How Often Should You Get A Chemical Peel?

If you’re looking for a non-invasive treatment to even out your skin tone and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, a chemical peel might be the procedure you’re looking for.  Chemical peels come in a variety of strengths but are linked by the fact that they use a chemical solution to exfoliate the skin’s uppermost layers.  So, how often should you get a chemical peel?  This depends on the type of treatment you get as you’ll see below.

Three Different Kinds Of Chemical Peels

Chemical peels are generally divided into three different strengths:  Light, medium and deep.  The strength of the treatment you receive will determine how often you should get a chemical peel.  Similarly, the strength of the chemical peel that’s right for you will depend on the skin condition you’re trying to correct.

Light Chemical Peel

Light chemical peels are good for minor skin problems such as dryness, uneven tone, shallow acne scars and light wrinkling.  Light chemical peels typically involve the use of glycolic, salicylic or lactic acids and exfoliate only the outermost layer of the skin.  You can safely undergo a light chemical peel once or twice a month.

Medium Chemical Peel

Medium chemical peels are used to treat moderate acne and the resultant scars, hyperpigmentation and other skin damage.  Medium chemical peels involve the use of a stronger glycolic or salicylic acid compared to the light chemical peel or a combination of various acids.  Medium chemical peels exfoliate the outermost and middle layers of skin.  They are only recommended once every four to six months.

Deep Chemical Peel

Deep chemical peels are often used for precancerous growths, deeper wrinkling, heavy acne scarring, severe hyperpigmentation and other serious skin problems.  A deep chemical peel often uses trichloroacetic acid, a relative of vinegar, or other highly concentrated acids.  As the name suggests, deep chemical peels penetrate even farther than medium chemical peels.  Deep chemical peels require some recovery time – most often a minimum of a week or two.  You may only need to undergo a deep chemical peel once, however, if repeated treatments are required, they would only happen every two to three years.