A chemical peel is usually done at an office or in an outpatient surgical facility. Before the procedure, your medical esthetician will clean your face, protect your hair, and cover your eyes with ointment, gauze, tape or goggles.

Pain relief isn't typically needed for a light chemical peel. If you're having a medium peel, you might receive a sedative and painkiller. For a deep peel, you might have a sedative, something to numb the treatment area and fluids delivered through a vein.

Your medical esthetician will use a cotton-tipped applicator or gauze to apply a chemical solution containing trichloroacetic acid, sometimes in combination with glycolic acid. The treated skin will begin to whiten.

After a few minutes, your doctor will apply cool compresses to soothe treated skin. You might also be given a hand-held fan to cool your skin. No neutralizing solution is needed, however.

You might feel stinging and burning for up to 20 minutes.

After a chemical peel of any depth, your skin will be red, tight, irritated or swollen. Follow your medical esthetician's directions for sun protection, cleansing, moisturizing and applying protective ointments to your skin. And avoid picking, rubbing or scratching your skin. It may take several months before your skin color returns to normal and you can see the full results of the peel.

A light chemical peel improves skin texture and tone and lessens the appearance of fine wrinkles. The results are subtle but increase with repeated treatments.

If you have a medium chemical peel, treated skin will be noticeably smoother.

After a deep chemical peel, you'll see a dramatic improvement in the look and feel of treated areas. Results may not be permanent. Over time, age and new sun damage can lead to new lines and skin color changes.