Question:
I am interested in a chemical peel because I have really uneven pigmentation on my face and neck. Is this something that can be done in one treatment or are multiple treatments needed?
Answer:
The short answer is that it can be done at either one treatment or multiple treatments depending on the individual patient’s anatomy. For example, someone with deep sun spots and wrinkling is probably best treated with a deeper chemical peel. With deeper peels there is somewhat more recovery but also more results. For example, with a patient undergoing a 35% TCA chemical peel, I often tell them that the recovery period is 7-10 days with most patients comfortably returning to foundation or cover-up at the 10-day point. It usually takes two-three weeks for the slight amount of pink skin to return to their normal complexion. However, in patients that are unable to undergo a more significant recovery with finer wrinkles and lighter sun spots, a very nice improvement can be accomplished with multiple lighter peels in the order of 10-15% trichloracetic (TCA) peels. Minimal treatments also give patients minimal results.