To Peel or not to Peel - Chemical & Face Peels

There is so much confusion these days regarding chemical and face peels.

Many people are turned off by the idea of peeling your skin off… hmmm - I wonder why?? Well in actual fact it’s not that scary after all.

Ever heard that as skin ages it looks dull, dry and lifeless? That’s because the skin renewal process that causes old cells from the surface to slough off slows down as we age and old cells hang around longer and longer.

Chemical peels freshen your appearance by stripping off a few layers of those tired old cells. There are three basic types of chemical peels characterized by how many layers of skin they penetrate light, medium and deep.

The lightest, or superficial, peels are usually safe for everyone. The active ingredient is an acid and a variety of types are available. Most people can go right back to their day after this kind of peel, experiencing light pinkness, if any, and light skin flaking within several days. Due to the relative mild action of light peels, many people repeat them often.

Medium peels are usually based on trichloroacetic acid, a stronger ingredient. They act on deeper layers and actually burn the skin, causing mild to medium discomfort during the process. Most people tolerate a medium peel well, however. (The aforementioned Obagi Blue Peel is a medium chemical peel.) After treatment, skin is pink to reddish (with a blue tinge, perhaps!) and most people choose to take a few days off work for healing. Within several days, the outer layers of skin peel and flake.

Deep peels, utilizing a chemical called phenol, penetrate many layers of skin. They need to be applied along with some form of anesthesia to ease the discomfort and burning sensation, and they require dressing for a few days immediately after treatment. Given the depth of penetration of a phenol peel, it can only be used once. Women with darker skin are not good candidates as the chemical can have a bleaching effect.

I hope this help and enjoy!!