Chemical peels use acid solutions to remove damaged surface layers of skin so fresher, more even skin replaces them. They come in three depths — light, medium, and deep — and the depth you need depends entirely on what you're trying to fix.
Find a Chemical Peel provider near youA chemical peel applies an acid solution to the skin that loosens the bonds between dead cells and triggers controlled exfoliation. As the old layer sheds, the body generates new skin and ramps up collagen production. The three depth categories — light (superficial), medium, and deep — use different acids and penetrate to different levels, which is why results, downtime, and risk scale together.
Light peels (glycolic, lactic, salicylic, mandelic) refresh texture and dullness with minimal peeling. Medium peels (TCA 20–35%, Jessner's, VI Peel) reach the upper dermis and handle pigmentation, fine lines, and acne scarring over 5–7 days of visible shedding. Deep peels (phenol, high-percentage TCA) are done once and treated as a procedure.
Common treatment areas include:
Light peels are usually booked as a series of 4–6. Peels aren't recommended for active cold sores, isotretinoin use within 6 months, or pregnancy.
Peels work across most adult age ranges but the right depth depends on skin type and goal. Light peels suit nearly everyone — including Fitzpatrick IV–VI skin tones when formulated correctly — and are ideal for dullness, mild acne, early fine lines, and general brightness. Medium peels suit fair-to-medium skin (Fitzpatrick I–III) with sun damage, melasma, or moderate acne scarring. Realistic expectations matter: peels improve, they don't erase.
Skip peels if you're pregnant or nursing, have used isotretinoin (Accutane) within the last 6 months, have active cold sores or infections, keloid-prone skin considering medium/deep peels, recent sunburn, or open lesions in the treatment area. Darker skin tones should steer toward gentler formulations (lactic, mandelic, VI Peel) to avoid PIH.
Expect stinging or warmth during application, followed by redness, tightness, and visible flaking. Light peels shed lightly over 3–5 days. Medium peels produce noticeable sheets of peeling for 5–7 days with pink, sensitive skin underneath for 2–3 weeks. Deep peels require 10–14 days of serious recovery with ongoing redness that fades over months.
Less common but documented risks include post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (higher risk in Fitzpatrick III–VI skin), hypopigmentation with deep peels, scarring, prolonged redness, cold sore reactivation in people with HSV history (antivirals are standard pre-treatment for medium/deep peels), bacterial infection, and rare allergic reactions. Deep phenol peels carry cardiac risk and require EKG monitoring.
Contact your provider for worsening pain beyond day three, honey-colored crusting (possible infection), unusual blistering outside the expected pattern, darkening patches that persist past four weeks, or any sign of scarring during healing.
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