Everything you need to know about chemical peel season...
It has arrived… chemical peel season! If you’re anything like me you have been waiting four painfully sunny months for this, yes we all need some vitamin D but I’ve had enough. Bye bye summer! Bring on the cooler weather, peels & retinol. If you’re new to this season I have some helpful info and a few tips to get you prepared, and if you’re a seasoned vet… this will be a good refresher.
WHY DO WE HAVE A “PEEL SEASON”?
Chemical peels are more aggressive then your manual exfoliation like dermaplaning and dermabrasion. The solution applied causes temporary thinning of the skin as it sheds off dead cells to make room for healthy, new ones. This process requires a short (or long, depending on the depth of your treatment) amount of downtime to allow the skin to regenerate safely. We all know the sun is our worst enemy when it comes to skin as it breaks down collagen / elastin and damages cells. This makes sun exposure a huge “no-no” during that healing time so we can avoid damage to the new cells we are working so hard on. Gloomy weather = the perfect time to shed off some skin!
WHY GET A CHEMICAL PEEL?
Everyone’s reasoning for getting a peel will be different since no two skin journeys are the same. Whether you are struggling with active acne, scars from old acne, unwanted pigmentation, sun damage, fine lines, texture, a dull complexion or just want to keep up on your beautiful skin -- we can find a peel for you. It is also extremely easy to build treatments to fit your individual needs and lifestyle with so many different solutions and ways to customize your treatment that day. Don’t want to peel? We can do a more gentle peel that wont have you shedding like a snake but still give you the desired results. Don’t care about peeling, just want your acne scars gone? Great, we can also do that but remember, peels will be progressive… its not a one and done situation.
IMPORTANCE OF PREPPING THE SKIN
Just because the clouds are here and the sun is no more does not mean you can just dive straight into shedding off your face! This type of advanced resurfacing treatment requires a little prep work to make sure you’re ready for this level of intensity. Without prepping the skin you could potentially do more damage than good, and that is opposite of what we're trying to do here. Great ways to prep include gradually working up to resurfacing treatments and active ingredients in your home care routine. This process should only take a few weeks but varies person to person, reach out to your esthetician to find out deets for your specific skin!
Treatments to prep for peels:
Enzyme treatments
Fire and ice facial
Refresh facial
Products to prep for peels:
Active serum
Retinol (derm-a-gel, derm-a-renew)
Mandelic acid serum
Ageless anti-aging serum
Pro-heal serum
NOTE: Not only is it unsafe to perform peels on skin that has not been properly prepped, it is also not helpful to your overall skin health to receive such an aggressive treatment without maintaining the progress at home with proper home care. We unfortunately do not perform peels on skin that does not have the proper routine at home, please reach out if you are wanting help with finding the right home care for you!
POST PEEL DO’S AND DONT’S
So you finally got your peel! Yay, it wasn’t bad, right? Now it’s time to lay low and let your skin do its thing. We went over all of the post care instructions with you and gave you your take home bag with samples, but sometimes we forget… So let's go over it again.
10 commandments post chemical peel:
Wash makeup brushes and pillow case
Avoid increasing body temperature (swimming, physical activities, saunas, drinking)
Stay away from the sun (always, lol)
Book hair removal treatments at least two weeks post treatment
No touching the face
Absolutely no picking if and when you start to peel
Active ingredients (retinol, acids, etc) should be replaced with hydrating / soothing ingredients for 3 days to a week
Use the kit you were sent home with
Listen to your esthetician & message her if you have any questions or concerns
Book a follow up treatment 4 weeks out
Before I go let’s touch to briefly on the two most common questions I get about peels… does it hurt? No, not at all. Some peels will give you an itchy or spicy feeling but you are given a fan during your treatment to minimize any discomfort. The second one of course is “will I shed like a snake?” I mentioned this earlier but I just want to reiterate not all peels make you peel. You can still get the benefits without any visible shedding of the skin, sometimes you will just feel a bit dry for a few days. We always take your lifestyle into consideration when customizing your treatment, not everyone has the time to shed for a week and I get that! It is also super important to remember that skincare is progressive and takes time to see results. Some people are lucky and see minor changes after one treatment but most results require more treatments (we offer a peel bundle of 3 for 10% off!) Having realistic expectations when it comes to your skin is key, talk with your esthetician about your goals so you’re always on the same page. Oh, and don’t forget… you play a huge role in your skins progress! You + your esty bestie = your skins dream team <3
Happy peel season,
xx holly