FDA issues terrifying warning to women as common beauty treatment could leave them 'disfigured'

Officials are urging women that some at-home facials can cause 'severe chemical burns' and 'disfiguring scars.'

The FDA issued the warning last week to consumers not to use DIY chemical peels without the supervision of a dermatologist or else they risk 'serious skin injuries.'

The agency's letter said: 'The [FDA] has not approved any chemical peel products, and consumers should only consider using chemical peel products under the supervision of a dermatologist or licensed and trained practitioner.'

Chemical peels can resurface your face by removing your top layers of skin, increasing collagen and decreasing wrinkles, leading to a younger appearance of the face and neck. 

When used under the supervision of a dermatologist, chemical peels can be safe and effective

The FDA letter included 13 specific chemical peel products from six different retailers 

The treatments help shed the top layers of skin and are touted as solutions to acne, scars and discoloration.

However, these chemicals are powerful and if not used appropriately, they can eat through too many layers of skin, leading to chemical burns, pain, swelling, infection and skin color changes. 

The FDA listed 13 products from six different companies and issued warning letters to each of those companies. 

It's unclear what prompted the FDA to issue the warning, but the agency specified that none of these products have been approved for at-home treatment. 

In appears that in response, several of those products were removed from some of the retailer websites. 

The products include those from Amazon and Walmart, and smaller companies like Isis.Gold, Matte Beauty, Skin Beauty Solutions and RePare Skincare. 

The letter specifies that these products are safe for professionals to use, but customers who use them at home run the risk of damaging their skin. 

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At their cheapest these cost about $13 and at their most expensive they cost about $99, depending on the retailer, chemicals used and the size of the package.

For a light chemical peel, a dermatologist may charge between $100 to $300, a report from CareCredit, a healthcare financial services company, found. 

But for a more intense procedure, which uses more concentrated chemicals and has a higher risk involved, the average cost is around $1,800, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. 

A chemical peel is a gel-like solution applied to the face that contains an acidic chemical that eats through the top layers of old skin to reveal newer, fresher layers underneath. 

Some common chemicals used in the peels include lactic acid, salicylic acid and glycolic acid. 

The skin has three main sections, with each containing many compressed layers of skin cells. These form your skin and house its imperfections - including scarring, acne and discoloration. 

In the popular TV series Sex and the City, character Samantha Jones is confronted with the unsightly aftermath of a chemical peel gone wrong

Depending on the intensity of the treatment, chemical peels can take off the first section of the skin, called the epidermis, or penetrate deeper into the second section, called the dermis.  

A doctor may recommend different types of peels depending on your goals. 

Light chemical peels can be used to treat fine lines, acne and dryness, and can be used under professional supervision semi-regularly, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 

Deeper, more intense chemical peels produce the most dramatic results and can be used to eliminate pre-cancerous growths, deep wrinkles, blotchy skin or acne scars. 

These are done sparingly, and sometimes under light sedation. 

After determining what you want out of a chemical peel, a practitioner can apply the solution to the face with a brush, cotton applicator or gauze. 

The solution essentially eats through and damages the top layers of the skin. They then slough off, revealing the newer layers underneath. 

However, if the solution is left on the skin for too long, the type of chemical used is too intense for your needs, or you apply the product too frequently, it can eat down into more delicate parts of the skin, causing the 'disfiguring scars.'

The treatments can also cause pain, swelling, infection and skin color changes.  

In extreme cases, these may require surgery or emergency care from a doctor, the letter said.