PILOT HISTOLOGIC AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL-STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF MEDIUM-DEPTH CHEMICAL FACIAL PEELS ON DERMAL COLLAGEN IN PATIENTS WITH ACTINICALLY DAMAGED SKIN

Background: Chemical peels are employed for a variety of benign and pr emalignant skin disorders. Objective: We compared clinical and histolo gic features with ultrastructural changes that occur after medium-dept h chemical facial peel. Methods: Three men with actinically damaged fa cial skin underwent a single 35% trichloroacetic acid peel. Biopsy spe cimens were taken before the peel, and 2 weeks and 3 months after the peel, for histologic examination, electron microscopy, and gel electro phoresis to assess total collagen type I content. Results: Clinical re solution of actinic damage corresponded with restoration of epidermal polarity. Collagen type I was markedly increased after the peel. Chara cteristic ultrastructural features of skin after peeling include marke dly decreased epidermal intracytoplasmic vacuoles, decreased elastic f ibers, and increased activated fibroblasts. Conclusion: Electron micro scopic studies after a medium-depth chemical peel of photodamaged skin reveal more profound changes than those seen histologically.