BACKGROUND: Chemical peels are employed for a variety of benign and premalignant skin disorders. OBJECTIVE: We compared clinical and histologic features with ultrastructural changes that occur after medium-depth chemical facial peel. METHODS: Three men with actinically damaged facial skin underwent a single 35% trichloroacetic acid peel. Biopsy specimens were taken before the peel, and 2 weeks and 3 months after the peel, for histologic examination, electron microscopy, and gel electrophoresis to assess total collagen type I content. RESULTS: Clinical resolution of actinic damage corresponded with restoration of epidermal polarity. Collagen type I was markedly increased after the peel. Characteristic ultrastructural features of skin after peeling include markedly decreased epidermal intracytoplasmic vacuoles, decreased elastic fibers, and increased activated fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Electron microscopic studies after a medium-depth chemical peel of photodamaged skin reveal more profound changes than those seen histologically.
BACKGROUND: Chemical peels are employed for a variety of benign and premalignant skin disorders. OBJECTIVE: We compared clinical and histologic features with ultrastructural changes that occur after medium-depth chemical facial peel. METHODS: Three men with actinically damaged facial skin underwent a single 35% trichloroacetic acid peel. Biopsy specimens were taken before the peel, and 2 weeks and 3 months after the peel, for histologic examination, electron microscopy, and gel electrophoresis to assess total collagen type I content. RESULTS: Clinical resolution of actinic damage corresponded with restoration of epidermal polarity. Collagen type I was markedly increased after the peel. Characteristic ultrastructural features of skin after peeling include markedly decreased epidermal intracytoplasmic vacuoles, decreased elastic fibers, and increased activated fibroblasts. CONCLUSION: Electron microscopic studies after a medium-depth chemical peel of photodamaged skin reveal more profound changes than those seen histologically.
Authors: Dana M Hutchison; Amir A Hakimi; Avin Wijayaweera; Soohong Seo; Ellen M Hong; Tiffany T Pham; Melissa Bircan; Ryan Sivoraphonh; Brandyn Dunn; Mark R Kobayashi; Sehwan Kim; Brian Jf Wong Journal: Scars Burn Heal Date: 2021-03-16