What are the possible complications of chemical peels?
A complications list is worth reading for which peel it actually describes.
How a peel complications list is worded across the four sources
This site does not list complications as fact. The short answer is to read the sources below and ask the person who would perform the peel.
How to read a complications list
A complications section in a brochure is easy to skim past, and it is where the useful detail sits. When you read one, compare it field by field:
- Which peel is named, and is the list written for that peel or for peels in general?
- Does the list say how common each item is, or only that it can happen?
- Does it say what to do about each item, and who to contact?
Different pages group peels differently, so a list written for one type may not apply to another. The Cleveland Clinic chemical peel overview and the ASDS chemical peel page are two places to start. An ASPS blog post on chemical peels and the ASPS chemical peel procedure page give a plastic surgery society's framing, so it is worth reading all four side by side.
Before you book: the pages to bring
Write down the name of the peel you are being offered and take the lists above to your consultation. Ask the provider which items apply to you and how they would handle a concern afterward.
Footnote on who decides
We are a label-comparison site, not a clinic, so a licensed clinician who has examined your skin is the right person to tell you which complications apply to you.