ABSTRACT
INFLUENCE OF THE PATIENT’S AGE AND GENDER Age A phenol peel is mainly indicated to treat facial skin for severe photoaging. It is the only type of peel that can eliminate deep wrinkles1 and regenerate elasticity and firmness in the treated skin in a single treatment. Phenol peels are therefore usually aimed at people who are (well) past their 40s. There is no real age limit, and phenol has been used on patients of advanced years (Figure 29.1) as well as on other much younger patients. Old age is not in itself a contraindication to phenol,2 and it is remarkable to note that the skin regenerates perfectly well at any age. The oldest patient that the author has treated was 82 when she had a phenol peel, and she was not the oldest patient to ever receive a phenol peel. Phenol has been used on children to treat specific disorders. Young adults have also been treated with phenol for acne scars or scars of other origins. However, because of its toxicity and the profound changes it makes to the skin, phenol should not be used without a good reason. Phenol should not be used to treat something that alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) or trichloroacetic acid (TCA) can treat just as well. The strength of a peel should always be adapted to the problem being treated: there is no point in applying a peel that is too superficial or too deep.
