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Peels · Pleasanton & Sunnyvale
Chemical peels in Pleasanton
In short
A peel removes a controlled depth of skin and lets what replaces it come back more evenly. How deep is the only real decision.
Superficial peels leave you presentable the same day and are built up in a series. Medium depth does more in one pass and asks for visible flaking in return.
Choosing the depth
Most people are better served by a series of lighter peels than by one deep one, because the result is comparable and life carries on in between. Depth earns its place when there is pigment or texture that lighter work has not moved.
Skin tone matters here. In melanin-rich skin a deeper peel carries a real risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation, so we tend to go lighter and more often.
What a peel will not do
It works on the surface and just beneath it. Laxity, volume loss and lines that exist because a muscle moves are all unchanged by exfoliation, however deep.
Peels also need the routine behind them. Without daily sun protection, pigment treated in clinic returns.
When we would choose something else
If the concern is scarring rather than surface texture, microneedling or a resurfacing laser reaches deeper.
Active infection, broken skin and a recent course of oral isotretinoin are reasons to wait.
Common questions
Will I peel visibly?
Superficial peels usually produce light flaking for a couple of days, sometimes none at all. Medium-depth peels flake visibly for around a week.
Are chemical peels safe for darker skin?
Yes, with the right agent and depth. We tend to choose lighter peels repeated more often, because deeper work carries a real risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation.
How soon can I wear makeup?
After a superficial peel, usually the next day. After a medium-depth peel, once the flaking has finished.
Medically reviewed by Seth Eberlin, MD, Medical Director at Essential Bella. Last reviewed 20 September 2026. General information, not a substitute for an in-person assessment.