Phenol, also called carbolic acid, is an organic compound that is used in deep chemical peels. While occasionally a dermatologist may recommend a deep peel for patients with pre-cancerous skin growths, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons points out that phenol peels are more commonly used for cosmetic improvement.
Phenol dissolves the uppermost layers of the skin to reveal the fresher, younger-looking skin below. Due to their causticity, however, the peel can work into the lower layers of the epidermis, even into the dermis, thereby increasing the risks of unpleasant side effects.
Irritation
A patient receiving a phenol peel should automatically expect a level of irritation. The American Academy of Dermatology points out that because phenol reaches into the mid-layer of skin, burning, itching and swelling are common side effects. Further, a phenol peel can cause persistent redness that lasts for months.
Hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation, an increase in pigmentation, occasionally occurs in people who have had a phenol face peel. This darkening of the skin, however, is usually temporary. More the result of the skin drying out and dying, hyperpigmentation presents a few days after treatment and subsides once the old skin peels away.
Hypopigmentation
Of greater concern is the sometimes permanent side effect of hypopigmentation, or the loss of coloring. When phenol reaches down into the basal cell layer of skin, where new skin cells form and where melanocytes produce melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, it can damage the cells' ability to regulate color. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, people who undergo phenol chemical peels typically have whiter skin on their faces than on other areas of the body, due to the disruption of the skin's ability to tan.
Because phenol chemical peels can cause scarring on the neck and other body parts, the treatment is only recommended for the face. Demarcation lines, then, between the areas where the peel was applied and the areas where treatment did not occur, can be obvious.
Blistering
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery points out that phenol skin peels cause skin to blister and peel off. Healing time generally takes between 14 and 21 days, and bandages may be necessary to protect skin as it heals. The Mayo Clinic points out that infections are rare after a phenol chemical peel. Complete healing may take several months, however, during which time the skin is more vulnerable to infection. Picking at the scabs caused by the peel greatly increases the likelihood of scars forming.
Sun Sensitivity
Melanin protects the skin against UV radiation. Destroying or disrupting the body's ability to protect itself can make the skin especially vulnerable to burning in the future or, at the very least, cause it to become sun-sensitive. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends total sun avoidance for a minimum of three to six months after treatment with a chemical face peel.
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