Chemical Peels: A Blemish Remover
Did you know that 60 million Americans suffer from acne in the U.S. alone? Out of those 60 million, 20 million have acne bad enough to cause scarring. A lot of acne suffers have tried a number of over-the-counter treatments that may treat the acne, but does nothing for the scarring. Acne scarring is sometimes permanent and can be weighing on one's self-esteem.
Eliminating acne scars can prove to be a trial and error task. So if the over-the-counter solutions don't seem effective enough, you can try using chemical peels. Dermatologists and estheticians have successfully been using them as one of their treatment options for removing scars, fine lines, wrinkles, and other blemishes. People can apply their own chemical peels in the privacy of their homes, and get good results. There are many to choose from depending on your skin issues and concerns. They range from 8%-50% concentrated levels, the higher concentration levels give more in depth results. Fifty percent concentrated levels are never recommended for at home use.
Alpha hydroxyl acid chemical peels give lighter results. They include glycolic, lactic, and tartaric acid peels. They are used to reduce the appearance of acne, acne scarring, treat areas of dryness, and remove dead skin cells. They are not super strong, and require several applications to get the best results. A more effective peel is the beta hydroxyl acid peel. Salicylic acid is an example of a beta peel, and they are used to control oily skin, acne, and remove dead skin cells.
Jessner chemical peels are used to treat acne and acne related issues like pimples, but not scarring. They are a mixture of 14% salicylic acid, resorcinol, and lactic acid, with an ethanol base. Sometimes TCA peels are layered or are used with them to achieve a deeper peel and to treat scarring. Retinoic peels are sometimes used after a Jessner peel as well for the same reason, and can be used to treat scars and wrinkles as well.
TCA or trichloroacetic acid peels are stronger than the other two kinds. They are used to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, remove blemishes, and solve other pigmentation issues. Although TCA peels are more effective than the others, multiple treatments are still required to get the best results. Results are not permanent, and last for about 6 months. The strongest chemical peels available are Phenol peels. They are able to penetrate past the epidermis and inside the dermis within 15 seconds of application. They have long lasting results of up to 20 years. Phenol peels treat stubborn skin issues like deep wrinkles, freckles and blemishes caused by sun damage and acne. People with dark skin tones are not ideal candidates for this treatment because it can lighten the skin and reduce its ability to produce pigment. Skin treated with the phenol chemical peel has to be protected from the sun for life through the use of sunscreen/block of 30 SPF or higher.
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert
