Chemical Peels | Skin Care Series

Welcome back to our Skin Care Series! If you need to catch up, check out Microdermabrasion, Multi-Masking or Understanding Skin Care. We are going to break Chemical Peels down into 2 parts. The first part will be what a chemical peel is, how it works, what to expect with a professional chemical peel, etc. The second will be covering at-home chemical peels, a review of our favorites and 2 DIY recipes for at-home chemical peel. So let’s get started!

A chemical peel uses a chemical solution to smooth the texture of your skin by removing the damaged outer layers.
Although chemical peels are used mostly on the face, they can also be used to improve the skin on your neck and hands. A chemical peel is one of the least invasive ways to improve the appearance of your skin. Sun exposure, acne, or just getting older can leave your skin tone uneven, wrinkled, spotted or scarred.

A chemical peel can help improve

• Acne or acne scars
• Age and liver spots
• Fine lines and wrinkles
• Freckles
• Irregular skin pigmentation
• Rough skin and scaly patches
• Scars
• Sun-damaged skin

What a chemical peel won’t do

• Treat deep facial lines
• Tighten loose or sagging skin
• Remove broken capillaries
• Change pore size
• Remove deep scars

What It Is

A chemical peel is a skin resurfacing technique in which a chemical solution is applied to the face to remove the outer surface layers of skin. Chemical peels come in a range of strengths, from a deeper Phenol Peel to more superficial peels, such as a Glycolic Acid peel. Chemical peels allow new, healthier skin to emerge.

A chemical peel involves the application of a solution to the entire face or to specific areas to peel away the skin’s top layers. Several light to medium-depth peels can often achieve similar results to one deeper peel treatment, with less risk and shorter recovery time.

The different types of chemical peels vary according to their specific ingredients and their strength. The depth of their peeling action may also be determined by factors such as how long they remain on the skin and whether they are applied lightly or rubbed more vigorously onto the skin.

• Peel solutions may contain alpha hydroxy acids, tricholoracetic acid (TCA) or phenol, and peel “depth” or the number of skin layers removed, is determined by both solution ingredients and concentration.

• TCA Skin Peels use trichloroacetic acid for peeling of the face, neck, hands and other exposed areas of the body. It has less bleaching effect than phenol peels, and is good for “spot” peeling of specific areas. It can be used for deep, medium or light peeling, depending on the concentration and method of application.

• Phenol is used for deep chemical peels. Phenol offers full-face peeling when sun damage or wrinkling is severe. It can also be used to treat limited areas of the face, such as deep wrinkles around the mouth, but it may permanently bleach the skin, leaving a line of demarcation between the treated and untreated areas that must be covered with makeup.

• Lactic acid lotions like Lac-Hydrin can help to treat keratosis pilaris and lighten brown spots at the same time.

• At Home Chemical Peel kits are less concentrated than the agents offered by a skin care specialist but they still contain acids and you run the risk of burning your skin if you do not use it properly or do not test first. We will cover the At Home Peel next.

Consultation

Your doctor or licensed esthetician should gather your medical history and evaluate the condition of your skin.

• Skin Evaluation: They will carefully examine your skin to determine which resurfacing technique, or combination of treatments, will provide you with the best results. The factors they will consider are your skin type, the severity of any sun damage, the extent of uneven pigmentation and the depth of skin imperfections will be evaluated. Fine lines, coarse wrinkling or deep acne scarring each may require a different approach to treatment.
• Medical History: You should come to the consultation ready to discuss your medical history. This will include information about any medical conditions, drug allergies, medical treatments you have received, previous surgeries, and medications that you currently take. Make sure that you tell your skin care professional if you have ever had x-ray treatments of your facial skin such as those used in the treatment of acne or if you have had a prior chemical peeling procedure. Current or past use of Accutane, Retin-A and other topical skin preparations should all be considered. For your safety, it is important that you provide complete information.

Getting ready for Chemical Peel

Your doctor or esthetician may place you on a pretreatment program that will have you applying special creams, lotions or gels to your skin for a few weeks or longer. You might also be given certain oral medications that you should begin taking prior to your treatment.
Your skin resurfacing treatment may be performed in your estheticians office, doctor’s office, a free-standing ambulatory facility or a hospital. Depending on the strength of your treatment you may need to arrange for someone to drive you home after the procedure and probably assist you for a day or two. You will find this out at your consultation.

Unlike microdermabrasion, chemical peels work better on specific skin types. Fair skin, light haired people are especially good candidates but most people can find one that works well for them. I have olive skin and dark hair and have had great results with chemical peels! But it is something that needs to be considered.

I hope this little segment enlightened you to the benefits and considerations that come with a chemical peel. Join us as we cover at-home chemical peel options more in-depth!

XOXO-M&D