Chemical Peel Practitioners


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Chemical peels do not have to be carried out by a surgeon but a trained professional should carry them out as this reduces the risk of complications occurring.

You should not hesitate in questioning the practitioner about their background, experience and training in the field of chemical peels or other treatments. If you are not satisfied with this practitioner then you are under no obligation to pay them to undertake your chemical peel, it is vital that you feel comfortable.  What one person deems acceptable another person may find to be entirely inappropriate, therefore you should always thoroughly research what is best for you.


A few tips:


  • Ask friends and family whether they have been treated with a chemical peel - if they have then they can inform you about a trusted and reliable practitioner or conversely help you to avoid those who are deemed unsatisfactory.
  • Check that the facilities are commendable -  see whether they are clean, if they appear to be professional and if they are not then avoid the establishment.
  • Ask to look at before and after photos - if the practitioner is more than happy to provide a glossy portfolio teaming with photos of remarkable transformations due to chemical peels then they are more likely to be reliable.
  • Make sure that you can achieve good communication with your practitioner - if you can’t then this is not a desirable state of affairs. If anything went wrong then you must be able to communicate!

Surgeons Carrying out Chemical Peels

Surgeons are usually able to perform all types of chemical peels. Although a chemical peel is definitely not surgery it may be performed by someone who is qualified as a plastic surgeon, so check that their credentials are valid:

  • Inclusion on the General Medical Council’s (GMC)
  • Specialist Register of Plastic Surgery FRCSPlast (this surgeon is classified as a  Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons due to the fact that they have passed specialist examinations focused upon plastic surgery)
  • Membership to either the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS)
  • Membership of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)

Dermatologists Carrying out Chemical Peels

Dermatologists able to perform all types of chemical peel. Dermatologists are skin experts and as a result are probably the best qualified to perform a chemical peel. However, it is important that they have received proper training:

  • FRCP/MRCP – Dermatologist who is a fellow/member of the Royal College of Physicians (for those with a specialism in dermatology)
  • Member of the British Association of Dermatologists
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Dermatology - for GP’s with a specialism in dermatology
  • Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST)

Doctors Carrying out Chemical Peels

Doctors cchemical peels are not available on the NHS but they are offered nowadays by many private practices. However, the doctor’s qualifications should be exactly the same as you would expect the doctors who work under the NHS to be equipped with, such as:

  • Registration with the GMC
  • Membership to the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors (BACD)
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Cosmetic Medicine
  • General Practitioner (GP)
  • Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh/ MBBS/ MBChB)
  • Fellow Royal College of General Practitioners (FRCGP)
  • Member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP)

Nurses Carrying out Chemical Peels

Some of the following are merely common sense qualifications, private clinics will have employed those with this depth of training. However, it is good to be equipped with a knowledge just in case you feel wary:

  • Registered Nurse (RN)
  • Registered General Nurse (RGN)
  • BA (Hons)/ BSc Diploma in Nursing
  • Member of the Royal College of Nursing’s Forum for Nurses in Aesthetic Medicine

Aestheticians/Beauty Therapists Carrying out Chemical Peels

Although beauty therapists are limited in the scope of chemical peel that they can perform they are able to treat you with a superficial peel. Ensure that they have the relevant qualifications:

  • NVQ/SVQ Levels 1–4
  • BTEC National or Higher National
  • ONC/OND
  • HNC/HND qualified in Beauty Therapy
  • ITEC Diploma or Certificate
  • VTCT Diploma or Certificate
  • CIBTAC Diploma
  • Membership of The British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC)
  • Membership of CIDESCO

There are also additional training courses that the practitioner may have undergone, offered by numerous commercial practices, so check out for these as well for a supplementary benefit.

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Further Information Chemical Peels