Where to find cost effective chemical peels and wrinkle treatment

Chemical Peels are Cosmetic Procedures to skin damage caused by sun exposure and other environmental factors. Chemical Peels are also an effective Wrinkle Treatment and reduce the visible signs of aging. 

There are three main facial skin treatments using chemical peels:

AHA Chemical Peels

TCA Chemical Peels

Phenol Chemical Peels

The main difference between these chemical peeling processes is in the depth of skin peeling they achieve.

Chemical Skin Peels work through a controlled skin burn, with varying chemical formulas, removing the outer, damaged layers of skin. The Chemical Peels process is very effective in removing fine lines, delicate wrinkles, and excess pigmentation from sun exposure. Chemical Peels were known about in the Roman times, and people would use naturally occurring food acids, such as tartaric acid (grape skins) and lactic acid (sour milk), to chemically peel their skin. You can read more about the history of cosmetic surgery in our articles section.

Chemical peels are also good for the removal of blemishes and other skin defects, as well as the excess formation of melanin. Furthermore, chemical peels have also been shown to have medical benefits, since they can remove pre-cancerous cells, as well as acne scars.

AHA Chemical Peeling

AHA (Alpha hydroxy Acids) is one chemical used for chemical skin peels, for delicate peeling, and wrinkle treatment. Smoother skin and an absence of fine lines are some of the positive effects of AHA chemical peels. These chemical peeling treatments are usually repeated often, on a weekly basis, but they can also be used everyday, as a part of face creams or other products. Essentially a superficial chemical peeling, this process removes only the outer layers of skin, or epidermal layers. The most common type of AHA peel is the Glycolic acid peel.

After AHA chemical skin peels, you can return to your normal activities instantly, as long as you wear sunscreen. AHA Chemical peeling treatment takes about 10 minutes and follow up check ups are required.

The famous Jessner's peel uses a combination of AHA acids, BHA (Beta Hydroxy) Acids and other ingredients, and is probably categorised more easily with the TCA peels.

You can expect to pay between around £60 to £250 for AHA Chemical peeling in the UK, and of course if you are willing to travel abroad you can easily get a bargain.

There are also Home AHA Chemical Skin Peel kits available on the market, and while they are generally not of the strength that a professional practitioner would use, many people have been more than happy with the results! To read more, go to our cosmetic surgery articles section, or go straight to Skin Culture to buy the best home AHA chemical peel products.

TCA Chemical Peeling

TCA, or Trichloroacetic acid, intermediate chemical peels are effective for wrinkle treatment and removing superficial skin defects. TCA chemical peels extend deeper into the skin, removing the epidermal layers and upperdermal layers of the skin. More than one session is required for optimum results, and the healing time is longer. TCA chemical peel treatments cause mild swelling and redness of the skin, which disappears in 7-10 days.

Medical-Grade Concealer Products are available for covering up the redness of the face, which as well as allowing you to face the world before the healing is complete, actually promote the healing process. However, these are rarely stocked at cosmetic clinics, so you should take your own with you.

The cost for TCA Chemical Skin Peels is generally between £300 and £1200 in the UK. As with most cosmetic procedures, there is the potential for quite large savings should you choose to get this done abroad.

One relatively recent type of TCA peel is the Obagi Blue Peel. TCA peels are generally only suitable for people of European Caucasian decent, but the Obagi Blue peel can be used safely on people with African or Asian tones, resurfacing the skin without messing with the pigmentation.

As with AHA Chemical Peels, there are also options to use Home TCA Chemical Skin Peel kits. I believe that it is better to get this depth of peeling done professionally! To read more, go to our cosmetic surgery articles section, or go straight to Skin Culture to buy the best home AHA chemical peel products. 

Phenol Chemical Peels

Phenol Chemical Peels, on the other hand, are powerful solutions used for deep chemical skin peeling. Phenol Chemical Peels effectively eliminate deep wrinkles, and also remove pre-malignant skin conditions and sun-exposure related issues, by peeling the skin to a much deeper level. Phenol Chemical Skin Peeling lasts between one and two hours, and a single treatment usually suffices.

After a chemical skin peel with phenol, the face must be protected and covered with bandages or petroleum jelly, and regeneration can take over a week. Excessive redness of the skin is likely, fading to a milder pink over the week. Direct sun exposure must be avoided, and a strong sunscreen is recommended after phenol based chemical peels.

Doctors, nurses and even beauticians can perform superficial Chemical Peeling such as AHA, and GPs may be able to perform a medium peel such as TCA.

However, with a Phenol Chemical Skin Peel you should only seek treatment with a properly-trained and accredited Dermatologist or Cosmetic Surgeon. Done incorrectly, or on the wrong person, and without explaining all the information you need about preparation and recovery, Phenol Chemical Peels can have complications!

Phenol peels are not often performed, and most dermatologists and plastic surgeons are agreed that the risks far outweigh the benefits.

One very real consequence of getting a phenol chemical peel is skin whitening.  This looks unnatural, and is irreversible.  It is inappropriate for anyone without the very fairest of skin, and anyone with olive or dark skin can end up permanently disfigured by the phenol peel procedure.

For this reason, it is wise to stay clear of phenol peels altogether.  A TCA peel performed at a reputable clinic is a much better solution, and there are thousands of people who get home glycolic peel kits such as from Skin Culture Peel, which are safe, effective and much cheaper.  

For someone looking for inexpensive chemical peels, finding a practitioner abroad may be a good idea. Most countries in Europe offer low cost cosmetic procedures for the discerning traveler from the UK and around the world. Most places offer good infrastructure, and qualified practitioners, at a far cheaper cost than back home.

Prices in Eastern and Western Europe, for example, can sometimes be 50% cheaper than in the UK. These costs even include restructuring emulsion crème, in most cases, for care of your skin after the treatment.