Years ago, a chemical peel was one of the few dermal treatments available if you wanted serious skin improvements. Fast forward a few years later, and a mountain of other dermal treatment options emerged, leaving skin peels in the back corner. But in recent years, peels have dramatically increased in popularity — for good reason. Why so? Because they work. For numerous dermal conditions. Here’s what you need to know.
Chemical peels strip your skin layers through a controlled and limited injury to a desired depth. They remove unwanted changes to the skin and encourage cellular renewal with healthier, more attractive skin. Depending on their strength, they can treat any number of conditions, from fine lines and superficial wrinkles, acne and scarring to pigmentation and sun damage.
Typically, chemical peels come in a gel or water-like liquid. This liquid is lightly painted over the skin, and the peel remains active for a specific time until neutralised with water.
For the best (and safest) results, choose a professional peel administered by a doctor or nurse. These are far stronger than at-home peels — which, although they require downtime, have little effect. It’s crucial you have a medically trained professional administer your peel, particularly with the stronger ones, because the peel must be neutralised at a specific time to deliver the desired effect—without going too far and creating excessive skin cell damage.
Chemical peels also cause inflammation, which can be good (as they stimulate collagen) but can also cause problems if not overseen by an appropriate professional.
Types of chemical peels
Common ingredients in chemical peels include glycolic acid, lactic acid, and other synthetic and natural AHAs (alpha hydroxy fruit acids). These ingredients are used at differing potencies, depending on your objectives.
Almost anyone can have a skin peel. However, you must have a doctor carefully assess your skin, analyse the issues, and prescribe the most appropriate chemical peel for your skin type and objectives.
What do chemical peels treat?
Chemical peels can treat a wide variety of skin conditions depending on their strength and ingredients.
Superficial and medium chemical peels can treat fine lines, pigmentation, photodamage and acne.
Deep chemical peels can help with scarring and dermal pigmentation. These types of peels do require some downtime, but according to dermatologists, they are worth the effort. Hit the problem hard, and you’ll enjoy far better results than choosing a series of lighter peels that may not give you the results you’re after.
Let’s talk about downtime.
Your recovery time will depend on the strength of your professional peel. Superficial peels cause a slight skin redness and nothing more. However, deep peels will cause skin tightness, peeling, flaking, redness and possibly some swelling beneath the skin. These symptoms typically subside within seven to 10 days. During this time, the skin will slowly turn red to pink and then back to the normal baseline colour, provided you carefully follow your practitioner’s instructions.
Can anyone perform chemical peels?
If you’re serious about getting good results and want to be in the safest hands, avoid beauty salons and choose a doctor-led clinic with registered nurses. Medically trained professionals are better equipped to administer the peels and can best treat any potential side effects that may arise.
What are the side effects & risks?
Potential side-effects of peels include redness, inflammation, discomfort, peeling, blistering, acne, pigmentation, infection, scarring and, although rare, cardiovascular and hepatorenal dysfunction.
Some of these side effects, such as redness and flaking, are considered acceptable and will heal naturally in days.
If the patient doesn’t stay out of the sun after a peel, they increase their risk of hyperpigmentation, where patches of darkening skin occur. However, this can be treated with whitening agents. Once again, this is why it is vital to choose a doctor-led clinic to ensure you’re receiving the safest and best peel for your skin type and concerns.
What about pain?
Light chemical peels are usually well tolerated. You might feel a few seconds of discomfort and some itching and burning afterwards. However, the deeper the peel, the more pain you may experience.
At Samara Aesthetics, all peels are followed by a session under the Healite II™. Using LED technology at a specific wavelength it accelerates skin repair, skin healing and recovery time. The Healite II™ is a soothing and relaxing treatment that will help your skin feel far more comfortable and give it a kickstart in the healing process.
The cost of a peel
Chemical peels are typically $150 for each session. The Healite II™ is approximately $70 a session. Currently, Samara Aesthetics have a special. Book 3 x chemical peels and receive the Healite II™ free.
Cost: $450 (SAVE $210)
