People get wrinkles naturally as they grow older and skin’s connective tissue and underlying fats begin to break down. Lifestyle considerations can age and wrinkle the skin as well. Chemical peels reduce wrinkles by removing layers of wrinkled skin to allow for the growth of new, smoother skin. These procedures use acidic chemicals of varying intensity to provide light, medium or deep tissue removal.
Basics
The skin's elasticity comes from connective tissues known as elastin and collagen. When these substances begin to break down, the skin may develop wrinkles, lines and folds. The connective tissue breakdown that leads to wrinkles may occur from a variety of causes, including age-related fat loss, sun exposure, decades of frowning or smiling, or health considerations such as smoking or malnutrition. MayoClinic.com notes that women may have more trouble with wrinkles around the mouth than men typically do because the skin around their mouths produces less of the oil and sweat that moisturizes skin tissues.
Processes
People who wish to reduce their facial wrinkling may have success with one or more chemical peels. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, chemical peels employ a mixture of chemicals, including trichloroacetic acid, phenol and alphahydroxy acids, to burn away wrinkled skin layers so that new, unwrinkled skin may regrow in its place. These procedures vary in intensity depending on the depth of the wrinkles. Light peels remove only the outermost layer of the epidermis to remove tiny surface wrinkles. More extensive damage may respond to medium or deep peels that remove skin from both the epidermis and the dermis underneath.
Results
Different levels of chemical peels keep skin looking more youthful and wrinkle-free for varying lengths of time, with the lighter treatments requiring more frequent repeat sessions than the deeper ones. Patients may have to repeat a light skin peel every month, for instance, if they wish to maintain their new look. By contrast, patients who receive a medium peel may go up to a year before feeling the need for a return visit, and recipients of deep chemical peels may enjoy a dramatic improvement in their appearance for 10 years following treatment.
Considerations
Chemical peel treatments may involve a considerable of time, even though an actual treatment session may only range from a few minutes to two hours. Doctors often prefer to perform light peels in a series of short sessions that may take up to six weeks to complete, while a deep peel treatment may require a pre-treatment period of up to eight weeks. During this pre-treatment period, the patient may have to use topical tretinoin or some other medication to prepare the facial tissues for the procedure. Recovery from a deep peel, which causes pain, redness and swelling, may also take weeks or even months.
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