skin peel treatment.

The Average Cost

So how much does it cost to have a chemical peel treatment? Well, as with everything else in the world of cosmetic surgery procedures, this will depend on several factors — the skill and experience of the person performing the peel, the number of practitioners in the area who perform checmial face peels, etc.

With that being said, there are certainly some average costs associated with the chemical peel. For example, if you consider the national averages provided by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, you'll see that the cost of a chemical peel averaged about $800 in 2003, and has gone up slightly since then. Keep in mind that this number is only an average.

The cost will also be determined by the type of chemical peel being conducted. For instance, the deeper treatments cost more while the milder peels cost less (averaging around $300 per treatment). On the other side of the coin, the more advanced and deeper peels can cost quite a bit more — the deep chemical peels using phenol formulas can cost over $3,000.

Conclusion and Summary

We hope you have found this guide to the chemical face peel helpful, and we wish you well in your cosmetic pursuits. Remember, this guide (and this website in general) are not meant to take the place of professional medical advice, but only to help you in your research of cosmetic surgery procedures.