Age, sun, and environmental damage can leave their mark on your skin. If you want to undo these effects, chemical peels are an effective, customizable option. These treatments are used to address a wide range of facial concerns, from lines and wrinkles to pigmentation issues. While some chemical peels require downtime, others allow you to return to your daily activities immediately.
What are Chemical Peels?
Chemical or facial peels are topical treatments that use acids to break up and peel away layers of dull and damaged skin cells. Lighter peels address the outer layers of skin to brighten and smooth, while more intensive peels work at a deeper level to address more significant concerns like wrinkles, acne scars, and sun damage. Your Capital Laser & Skin Care team will customize a treatment plan to address your skin issues.
How Long Do Chemical Peels Take to Heal?
Healing time after a chemical peel depends on the intensity of your treatment and your skin’s natural healing response. Light peels require little to no downtime but require more sessions, while you may need recovery time after an intensive peel but will need fewer treatments.
Light Peel Healing Time
Light peels often have no downtime. In many cases, you will notice that your skin looks flushed and may feel sensitive for a few hours after your session. Since these peels only remove the outermost layers of skin, they allow you to return to normal activities without delay. Light peels are a popular way to brighten and improve your skin.
Medium Peel Healing Time
After a medium peel, you may experience redness, minor swelling, and sometimes flaking or peeling. These may be noticeable enough that you prefer to take a few days of healing time before returning to work and other activities. Most people look back to normal after a few days to a week.
Deep Peel Healing Time
A deep peel is a very intensive procedure performed under anesthesia. It works into the deep layers of the skin to address significant textural and pigmentation issues. As a result, it can require several weeks of recovery time. You can expect swelling, discomfort, and significant peeling during this time, and redness can last up to a few months.
What Do Chemical Peels Treat?
We customize your chemical peel to address your skin concerns. These peels treat skin issues such as:
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Uneven skin tone
- Enlarged pores
- Acne
- Hyperpigmentation
- Sun damage
- Acne scars
- Age spots
Deep peels can even treat some types of precancerous lesions caused by sun damage. In many cases, you can achieve your goals with minimal downtime by having a series of light to medium peels instead of a few more intensive ones. Deep peels are only performed once.
Am I a Good Candidate for a Chemical Peel?
Because chemical peels are highly customizable, almost anyone is a good candidate. Candidates for this treatment should have reasonable expectations. You should not have a facial peel if you have an active skin condition or infection.
Capital laser and skin care is the best dermatology practice I’ve ever been to. I’ve seen both Dr. Peters and Dr. Tanzi, who are both extremely intelligent, caring, highly skilled, practical – and gorgeous! The staff is excellent – very caring, skilled, excellent training, professional, and easy to talk to. I highly recommend Capital Laser to anyone seeking to take fabulous care of their skin. You will be in the best hands here.
Take the First Step
Interested in learning more about chemical peels? We would love to speak with you. Please fill out the form on this page to request a consultation or call our Chevy Chase, MD office today at (301) 798-9699 to schedule your private consultation at our laser and cosmetic dermatology center, located just blocks away from Washington, D.C.
