In the Pink? Peel More Carefully

Some skin-care treatment salons and spas offer chemical peels--once available only in doctors’ offices--to help strip off dead skin cells from the face.

Even though skin spas may only give diluted versions of the chemical peels performed by dermatologists, UCLA assistant clinical professor of dermatology Joshua Wieder said that even a mild peel left on too long can cause problems.

“Any time the skin is injured enough to be pink, you have to be careful,” he said. Pink skin must be protected, especially from the sun.

Wieder’s suggestion is to visit a dermatologist any time you have a question, “even if it’s just for a one-time consultation to see what the options are.”

Sometimes, the options are simple. “I will sometimes recommend somebody buy an over-the-counter product.”

Santa Monica dermatologist Karyn Grossman concurs. “Not everybody needs a lot.” Many of her patients are young people who just want to get started in good skin treatment.

In California, any medical doctor may perform a laser or chemical procedure, but not everybody knows how to do it. Mishandled laser removal of hair, for example, can lead to scars, burns and scabs.

“Everybody’s doing everything,” said Grossman. “The better somebody is trained, the less likely that is to happen.”