Chemical peels are cosmetic treatments that can be applied to the face, hands, and neck. They’re used to improve the appearance or feel of the skin. During this procedure, chemical solutions will be applied to the area being treated, which causes the skin to exfoliate and eventually peel off. Once this happens, the new skin underneath is often smoother, appears less wrinkled, and may have less damage.

There are a number of reasons people may get chemical peels. They may be trying to treat a variety of things, including:

Types of Chemical Peeling

As with most beauty products and treatments, you have options to choosing a chemical peel:

Superficial Peels or Light Chemical Peels

The gentlest option includes a low concentration of a TCA, glycolic, AHA (alpha hydroxy) acids, salicylic acid peels, and Jessner’s peels (equal parts salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol, an antiseptic exfoliant).

Medium-Depth Chemical Peels

This type of peel ups the percentages of AHA, salicylic, and TCA and requires longer downtime. Your skin will also peel more dramatically and visibly.

Deep Chemical Peels

This type of peel is normally a phenol chemical and is quite useful for more severe wrinkles, loss of elasticity, deep scars, and aging skin.