Many people are dealing with precancerous skin lesions, such as actinic keratoses, because of too much exposure to sunlight and its harmful ultraviolet radiation.1 It’s important for you to monitor your skin regularly for any changes (including color, size, shape, and appearance) in moles and growths, or for the presence of any new moles or growths. Any such findings should be reported to your doctor immediately.
Once you have visited your doctor, he or she can determine whether you have precancer or not. Not all actinic keratoses will lead to skin cancer, and some even clear up on their own. However, twenty percent of skin lesions can develop into squamous cell carcinoma.2 and if the doctor feels that the best course of action is treatment, he or she will suggest the best possible treatment for you. One possible treatment he or she might suggest is chemical peeling.
What Is Chemical Peeling?
Chemical peeling is a process that involves applying a chemical solution to a specific area of the skin in order to remove the top layer of skin. This will result in the skin underneath to become the new top layer, and this skin is normally smoother and less wrinkled than the skin that flaked away from the chemical peel.3
The chemical peel is especially useful for those with precancerous skin lesions, as the top layer of skin often shows damage from the ultraviolet radiation that comes from prolonged exposure to sunlight. The chemical peeling removes that top layer of skin and exposes the skin underneath, in an attempt to eliminate the precancer and prevent it from developing into skin cancer.
The chemical peel that is used for removing precancerous skin lesions is known as “Phenol,” which is a stronger form of chemical peeling than those just used for cosmetic enhancements.4 This is because a phenol chemical peel is a deeper chemical peel that will penetrate deeper into the skin and remove more of it than lighter chemical peels. This is why it can remove precancerous skin growths and help to prevent new ones from forming.
Benefits of Chemical Peeling
The benefits of chemical peeling for those with precancerous skin lesions are that there’s a solid chance of eliminating the precancer without having it develop into skin cancer. This saves one’s peace of mind as the cancer is eliminated before it can manifest itself.
Additionally, the recovery time from a procedure like chemical peeling is shorter than from more invasive techniques like surgery or chemotherapy. This will also reduce the cost of a chemical peel as compared to other precancer treatments.
After precancerous skin lesions like actinic keratoses are removed by the chemical peeling, it is less likely that more precancerous skin lesions will appear in the future.3 Additionally, you only need to have this type of treatment once to see the benefits from chemical peels (plus, you couldn’t safely have a second treatment of this immediately, since it would take off another layer of skin, which wouldn’t be advised).
Disadvantages of Chemical Peeling
As with virtually every type of precancer treatment, there are some disadvantages with chemical peels as well. You should expect your skin to be red, swollen, and uncomfortable after the procedure. Due to the nature of the chemical peel treatment, it will take some time for your skin to fully recover, usually 7-10 days for the new skin to begin appearing, and 2-3 months before it looks more like the rest of your skin.5
Therefore, you should expect some pain after a deep chemical peel. Normally, you will be given medication to help ease the pain. However, if you experience unusually high amounts of pain or blistering, you should definitely contact your doctor to help treat the blistering immediately.
It is possible that your skin could become infected, especially if you don’t keep the treated area clean after the procedure. Your skin could also become scarred if you don’t exactly follow your doctor’s instructions. It is also possible that the pigment of your newer skin won’t match the pigment of your older skin, so the aesthetic effects of this procedure may not be what you are expecting.
Additionally, it is possible that the chemical peel will not be successful in removing all of the precancerous skin growths if the growths have grown too deeply into the skin. After all, the skin peel can only remove so much skin safely. If the precancerous skin growths still remain after the chemical peel, you will have to choose another treatment option, since having another chemical peel so soon afterwards will NOT be an option.
One important note to mention is that it is not recommended you have a deep chemical peel if you have had recent radiation or chemotherapy treatments to treat your precancer.6 You need to give your skin time to recover from such treatments before having a deep chemical peel.
Chemical Peeling Provides an Effective and Non-Invasive Way to Treat Precancer
Chemical peeling allows people dealing with precancer to have another effective treatment option to consider that won’t be invasive or cause them to be laid up for weeks on end. If the precancerous skin lesions are not too deeply embedded into the skin, chemical peeling could be an excellent option for you to rid yourself of the precancer and prevent it from progressing into skin cancer.
References
1 The Skin Cancer Foundation – Actinic Keratosis and Other Precancers | Actinic Keratosis. (2011). From The Skin Cancer Foundation: www.skincancer.org/actinic-keratosis-and-other-precancers.html
2 Actinic keratosis. A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia (2011). From PubMed Health- U.S. National Library of Medicine: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001830/
3 Chemical Peel Treatments. (2011). From Mayo Clinic: Retrieved from www.mayoclinic.org/chemical-peel/
4 Ibid
5 Ibid
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