ABSTRACT
Exfoliative peels improve only the epidermis, a fact not oen explained to the patient. ese supercial, exfoliative peels, currently the most popular type of chemical peel being performed, do not have a uniform lexicon in terms of their active ingredients, percentage strength of each component, and overall ecacy. Many contain active ingredients of questionable ecacy. Results of many currently available exfoliative peels are unpredictable-some exfoliative peels are eective in inducing epidermal exfoliation, whereas others are not. Similarly, deeper penetrating, dermal peels, as discussed in Chapter 10, also tend to be poorly dened, have multiple dicult-to-control variables, and produce unpredictable results. Furthermore, the terms “light,” “medium,” and “deep,” when used to describe chemical peels, are virtually meaningless because peel ingredients, percentage concentrations, and ultimate ecacy of these peels vary greatly, depending on the active ingredients, the physician’s skill level, and other patient-related factors (Boxes 9.1 and 9.2).
