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Key Points
- Chemical peels remain popular due to positive outcomes, cost-effectiveness
- Phenol-based peels are most powerful
- Medium peels can be used for acne, acne scars and general scar tissue
INTERNATIONAL REPORT — Though new and emerging laser and light technologies can be very effective in skin rejuvenation treatments, chemical peels still have a positive, proven place in cosmetic medicine. Often, they can achieve similar — if not better — outcomes with lower risk of complications compared to more invasive technologies.
As with all skin rejuvenation techniques, in-depth knowledge of chemical peels and their safety parameters and protocols is critical to maximizing aesthetic outcomes and avoiding complications.
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A 54-year-old female patient before (left) and three months after a single deep-peel procedure using Exoderm (MEsthetics, Israel). Using modern formulations such as Exoderm, dark-skinned patients can be successfully rejuvenated, Dr. Landau says. (Photos credit: Marina Landau, M.D.)
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"In spite of all the new and emerging novel technologies, chemical peels are one of the cornerstone treatments in cosmetic medicine. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of physicians still readily use chemical peels in their cosmetic patients, and they remain as one of the most popular cosmetic procedures, following botulinum toxin and filler procedures," says Marina Landau, M.D., Wolfson Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Herzliya Pituach, Israel.
One of the reasons physicians still perform chemical peels is not only because of the procedure's efficacy in achieving positive cosmetic outcomes, but also because of its cost-effectiveness. According to Dr. Landau, chemical peels are inexpensive, easy to perform, and, depending on the depth of the peel used, one can achieve significant improvement for various cosmetic problems, including textural skin changes, pigmentary issues and wrinkles of any depth. Fillers are great tools for treating specific wrinkles, but when a patient has extensive wrinkling all over the face, the cost of fillers can become unreasonable, Dr. Landau says. In addition, a filler's effect needs to be maintained annually, while the result of a deep peel lasts for years.
