Phenol peels salicylic acid

With TCA-SAS, resorcinol, salicylic acid, azelaic acid or phenol peels, the skin needs to be thoroughly cleansed of make-up, degreased and disinfected. Easy TCA solution, on the other hand, contains saponins that make pre-peel make-up removal and degreasing unnecessary the skin s natural defenses are only very slightly diminished by this peel, and therefore there is no need for any particular prepeel preparation against infections. 

AHAs are the only peels where neutralization is important - TCA, resorcinol, salicylic acid and phenol do not need neutralizing. 

Though using phenol to do a superficial peel means both patient and doctor taking a pointless risk where less toxic agents are available (TCA, AHA, salicylic acid, etc.). Left-handers wfll understand that they must reverse the hands used. 

Salicylic acid is a lipophilic beta-hydroxy acid which is used as a peeling agent, compounded as 20-40% solution with ethanol. It is a hydroxyl derivative of benzoic acid and represents a carboxylic add attached to an aromatic alcohol, phenol. It is a white crystalline powder derived from willow bark, winter green leaves, and sweet birch [15]. 

According to the classification of A. Tenenbaum, which is described later in this chapter, peelers should be careful with the dangerous distinction between so called cosmetic , peelings for acids with pK, > 3 and medical , peelings for acids with pK, < 3, because some adds like salicylic acid with a pK, near 3, as the phenol, toxic substance with a pKa > 3 need to be exclusively used by trained physicians. 

When making reference, even superficially as we do, to the chemical and pharmacological properties of these diverse molecules, we realize that acidity is far from being the only mechanism of action that causes the previously documented peel-induced modifications of the skin. The pH alone is only destructive in the case of trichloroacetic acid. The other substances act mainly through toxic effects (phenol, resorcinol and, at a lower level, salicylic... 

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