Peel Season – All About Chemical Peels

So, you follow a lot of skincare social media and keep seeing everyone referring to this time of year as peel season but are super unsure of what that is. Well let me break it down for you!

Peel season refers to the time of the year esthetician and skin therapists a like, recommend getting a chemical peel service done. These are typically the cooler months as there isn’t as much sun exposure, which is ideal after getting a peel. If you’ve been wanting to work on any unwanted pigmentation, acne, scarring or even just wanting to give your skin a refresh, then chemical peels are going to be the perfect service for you! They work to reduce hyperpigmentation thus evening out skin tone as well as clearing acne (depending on the peel you get).

Let’s take a deeper dive into what exactly chemical peels are to help you determine whether this might be the right service for you!

What Are Chemical Peels

First off, chemical peels are chemical solutions, containing acids, that work by creating controlled trauma to the skin. Peel solutions often involve glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid (great for clearing acne), mandelic acid or trichloroacetic acid. The resulting trauma leads to the top layer ‘peeling’ away leaving glowing, clearer skin. Peels typically vary in strength with their being light, medium and deep peels.

• As the name implies, light peels are superficial peels that work on the epidermis (top layer of skin). They are the gentlest option, especially great for those with sensitive skin. They have no downtime, meaning you don’t have to avoid going outside in the sun for long periods of time in order to achieve optimal results. These peels are great if you have no spare days off to stay home after treatment

• Medium peels on the other hand penetrate deeper into the skin and are often used to help treat deep wrinkles as well as acne and hyperpigmentation. Glycolic acid is often used for this type of peel. As they are more intensive, medium peels require more recovery than a light peel

  
  

• Lastly, typically using a phenol base solution, deep peels are the most aggressive form of peels. They work on both the epidermis and the dermis layers of skin. Deep peels require the most down time but also have the most dramatic results, working on deeper wrinkles and pigmentation. These types of peels often have a higher risk of scarring and can cause swelling, redness as well as weeks’ worth of peeling.

Benefits to Peels

Now that you know what they are, let’s get into some key benefits to chemical peels including:  

• Peels work to manage and clear acne through the use of AHAs and BHAs solutions. These solutions work to reduce oil productions and clear pores

• Reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles

• Clear unwanted hyperpigmentation including PIH and melasma

• Resurface the skin, helping with texture and giving a softer, smoother feel

How to Prep at Home

The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing for a chemical peel is consistency!

• You want to make sure you are consistently wearing your sunscreen before getting a peel. Not only will this help you already be in the habit of application after the peel, but it will also help you to not develop anymore unwanted pigmentation that you would have to further work on.

• Start using a tyrosinase inhibitor in your skin routine. Tyrosinase is the enzyme that works to help create melanin in the skin. As chemical peels can sometime cause additional pigmentation (especially in those of darker Fitzpatricks), using a tyrosinase inhibitor allows for the reduction of melanin production, helping to avoid any unwanted pigmentation after the peel.

• For those who experience cold sores, it is super important to make sure you take your antivirals before the treatment. Chemical peels have the potential to spread cold sores around the face and that is the absolute last thing we would want! By taking your antivirals before (and maybe even after), it ensures that you won’t have a potential flare up before or during the treatment.

So just to recap…

Chemical peels are chemical solutions applied to the skin that work to exfoliate the skin layers, revealing glowier, healthier skin! Using various acids, peels are great for those experience mild to moderate acne, unwanted pigmentation, scarring, fine lines and wrinkles. They come in light, medium and deep depths. Depending on which you choose, it will dictate the length of your recovery time. Making sure to consistently wear your sunscreen and use the right products will get you the best result every time!

Your fav beauty babe,

abeautygworl!