Today, there are more bewildering choices than ever for those who want youthful-looking, blemish-free skin, and beauty technology continues to develop at a rapid rate. Chemical peels have been around for years, but the trend, according to Dr Gavin Chan, a specialist in dermatology at Skincentral, is towards the superficial as medium to deep peels have been all but replaced by laser resurfacing.
Traditionally, chemical peels improve the appearance of skin through the application of a chemical that exfoliates the top layers, stimulating collagen production and new skin growth. According to experts, this helps improve skin texture and reduces skin discolouration, such as sun spots, age spots and mottled pigmentation. It is also supposed to reduce the clogging of pores that contributes to acne.
'The results of chemical peels depend on the depth of the peel,' says Chan. 'Medium and deep peels penetrate the dermis [the deeper layer of skin], while the more common, superficial alpha-hydroxyl acid [AHA] peels work on the epidermis [the topmost skin layer] and typically use glycolic or salicyclic acid. Superficial peels are safe with minimal risks or disruption to a person's lifestyle.'
Marketing consultant Sue Leung had a series of seven AHA peels earlier this year.
'I wanted to improve the network of fine lines and sun spots on my forehead and my dermatologist recommended a course of AHA peels,' she says. 'You need to have several sessions to see the benefits, but the actual process is over within 20 minutes. By the end of the course I really felt I looked younger, and people were commenting on my glowing skin.'
Chan says that unlike superficial peels, deep chemical peels can cause damage within the skin, resulting in increased redness and swelling, and can also expose the skin to infections during the raw healing stage.
'There is a higher risk of prolonged redness and problems of pigmentation. If pigment cells within the skin are damaged, there may also be long-lasting hypopigmentation. Permanent scarring is also a concern,' he says. 'Nowadays we have many advanced technologies and procedures to choose from to deal with specific problems in the skin without having to take such high risks. For example, radio frequency for skin tightening, botulinum toxin [Botox] for wrinkles and lasers specifically targeted at pigmentation.'