Is it possible to get a deep phenol peel with zero pain and zero peeling? (Photo)

Most of my patients don't have any significant discomfort.  I have been doing these peels for about 17 years and of course there is supposed to be peeling after the procedure.  The question is a difficult one and I am surprised that no one else has discussed this.  But phenol along, even if fully potent, only causes a medium depth peel.  It is the croton oil which is actually the active ingredient as demonstrated by Gregory Hetter MD long ago.  As the concentration of croton oil increases, so does the potency and the depth of the peel (and the results too!).  

I've never seen a phenol peel not cause redness and feeling for at least a week.  It's a very powerful treatment that typically requires people take some downtime.  Every patient is different and every plastic surgeon is different so there may be something I'm missing.  Could the product have been out of date?  Could it be a reduced strength phenol peel?  All of these things should be discussed with your plastic surgeon to make sure that he or she is on the same page as you.

Yes, Phenol Solution can become weak or ineffective if it's expired. Therefore, the result would be very minimal. A Phenol Peel should have marked redness and facial swelling for a week. good question. Best,

Phenol solution may be improperly mixed or old. A phenol peel will result in marked swelling and and redness with crusting and peeling. You should discuss with your provider as this does not appear to have performed what is expected. Best of luck.