Phenol peeling: composition and application features

Phenol peeling has not easily found its way into the arsenal of methods used by modern cosmetologists. They experimented with its composition for a long time before finding the optimal concentration of all components. Since the main ingredient of peeling – phenol – causes superficial skin damage close to a burn, it is important not only to control this process, but also to use it as efficiently as possible to stimulate neocollagenesis. At the same time, other peeling components should act on the skin in such a way that its healing takes place as quickly as possible and without complications.

How phenol peel got its composition

The use of phenol in cosmetology began, as often happens, with an accidental observation by one of the French doctors. It was during the First World War, when carbolic acid was one of the main antiseptics in hospitals. The doctor noticed that the skin of the wounded after treatment with a solution of carbolic lightens and becomes smooth.

After the war, he did not forget his observation and continued to practice carbolic acid procedures, studying its interaction with other ingredients and the effects on the skin. His daughter moved to America, not forgetting to take her father's developments, and opened a private practice there as a cosmetologist. Soon the use of phenol began to spread among American entrepreneurs who had a cosmetic practice, and phenol peeling gained wide popularity. However, the own secret of diluting phenol & nbsp; and its combination with other ingredients, each doctor kept secret.

In the early 1960s, the first publication was published in one of the American journals, where a doctor named Ditton describes the scheme and results of application of phenol peeling in 50 of his patients. At the same time, he mentions that, in addition to phenol, he also used croton oil and glycerin in peeling, but did not name the exact formula of the composition.

First peeling patent with phenol was formalized around the same time by Adolf Braun, although he also tried to hide the exact formula of the patented composition. And in 1961, American doctors Gordon and Baker, having bought a phenol peeling formula from one of the practicing cosmetologists, published it, and now the classic standard for phenol peeling is called – the Baker-Gordon formula, and the composition includes:

88% phenol – 3 ml,
distilled water – 2 ml,
liquid soap – 8 drops,
croton oil – 3 drops.

This formula has become the standard for all phenol peel practitioners for many years. At first, no one even mentioned that previously each cosmetologist had his own idea of how and with what to dilute phenol. However, now, in light of the legally approved standard, lawsuits have begun against cosmetologists practicing with their own developments, and as a result, phenol peels have been completely concentrated in the hands of doctors.

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Features of phenol peeling depending on the ingredients

Phenol is a very strong poison that easily penetrates the skin and breaks bonds between protein components, acting as a keratolytic. At the same time, phenol causes rapid denaturation of keratin and other protein components, and the resulting protein-phenolic complexes, due to the size of their molecules, do not penetrate further through the stratum corneum.

Moreover, the next portion of phenol also cannot penetrate denatured proteins. But cosmetologists have noticed that diluted phenol penetrates deep into the skin much more efficiently, dissolves lipids from intercellular spaces. Based on these observations, experiments with the formula began in order to find the optimal composition for peeling, which would penetrate deep enough into the skin.

fenolovyj-piling-osobennosti-sostava-i-primeneniya

In parallel with the clarification of the composition of phenol peeling, studies began on what morphological changes the skin undergoes after exposure to a phenol composition. Thus, it was noted that phenol peeling significantly stimulates neocollagenesis at the level of the reticular dermis, and the new layer of collagen fibers is formed more dense, with fibers parallel to the skin. In addition, new layers of elastin are formed.

As for the composition of phenol peeling, experiments have shown that increasing the concentration of phenolic acid improves its penetration into the skin, but reduces peeling, and if you increase the content of croton oil, the peeling effect will be higher, and skin healing becomes faster.

Depending on the speed of skin healing, phenol peeling began to be classified into light, moderate and strong – when the skin heals, respectively, in five, seven days or two weeks. As for the recipe, experiments continue today – in any case, at the level of concentration of croton oil. The purpose of such experiments – find the optimal composition that will allow for deep peeling and at the same time ensure the effectiveness and safety of the procedure for the patient.