Chemical peels are treatments that aim to improve the skin of the face or body by using a chemical solution, resulting in controlled destruction at a specific level of the skin. The result is usually a sloughing off of dead skin with regeneration of newer healthier tissue. The regenerated skin is typically smoother, less wrinkled and has less pigmentation and blemishes than the old skin. Chemical peeling in dermatology has been practised from the early 1950s with the use of phenol in the treatment of acne scars. The techniques have evolved over time with the development of other peeling solutions such as trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), which penetrate to different depths and elicit different results with an improved side effect profile and shorter recovery periods.1
In the field of aesthetic dermatology, the chemical peel is a common procedure due to its efficacy in reversing the cutaneous stigmata of ageing such as wrinkling, sallow complexion, pigmentation and…
