CHEMICAL PEEL EXFOLIATION

CHEMICAL PEEL EXFOLIATION penetrates the superficial to medium deep layers of your skin. Assisting the body in renewing deeper layers of skin.

While dermal fillers can erase lines and wrinkles, one of the keys to looking younger lies in how healthy our skin looks. Chemical peeling is one of the oldest beauty secrets in the book. Chemical peels involve the application of a chemical solution to the surface of the skin to produce the careful removal of its outer layers.

The amount of skin removed will depend on the type of chemical used, the strength of this product and how long it is left on the skin. Most chemical peeling usually requires a course of treatments.

Although they are most commonly used on the face, chemical peels can also rejuvenate the skin on the back of the hands and the décolleté, which can give away your age as much as your face. 

Chemical peels come in different strengths ranging from:

• SUPERFICIAL/LIGHT PEELS are the gentlest type of peels available and one of the true ‘lunchtime’ aesthetic procedures. They only remove the top layer of the skin, known as the epidermis, and can give your skin and instantly brighter look as well as a smoother, more even texture. They can be used to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, mild acne scarring, age spots and dry or flaking skin. They are usually made from alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acids, known as AHAs and BHAs and include glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid. Nowadays it is also common to use fruit enzymes and acids from natural sources such as pumpkins, cranberries and pineapples. There are now advanced peeling systems, which offer the kind of results you would expect from a medium depth peel but with the side effects of a superficial peel. These types of peels use active ingredients to penetrate and deliver anti-oxidants and vitamins deep into the skin encouraging the new cells to grow stronger and healthier. A course of between 3 - 6 treatments is usually recommended to achieve the best results. Superficial peels do not hurt, you only feel a slight tingling or stinging sensation, and have virtually no recovery time. You can be a little bit pink afterwards and may get some mild flaking of the skin but this can be disguised with make-up. With a superficial peel you would be able to return to work or go out straight afterwards and no one would know you had had the treatment done.

• MEDIUM DEPTH PEELS give more dramatic results than superficial peels. Usually derived from TCA (trichloroacetic acid), they penetrate deeper in to the skin and can be used to treat sun damage, pigmentation and wrinkles. The downside of medium peels is that you will have a longer recovery and more side effects. You may also feel more discomfort during the treatment than you would with a superficial peel including burning and stinging, which can last for 30 minutes to an hour after treatment. You may want to hide yourself away for a few days following a medium peel as your face can become swollen, pink and itchy following treatment and you will get more ‘peeling’ of the skin than you would with a superficial peel. You can also get patches of brown and white skin on your face during the healing process. Generally, recovery takes around a week but your skin can be a little bit pink for up to six weeks afterwards.

• DEEP PEELS are the strongest type of chemical peel available and can achieve amazing results for sun damage, scarring and deep lines and wrinkles but be prepared to look quite scary after your treatment. They usually use high strength TCA to penetrate the deeper layers, or dermal layers, of the skin. However, this type of peel is painful and can take months to fully recover from. Your skin will be very red and feel almost like it is sun burnt after the procedure. Although you will heal in one to three weeks the redness can still be visible for months after the treatment but the results of the peel are amazing and long lasting. Your whole face will be swollen for a couple of days and will then scab. You will also get a lot of peeling and your skin may be quite itchy. For some people it can take up to two weeks before they want to go out in public. 

CHEMICAL PEEL COMPOSITION

• Glycolic acid is the most common peeling agent. It comes in different strengths (30% – 90%) and different pH levels (levels of acidity) which will determine how deep it penetrates and how much peeling you get. It can be used to treat fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, improvement of skin texture, skin brightening. 

• Salicylic acid is unique amongst the hydroxy acids in that it can penetrate deeper into the oil glands causing exfoliation even in the oily areas of the face and scalp, making it ideal for treating acne and oily skin.

• Lactic acid occurs naturally in human skin and is also found in milk. It is less irritating than other AHAs and has a natural moisturizing effect on the skin. It is ideal for skin brightening. It can be used to treat pigmentation, dry or dehydrated skin, sensitive skin, rosacea.

• Antibacterial or Fruit enzymes can also be used as peeling agents. Commonly used fruit enzymes come from fruits such as papaya, pineapple, pumpkin and cranberry. They are anti-bacterial, promote cell renewal and can digest oil from spots (sebum) and dead skin. They can be used to treat acne, rosacea, dehydrated skin, hyper reactive and sensitive skin. 

• TCA or trichloroacetic acid is a stronger acid than glycolic. It penetrates deeper into the skin and is usually used for medium depth or deep peels although it can be used at a lower concentration in combination with other acids for a milder peel. It can be used to treat skin tightening, fine lines and wrinkles, acne scars, large pores, hyper-pigmentation. 

RECOMMENDED FOR 

If you have any of the following concerns, you could be a candidate for a peel:

• Dry skin
• Oily skin
• Acne
• Acne scarring
• Lines and wrinkles
• Pigmentation
• Sun damage
• Dull or lifeless skin

CONTRAINDICATIONS

If you have a history of poor skin healing and keloid scarring you may not be suitable for a peel, especially a stronger, deeper peel. 

With all chemical peels you should avoid sunbathing afterwards and make sure you wear a sunscreen when you go out, even if it is not sunny, as you may develop brown marks on your skin known as hyper-pigmentation.