[Chemical peels and management of skin aging]

Chemical peels are an alternative and/or a complementary treatment to the surgical procedures for skin aging. The purpose of this article is to specify the procedures and the indications of the three principal types of chemical peels: alpha-hydroxy acids, trichloracetic acid, phenol-croton oil peel. The clinical examination will determine the depth of the lesions to treat and will take into consideration counter-indications and specific limits to each patient. Chemical peel is a four step procedure: pre-peel preparation, peeling itself, recovery phase and maintenance phase. The preparation is a very important phase which requires a thorough knowledge of cosmetics. This preparation can extend to any medical or surgical treatment for aging skin. Various techniques of peelings: superficial, medium, deep, combined and mosaïc peel will be detailed. These procedures require a rigorous training and a distinct learning curve. The follow up will be specified as well as the management of the possible complications.