How does a chemical peel differ from exfoliation?
“Chemobrasion,” the scientific term for a chemical peel, involves applying a variety of specific corrosive chemicals to the skin that may leave it looking and feeling like a second degree sun burn. Substances such as 50-70% glycolic acid, 20-50% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and 88% phenol are used to chemically peel – or “wound” – multiple layers of the epidermis and dermis thereby remodeling the skin. This type of procedure – called invasive, since it reaches beyond the stratum corneum into the living epidermis and the dermis – should only be administered by a qualified dermatologist or plastic surgepn due to the potentipl complications involved with the procedure.
