Do Chemical Peels Lighten Skin?

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A major concern for anyone who is considering any cosmetic treatment is whether the treatment will cause unwanted side effects and/or complications. Consequentially, the consideration that being treated with a chemical peel could (although they rarely do) cause the skin’s colour to be permanently altered has filled many with concern. No one who wants to improve the aesthetic appearance of the skin would want it to be marred in the process.

However it is vital to consider that the skin being lightened as a consequence of being treated with a chemical peel is extremely rare. The vast majority of people treated with the chemical peel will not suffer from any unwanted side effects.

Those most at risk of lightened skin

Although chemical peel treatments are not restricted to those with light skin, the chances of unwanted side effects such as the lightening of the skin occurring are heightened for those with darker skin.

If the chemical peel solution is of superficial depth then the chances of unwanted side effects, such as the skin being lightened, is considerably lower than for a deep phenol peel. Consequentially those with Afro- Caribbean skin are advised to abstain from being treated with a deep chemical peel due to the heightened sensitivity of their skin.  A phenol peel is most likely to result in the skin being lightened and can cause irregular skin pigmentation, which no one wants!

Phenol peels should be restricted to those with lighter skin due to this heightened risk factor.

Skin bleaching

For some dark pigmentation is an unwanted addition to the skin and chemical peels can help to even up the appearance of the skin.  AHA chemical peels are frequently used in regimes that seek to bleach the appearance of the skin. AHA peels are superficial chemical peels that function to expedite cellular exfoliation.  Chemical peels are therefore not the skin-bleaching component.

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