Whats the Difference Between Chemical Peel & IPL for Face?

There are different types of chemical peels: Superficial, Medium and Deep Peels.  Superficial peels only take off the outer layer of the skin and there is no down time.  You’ll need a series of treatments to obtain desired results over a period of time.  A medium peel contains a stronger potency of acid and targets the epidermis, causing the upper dermis to slough within 5 to 7 days.  Again, there is little or no down time.  A deep peel targets the dermis and after a deep peel the skin is red and can swell a little bit.  Many layers of the skin will peel over a period of 1 to 2 weeks.  Deep chemical peels also produce the most dramatic results and are recommended for treating wrinkles, scars, blemishes and in some cases, precancerous skin lesions.
Lasers are more predictable and the IPL laser goes deeper into the layers of the dermis.  Chemical peels have been replaced by lasers which are more predictable and have multiple wavelengths, targeting both brown and red spots.  These treatments are not totally aggressive, so there is no down time, however, they do require multiple treatments.  Many people prefer the IPL because you’d have to have a medium chemical peel to achieve the results from one treatment of IPL.  Finally, as far as your skin care regimen goes, you should use Retin-A, sunscreen and a bleaching agent to maintain the results.

Both IPL and chemical peels are used to achieve facial rejuvenation. IPL uses broadband light to address mostly reds and browns of the face. This includes broken capillaries and redness due to sun damage as well as brown spots, dyschromias and other signs of aging and the sun. IPLs have the advantage of very little down time with good results over anywhere from 2-6 sessions.

Chemical peels can include a wide variety of types from very superficial peels which brighten your skin to more aggressive deep chemical peels which allow reduction of even deep rhytids and correction of sun damage. Compared to IPL, chemical peels do typically involve more down time. Chemical peels typically exfoliate the skin requiring a period of recovery. Both medium and deeper chemical peels offer the advantage of being able to address not only fine lines but also medium and sometimes deeper wrinkles.

Choosing between IPL and chemical peels depends on what issues a patient is facing. This can be determined by meeting with a facial plastic surgeon to evaluate your needs and the options for the best results.

Unfortunately the dark spots on the face come back with sun exposure and hormones, etc... no matter what method you use to temporarily have them removed.  IPLs and chem peels are often done together to get the cleanest and smoothest results and should be done yearly on most patients to maintain great skin.  Sincerely,

David Hansen,MD